Reade R R Sapper
Personnel Entry
Name Reade Reginald Ronald
Army number 5260961.
Rank Sapper
Decorations None known beyond Service Awards. He requested his Medals from his home in Canada in 1951 - the award was made on 24/1/1951 but apparently was limited to the Defence Medal. Had he been issued with his other awards (France and Germany Star, War Medal) at an earlier date?
Date of birth 26/5/1923 at Nuneaton, Warwickshire. His birth was registered in Q3 1923 at Nuneaton. Mother's maiden surname Cornwell.
Age 63 at the time of his death.
Unit Enlisted in the Worcestershire Regiment - date not yet ascertained. Transferred to the Royal Engineers - date not known yet. Posted to the 294th Field Company. Served as part of 2nd London Corps Troops Engineers (Barnet) until May 1940. Served in Iceland from June 1940. Left Iceland April 1942 after having been involved in the building of Keflavik Airport and possibly Reykjavik Airport as well. Served Normandy. Discharged 19/3/1947 as a Class A Release.
Company/Battery
Platoon or other sub-unit Served in No. 3 Platoon.
Task or role Details awaited.
Joined Brigade Not yet confirmed.
Promotions Appointed Lance Corporal.
Wounded Not so far as is known.
Prisoner of War Not so far as is known.
Died/Killed in action Date of death 5/5/1987 - aged 63 - probably in New York, USA. It is thought that his body was cremated and his ashes then buried in Stockingford Cemetery, Bucks Hill. Probate in the sum of £47,546 was granted by the Oxford Registry on 25/8/1987, showing a contact address of 22, Dorlecote Place, Nuneaton. Another address gleaned from his records is 283, Watling Street, Nuneaton CV11 6BQ.
Home address Father - Joseph Reade, mother - Sarah Ann Cornwell. He lived at 18, Meldrum Road, Stockingford, Nuneaton. He is listed on the outgoing Passenger List of the Cunard Line's "Aquitania" departing for Halifax, Canada on 3/8/1949. He later lived at 138 New Street, Burlington, Ontario, Canada and at 11232, Brooklyn, Kings, New York.
Source table
We are grateful to family for much additional information.
Some information on this Page has been extracted from the Commemorative Booklet, prepared by Major Langley, covering the period from D-Day to VE Day in addition to that extracted from the War Diaries. There are issues around the possible duplication of names which remain to be clarified.
We are grateful to the Sapper's great-niece for the additional information about him, and for the photographs.
A further photo of Reginald is set out below:-