159th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
Reginald Eggleton was born in Cheltenham in the first quarter of 1897, the son of William and Ellen Eggleton, who had six children in all. The family address was Marle Hill Gardens, Folly Lane, Cheltenham and his father ran a family market garden business and according to the 1911 Census Reginald was employed in this.
He enlisted into the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) on 13 November 1915 at Cheltenham, aged 19 years and 10 months and was posted to the RFA headquarters at Woolwich. On 9 December 1915 he was posted to 22 Reserve Battery and on 15 March 1916 joined 20 Reserve Battery, prior to his posting to France, with the British Expeditionary Force on the 19th of that month.
In France he joined ‘D’ Battery of 163 Brigade and in the following month was sent on a Signalling course. He was posted to 159 Brigade on 8 September 1916 and served with them until 13 November 1917, probably taking part in the latter stages of the Battle of the Somme (1916) and the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in early 1917. In the period 13 to 24 September 1917 he was in England on home leave.
On 13 November 1917 he was admitted to 55 General Hospital at Wimereux, on the Channel coast, not far from Boulogne, with illness and seven days later was transferred to England, pulmonary tuberculosis having been diagnosed. He was discharged from the Army on 22 December 1917 and granted a disability pension and received a Silver War Badge, worn to indicate discharge from military service on account of wounds or illness. He died from his illness on 11 February 1919 and was buried in Cheltenham Cemetery, his grave being marked with a private headstone. In the 1930s he was joined by his parents.
William and Ellen Eggleton had four sons who served in the Great War. One, Raymond William, a Territorial, was killed in action with 1/4th Battalion Glosters in the Ypres Salient on 9 October 1917 and is buried at Poelcapelle British Cemetery.
Researched by Graham Adams 30 August 2012