Reginald Cheyne Berkeley MC Rifle Brigade, Special Reserve

liverpool annie · Apr 19, 2009

I found this soldier in a list of soldiers from Fiji in the Great War but I can't find anything else on him ... why was he in Fiji ... was he already in the Army ?? any information will be gratefully received !!

Berkeley, Reginald Cheyne Military Cross Rifle Brigade, Special Reserve

For conspicuous gallantry in action. When his company commander was wounded, he led the
company with great dash to its final objective, and later displayed great determination in
consolidating the captured line.
London Gazette 14 November 1916

http://www.freewebs.com/fiji/medalsandawards.htm

I have found his son and a snippet about his memorial and thats about all !!

[SUB] LT Henry Robert Anthony Cheyne BERKELEY

This is not a separate memorial. His grandmother Mrs Bromley gave the display case for the Second World War Memorial Book in his memory. Sub Lt Berkeley's father, Captain Reginald Berkeley MC MP (OBM) had unveiled the First World War memorial.

Henry Robert Anthony Cheyne BERKELEY, Sub-Lieutenant, 0/6050, His Majesty's Motor Torpedo Boat (HMMTB) 417, Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve who died on Thursday, 16th March 1944. Age 21. Son of Reginald Cheyne Berkeley and Gwendoline Judith Louise Berkeley. Buried in Coxyde Military Cemetery, Koksijde, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave V. H. 1.

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Bedfordshire/BedfordModernSchoolMemorials.html

In Memory of
Sub-Lieutenant HENRY ROBERT ANTHONY CHEYNE BERKELEY

0/6050, H.M.M.T.B. 417, Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve
who died age 21
on 16 March 1944
Son of Reginald Cheyne Berkeley and Gwendoline Judith Louise Berkeley.

Remembered with honour
COXYDE MILITARY CEMETERY

Andy Pay · Jun 28, 2009

Annie,
Missed this one,
BERKELEY, Reginald Cheyne.
Born 1890. Educated Bedford Modern & New Zealand University. 2nd Lt 5th (R) Bn 10/10/15; Lieut. 1/1/17; Capt. 13/7/18; 1st RB & 11th RB, France 1915-17; Brigade-Major "Carey's Force 1918"; Member Secretariat League of Nations 1919-22. Married 1926 Mrs. Hildegarde Digby. MC (1916), BWM, VM, Despatches. MP (Lib) for Nottingham 1922-24. Author and Playwright; wrote Volume 1 of "History of The Rifle Brigade in the War of 1914-18" Died Los Angeles, California 30-4-35.

Military Cross:-
For conspicuous gallantry in action. When his company commander was wounded, he led the company with great dash to its final objective and later displayed great determination in consolidating the captured line.

won with the 11th RB.

Andy

His entry in "Who Was Who" Voluime III, 1929-40

liverpool annie · Jun 28, 2009

I came across this about Carey's Force .... thought it maybe of interest !

Carey's Force came into existence to plug the gap in the British defences east of Amiens. The following are extracts from the British Official History

'The [XIX] corps had no reserve except Carey's Force, organized on the previous day, about three thousand strong - nearly all engineers of units other than field companies [Army Troops companies, Tunnellers, Field Survey, Signals], and including five hundred American railway troops who had no military training - with 16 Vickers and 76 Lewis guns.'

'[Remnants of 66th Division filtered back into Lamotte on 27th March] and were eventually put into trenches among Carey's Force to the west of the village. Had Carey's Force been capable of counter-attacking, an advance near the Somme might have had a good effect, but it was judged impossible to use this improvised force in the dark in such a way.'

'At 3.45 pm [on March 27th] Carey's Force was placed by General Gough at the disposal of the XIX Corps.'

'[On 28th March] the British Fifth Army, which was attacked be seven German divisions with four in support, now contained only the six battered divisions of the XIX Corps to which 1st Cavalry Division and Carey's Force were attached...'

'About 4 pm [on March 28th] Carey's improvised force, with the help of the [depleted] 1st Cavalry Bde and the artillery, engineers and infantry of the [depleted] 16th Divn, had repelled a very strong attack on Hamel, on the left of its line. Two hours later, after the unsuccessful counter-attack on Lamotte, when the two brigades of the 61st Divn had retired to the railway cutting north of Marcelcave, covered by its third brigade, the Germans began a heavy bombardment of Marcelcave and followed this up with an infantry attack. Carey's Force, unable to face another fight, had already abandoned the village. So dangerous did the situation appear that Lt-Gen Watts fell in his last reserve, the corps signal company, less one operator left in the telephone exchange.'

'[By the evening of the 28th] there now remained in the front line of the XIX Corps only the 66th, 39th, and 61st Divns, with the 20th in close support and the 16th Divn and 1st Cavalry Division on the left of Carey's Force.'

On the 29th March there is only a brief mention of 'some of Carey's men mixed amongst...' 66th and 61st Divns who took over 'the old right sector of Carey's Force.'

'[On 30th March] Carey's Force, as such, now disappeared; but with infantrymen of the 16th Divn and cavalry units interspersed and commanded by Lieut-Colonel Whitmore, 10th Hussars, it now became known as "Whitmore's Cosmopolitan Force". It continued to hold the sector from the Roman road to the Somme until the 5th April, when its troops were sent back to their own formations.'
Click to expand...

liverpool annie · Jun 28, 2009

Thanks Andy ! ... I'm still wondering how he got to be on the list with the Fijians .... though I suppose as he was in New Zealand .... that probably has something to do with it !

He traveled quite a bit didn't he ? ... he died in Los Angeles !

liverpool annie · Jun 28, 2009

OK Andy ! ... Christine gave me the answer in an old post .... ... plus - he must have been married twice ....

Mrs. Hildegarde Digby ( who I found in another place as Clara H.G. Digby) and Gwendoline Judith Louise Cock
Click to expand...

Captain Reginald Cheyne Berkeley Rifle Bde, Special Reserve
born London 1890
educated Bedford Modern School,
University of New Zealand
solicitor in Suva, Fiji
called to the New Zealand Bar 1912 and Middle Temple 1919.
served in the Rifle Brigade,(Special Reserve)
in both 11th Service Bn and 1st Bn marched to the Rhine.
wounded Military Cross
LG 14 November 1916
Brigade Major with Carey's Force at Amiens 1918.
GSO3 Fourth Army 1918, Brigade Major 174 Infantry Bde, 59th London Div and 2nd Infantry Bde, 1st Div.
Brigade Major 174 Infantry Brigade,
Demobilised 1919.
Joined Staff of League of Nations, 1919,
first as Editor of pamphlets,
later as Director of Propaganda until 1922
MP for Nottingham Central 1922-24.
m Gwendoline Judith Louise Cock
wrote play produced in 1920;
'The History of the Rifle Brigade in the Great War volume 1',

and “Dawn- A Biographical Novel of Edith Cavell”-1928 on which the 1928 film “Dawn” was based.[/quote ]
Click to expand...

liverpool annie · Jun 28, 2009

I hope you find a "smiggen" extra for your files too !!

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