Name
Reginald Henry Puddefoot (DCM)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/04/1918
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Serjeant
51600
Royal Lincolnshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Distinguished Conduct Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 35 to 37 and 162 to 162A.
Belgium
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour,
St Michael and All Angels Church Memorial, Watford
Pre War
Son of Henry James and Annie (nee KING) PUDDEFOOT; husband of Levino (nee READING) PUDDEFOOT of Chesham.
His parents married 22 May 1893 at St Matthew’s, Oxhey, Herts. Henry died 1931 in Watford aged 63, and was buried 7 December in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Annie died 1939 in Watford aged 66, and was buried 21 June, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
Reginald was born 1 June 1896 in Northwood, Middx, and baptised 12 August 1896 at Holy Trinity, Northwood. He married 1916 in the Amersham, Bucks, district. Levino never remarried and died 1968 in the Amersham district aged 74.
On the 1901 Census, aged 4 he lived in Northwood, with his parents and three siblings. On the 1911 Census, a fish boy aged 15, he still lived in Northwood, with his PUDDEFOOT grandparents.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Bedford, and was formerly Private 10055 1st Bedfordshire Regiment.
He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 16 August 1914; the medals were applied for by his widow of Chesham, Bucks. He was killed in action at Kemmell Hill. Unfortunately, Reginald’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
Additional Information
There are articles about Reginald in the Watford Illustrated dated 17 July 1915; and in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 1 September 1917, 15 September 1917, 25 May 1918 and 28 December 1918; plus an In Memoriam in the issue dated 19 April 1919.
His brother Ernest died 31 January 1918 and also features on Watford Borough Roll of Honour.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
