Renforth Walter 4456748 Pte
Personnel Entry
Name Renforth Walter
Army number 4456748
Rank Private.
Decorations None known beyond Service Awards.
Date of birth 11/12/1916 - registered January 1917, Gateshead.
Age 23 at the time of his death.
Unit Enlisted in the The Durham Light Infantry, Territorial Army, probably in Spring 1939, judging by his Regimental Number. Posted to ? 9th Battalion DLI. Posted to the 12th Battalion DLI 1/9/1939. Posted back to the 9th Battalion - date not known. Served in the B.E.F. in France. Killed in Action 30/5/1940 with 9th Durham Light Infantry.
Company/Battery Not yet known.
Platoon or other sub-unit Not yet known.
Task or role Not yet known.
Joined Brigade 1/9/1939.
Promotions None known.
Wounded Not as far as is known.
Prisoner of War No.
Died/Killed in action Killed in Action 30/5/1940. Son of the late Walter and MaryEllen Renforth. Buried Grave 2. D. 13 in Solferino Farm Cemetery. Inscription reads - "IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY DEAR SON. GOD TAKES THE ONES THAT HE LOVES BEST. R.I.P." No information available on initial interment.
Home address According to the 1939 General Register he lived with his family at 38 Leopold Street, Gateshead and worked as an Iron Moulder.
Source table
Private Renforth's brother - William Ridley Renforth - also served in the 12th Battalion but. along with virtually the whole of the Battalion, was transferred to the Black Watch and posted to 1st Tyneside Scottish on 1/2/1940. His page can be found on the Page for that Battalion at [1].
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.
