Pte Roland Walter Wilfred Reed
9 Pte Roland Walter Wilfred Reed
4183 1st/5th Norfolk
Died: 12-Aug-15
Listed: Great Dunham
Remembered: Helles Memorial
Enlisted: East Dereham
4183 1st/5th Norfolk
Died: 12-Aug-15
Listed: Great Dunham
Remembered: Helles Memorial
Enlisted: East Dereham
Roland was born in Northwold in 1899, the 2nd son of William and Annie. Census details show that the parents had 13 children, 3 of whom had died by 1911. The family lived on Little London, Northwold and in 1911 Roland was still at school. There is no evidence of why he is on the Great Dunham War Memorial, the most likely reason being that he had moved to the village to work on a farm for his first job.
Charles joined the Norfolk Regiment, in East Dereham. There is no doubt that he was under age as he was only 16 when he died. He enlisted in the 1/5th battalion, the Norfolk Territorials but he had possibly been in the Battalion before the war as a “Part time” soldier.
The battalion trained in Watford and were sent to Gallipoli on June 29th, 1915. The battalion lost many men in their first day of fighting, August 12th where they became known as the “Disappeared company.” Roland was one of those who died on that day
He is remembered with honour at Helles Memorial.
Written by Gordon Phillips