Renforth William Ridley Pte 4456375
Personnel Entry
Name Renforth William Ridley
Army number 4456375
Rank Private.
Decorations None known, other than Service Awards.
Date of birth 11/8/1919.
Age 67, at the time of his death.
Unit Enlisted in The Durham Light Infantry, Territorial Army, no definite enlistment date known, but probably Spring 1939. Posted to the ? 9th Battalion DLI. Posted to 12th Battalion DLI on 1/9/1939. Transferred to the Black Watch 1/2/1940, and posted to the 1st Tyneside Scottish. Served with the B.E.F. in France. Taken Prisoner of War - 20/5/1940. Repatriated to the UK. Posted ? Bn Black Watch. Discharged under King's Regulations 1940 Para 390 (xvi) 1/12/45 as unfit for further service.
Company/Battery HQ Company.
Platoon or other sub-unit Not yet known.
Task or role Not yet known.
Joined Brigade 1/9/1939 on mobilisation.
Promotions None known.
Wounded Not so far as is known.
Prisoner of War Yes - Stalag 20A, PoW Number 6657.
Died/Killed in action Died October 1976, Gateshead.
Home address Father - Walter Renforth (1890 - 1939), Mother - Mrs Walter Renforth of 38, Leopold St. Gateshead. Worked as a Coal Miner (Hewer). Married Ellen May Druett (1914 - 1951) December 1940, Brentford, Essex.
Source table 1TS
Private Renforth's brother - Walter - who also served with 12th DLI - was Killed in Action with the 9th Battalion DLI on 30th May 1940 and is buried in France.
An article featuring the two brothers appeared in a local newspaper and is featured below. Thanks are due to Diana Trotter who kindly made these images available via Ancestry.co.uk.
