REGINALD HERBERT SECRETAN

Reginald Secretan was the youngest of four children to parents Herbert and Mary formally Richardson, and was born on 22nd June 1895 in Ewell, Surrey. The 1901 census shows the family home as The Old House, Epsom Road, Ewell, Surrey. At the time of the census the house contained parents, 51 year old Herbert an underwriter for Marine insurance at Lloyd's insurance and his wife 42 year old Mary, their two daughters, 11 year old Marjorie and 9 year old Esme, with Reginald aged 5, along with three servants, a Cook, Housemaid and a Nurse. The oldest child Herbert, was away at boarding school.

Herbert retired in 1912 and with Mary moved the family to a large house in Tile kiln Lane, Bennetts End named "The Dells"  after the many pits in the area, these pits were dug to extract clay for the production of bricks, brickmaking was a local industry. In the 1920s Herbert and Mary moved along Tile Kiln Lane to a smaller house, "Tile Kiln Cottage" which is still standing and their son Herbert took over at "The Dells" until 1970 when he left to live out his days in South Africa.

Reginald attended school at Hildersham House, in Broadstairs, Kent , then onto Oundle School were he became the captain of his house and excelled at many games. The Housemaster had a high regard for him, Reginald also served in Oundle's Officer Training Corp between June 1912 and July 1914, when he resigned on leaving school having reached the rank of corporal.

With the outbreak of war and having just left school, Reginald tried eight times to enlist, but due to being short sighted he was rejected every time. A friend wrote to the family on his death "I shall never forget your boy, in the first days of the war dashing about the country on his motorbike entreating to enlist anywhere and in any regiment"

Reginald's persistence paid off at Wembley Hill on 6th November 1914 their he was enlisted in the 1st London Machine Gun Regiment, aged 19 years and 3 months. On his medical form dated the same day, 6th November, Reginald was passed fit for service with the Royal Regiment of Artillery. His service statement form puts his enlistment from 6th November 1914, serving in the Royal Artillery Motor Machine Gun Service.

19th19th December came with a transfer to the Army Service Corp, mechanical transport section as a driver and with this unit he embarked for France at Southampton on the S.S. Normania on 30th December 1914, arriving at Havre later the same day, serving in the 1st army signal company as a dispatch rider.

Reginald returned home to England on the 19th August 1916 for officer training at Gailes in Ayrshire. On completion of the course he is commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the 1st Hertfordshire Regiment, he joins them at Ypres in Belgium at the front line on the 3rd February 1917.

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War Diary for July 1917.

1 to 7-7-17. Bn in Reserve on CANAL BANK in HILL TOP sector, YPRES.

7 to 16-7-17. Bn relieved 1st Cambs Regt. in Front Line system, HILL TOP sector

16-7-17. Bn was relieved by the 6th Border Regt. and marched to C CAMP.

17-7-17. Bn marched to POPERINGHE station and entrained to WATTEN where it detrained and marched to billets at HAULE, arriving 7am 18th inst.

18 to 21-7-17. Bn did splendid training for offensive action.

22-7-17. Bn moved by bus to Z CAMP, arriving about 2am 23RD inst.

23 to 28-7-17. Bn continued special training and equipping.

29-7-17. Bn moved to bivouacs near C CAMP.

30-7-17. Bn moved into assembly positions about X lines, HILL TOP sector.

31-7-17. About 3.50am the Bn moved forward in 4 lines behind the 116th & 117th Inf. Bdes. east of the river STEENBEEK. Up till this time the casualties had been very slight indeed but as the Bn advanced from the STEENBEEK toward the LANGEMARCK line (the Bn objective) casualties grew heavier from sniper and machine gun fire. However the Bn continued advancing. About half way to the objective some of No.3 Coy came upon a German strong point which they gallantly charged, capturing or killing most of the garrison and sending the remainder back as prisoners. On reaching the enemy wire this was found to be practically undamaged (expect in one place) & very thick. 2/Lieut MARCHINGTON & a handful of men of No.3 Coy got through the only gap and got into the enemy trench & killed a lot of Germans. The remainder of the Bn, being unable to get through the wire and suffering severe casualties from enfilade MG fire & the Germans making a strong counter attack from our left flank about this time, had to fall back having suffered exceptionally heavy casualties. The remnants of the battalion subsequently dug themselves in in line with the 1st Cambs Regt. on the west side of the STEENBEEK.

Casualties to Officers were:

Lt. Col. F. PAGE D.S.O., Captain S.H. LOWRY M.C., Captain A.R. MILNE, 2/Lts GALLO, SECRETAN, SCOTT & MACINTOSH killed. [Comment; Lt. Col. Frank PAGE D.S.O., Captain Sidney Henry LOWRY M.C., Captain Alexandra Richard MILNE, 2/Lts Antonio Marie GALLO, Reginald Herbert SECRETAN, Cecil SCOTT & Eric MACINTOSH]

Lt LAKE, 2/Lts WALTHOW, THOMPSON & KING missing. [Comment; Lt Frank Gilbert LAKE, 2/Lt Wilfred John THOMPSON and 2/Lt Sydney KING all found to be killed in action that day]

Lt HEAD & 2/Lts HARDY & FRANCIS wounded & missing. [Comment; Lt Basil William HEAD found to have been killed in action]

Captain FISHER, Captain C. CHARLES RAMC, & 2/Lts MARCHINGTON, EDWARDS, GILBEY & RITCHIE wounded.

Estimated casualties to the other ranks were 29 killed, 5 missing believed killed, 132 missing, 68 wounded & missing, 223 wounded & 2 died of wounds, making a total of 459 casualties to other ranks.

Died of wounds; Officers 2, OR’s 6.

Missing; Officers 9, OR’s 120.

Wounded; Officers 8, OR’s 180.

War Diary for August 1917.

2-8-17. Major PHILLIPS, Captain WHITFIELD and 2nd Lieut. E.M. PAUL went up to the line to take charge of the 130 Other Ranks who remained from the fight on the 31st July. This party remained at TOWER POST and IRISH FARM.

The Hertfordshire regiments total dead for 31st July was 145 

Reginald was 22 years old when he died and is remembered on the Menin Gate memorial to the missing who have no known grave.

Reginald was also on the order of service for the village church at Easter 1919, the village memorial and Hemel Hempstead town memorial, his parents grave and Oundle School.

 The border between Leverstock Green and Bennetts End was moved with the creation of the New Town after the Second World War and "The Dells" if still standing would today be in Leverstock Green.

The Menin Gate was so named because here the road out of Ypres passed through the old wall defences going in the direction of Menin. During the war the two stone lions standing on each side of the Menin Gate were seen by tens of thousands of troops as they went towards the front line. The gate, beyond which these men's fate lay, became highly symbolic. Afterwards it was decided that on this site a huge monument, designed by the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield, would commemorate those of the Empire who were killed in Belgium but have no known grave. The memorial was unveiled by Field Marshal Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927. It bears the names of 55,000 officers and men and covers the period up to the 15th August 1917. The Last Post is sounded at the Memorial, every evening at 8pm

 The last form in Reginald’s army papers refers to them being WEEDED IN APRIL 1964

These two photos are of Reginald Secretan's parents grave in Leverstock Green with a tribute to Reginald

 Reginald's brother Herbert would win the Military Cross during the war and was wounded very badly.

                          Reginald's sister Marjorie Secretan granddaughter Fiona Biles supplied this picture from the Menin Gate memorial