I met up with Brian Eighteen on Saturday who is related to the two Eighteen's on the Memorial. For your interest I am copying the e-mail I sent him about the men of his family in my database. Hopefully he will be abale to come to the rededication.
Regards
John
Brian
As promised on Saturday here is the information on Eighteens in WW1. I have five of themm in my database
FRED
12 Arthur Rd Reading
wounded 5/4/1917
formerly Berkshire Yeomanry
Royal Berks 203750
HENRY THOMAS
30 Leopold Rd Reading
kia 24/11/16
buried Adnac Military Cemetery
on the Trinity Congrgational Church War Memorial
he attested 26/11/1915 as a salesman, was called up 11/5/1916 to serve with the 8th Royal Berks as 23774
he transferred to the 1st/4th Royal Berks as 20350 where he was killed.
J
joined Royal Berks around 1918/1919 as 54374
got Army number 5329387 in 1920
discharged 24/4/1940
JOHN BERNARD
served with Royal Field Artillery as 10213 in D Battery 75th Brigade
was a 2nd Lt aged 21 when he died 25/6/1917
buried at Wimereux military cemetery
on the Trinity War Memorial
STANLEY JAMES
30 Leopold Rd
Joined the Royal Berks 4th Battalion
Renumbered 201938 in 1917
wounded in eye
There is one other Eighteen in the CWGC records
FREDERICK CHARLES
10 Benton St Hadleigh
1815 in the 5th Suffolk Regt
died 10/3/1916
If you do have any more info on these we would be grateful.
I'll let you know when the plaque is to be rededicated
regards
John
Hi all,
Sorry to bump this thread after so long, but it certainly caught my eye as I have been researching my Eighteen relatives for much of this year and have been able to put together a fairly comprehensive family tree, as well as get in touch with numerous relatives.
I'm quoting this particular post as it mentions some of my grandfather's brothers. Some of them are mentioned in this article from last year:
http://cemeteryjunctionwargraves.org.uk/henry-thomas-eighteen/I don't know who wrote it, but it's quite interesting and well worth a read.
The son of one of my second cousins is currently writing a book about the everyday lives of soldiers during the Great War, which I believe is sort of anecdote/diary-based and in chronological order of the campaigns of that conflict. Some of those stories/accounts will be for a few of the people mentioned above.
I think this is a fascinating thread and a damned good read, and I commend all those who took part in managing to get to the truth -- or at least fragments of it. If anyone has any interest in the Eighteen family of Reading or knows anyone from it, I'd be much obliged if you could let me know here or by PM, as I am always keen to get in touch with relatives and try to add to the fascinating - and often tragic - history of the Eighteen family.
Incidentally, the aforementioned Brian Eighteen was by all accounts a font of local knowledge and well-respected character about Reading. Sadly, he passed away in April. There's a thread about it on the Reading Forum.
Cheers,
James
