Captain William Reginald Easterbrook (MC)

• Age: 24
• From: Plymouth
• Regiment: Cheshire Regiment
• Died on Wednesday 17th July 1918
• Commemorated at: Aire Cc
  Panel Ref: III.J.2

William (Reginald) was born in Plymouth in the 3rd quarter of 1894 the only son of William Thomas Easterbrook and his wife Catherine Emmeline (nee Jarvis).  His parents married in the December quarter of 1889, the marriage was registered in Plymouth. 

The Census of 1901 shows the family are living at 18 Edith Terrace, Plymouth. His father William is shown as having been born in Plymouth and is shown as a Commercial Traveller (Soap). His mother was also born in Plymouth. William Reginald is shown as being 6 years of age.

He was educated at Plymouth College. 

By 1911 the family have moved to Bristol and are living at 3 Cotham Grove, Bristol. His father is now a Manager at a branch of a Soap Manufacturer. William Reginald is shown as a Bank clerk awaiting appointment.

There are a number of pre-war articles about him being a good singer, the Lever Brothers magazine notes "as a powerful vocalist he was a welcome entertainer on local platforms and regimental concerts at home and abroad."

Birkenhead News 29th March 1913

PORT SUNLIGHT

MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY

There were almost 130 members of the Mutual Improvement Society present at the annual meeting and social held in the Collegium on Tuesday evening.

During the evening dancing was engaged in to music supplied by Miss Herskovits. Miss B. Hughes gave capital rendition of "The Ebb Tide," and the "Old Grenadier" was finely sung by Mr W.R.Easterbrook.

By the time war broke out the family were living at Rock Ferry. Reginald is working at Lever Brothers, Port Sunlight in their audit department. 

Alongside many other colleagues from Lever Brothers he enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool in September 1914 joining the 18th Battalion as Private 17258. Obviously a young man with talent he held the rank of 2nd Lieutenant when he transferred to the Cheshire Regiment. He served overseas from July 1915.

The Lever Brothers magazine notes:

"he was put out of action in the "Push." He has since received numerous congratulations on his escape, his injury being a clean bullet wound through the thigh, not only missing a leading artery and the bone. He was brought to Fazakerley Hospital, and after a brief stay there was transferred to Croxteth Park, and was soon able to visit his old colleagues in Port Sunlight."

The Manchester Evening News  of 07th August 1916 lists him amongst the wounded:

WOUNDED

Second Lieuts. W.R.Easterbrook and H.R.Wall of the Cheshire's.

He progressed further through the ranks as evidenced in the Chester Chronicle 29th Sept 1917 

MILITARY APPOINTMENTS

From Thursday's "Gazette" :- 

Cheshire Regt. - Sec.-Lieut. W.R.Easterbrook, Special Reserve to be acting captain.

He had achieved the rank of Captain when he died of wounds, aged 24, on 17th July 1918. 

He received the wounds as a result of leading a raid on the German trenches North West of Merville on 27th June 1918. 

He now rests at Aire Communal Cemetery where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"HE PASS'D A SOUL OF NOBLE TONE OUR SPIRIT LOVED AND LOVES HIM YET".

His parents have used a variation on  the Alfred Lord Tennyson poem In Memoriam. 

From March 1915 to February 1918, Aire was a busy but peaceful centre used by Commonwealth forces as corps headquarters. The Highland Casualty Clearing Station was based there as was the 39th Stationary Hospital (from May 1917) and other medical units. Plot I contains burials from this period.

The burials in plots II, III and IV (rows A to F) relate to the fighting of 1918, when the 54th Casualty Clearing Station came to Aire and the town was, for a while, within 13 kilometres of the German lines.

The cemetery now contains 894 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and a few French and German war graves.

Reginald's death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 23rd July 1917:

CAPTAIN W. REGINALD EASTERBROOK

"The death occurred on July 17, from wounds received in action of Captain W. Reginald Easterbrook, only son of Mr and Mrs William Easterbrook of Glenthorpe, Egerton Park,  Rock Ferry. Captain Easterbrook was in his 24th year and was educated at Plymouth College, in which town his father, now a Deputy Director on the Board of Messrs Lever Brothers Limited  Port Sunlight, represented the firm. 
Captain Easterbrook occupied a position in Messrs Lever Brothers Audit Department. He joined the Liverpool "Pals" in September 1914, in the following March obtaining his Commission in the Cheshire Regiment and proceeding overseas in July 1915.  Since which he had seen hard service on both the French and Italian fronts, being severely wounded in the first Somme push and again earlier in this month."

His death was also recorded in the Western Daily Press 25th July 1918:

BRISTOL AND THE WAR

CAPT. W. REGINALD EASTERBROOK

The death from wounds received in action is reported of Captain W. Reginald Easterbrook, only son of Mr and Mrs William Easterbrook of Glenthorne, Egerton Park, Rock Ferry. He was educated at Plymouth College, in which town his father, now a Deputy Director on the board of Messrs. Lever Brothers Limited, Port Sunlight, was for many years well-known in the wholesale grocery trade, and where he represented Messrs. Lever. When his parents removed to Bristol, Captain Easterbrook joined the staff of the Wiltshire and Dorset Bank, and subsequently on his father taking up residence near Port Sunlight, occupied a position in Messrs. Lever Brothers audit department. He was one of the first to answer his country's call, joining the Liverpool Pals in September 1914. He had seen much fighting, having served in France and Italy, and in the first Somme push was severely wounded.

Birkenhead News 27th July 1918

On July 17th, from wounds received in action, the death occurred of Captain W. Reginald Easterbrook, only son of Mr and Mrs William Easterbrook, of Glenthorn, Egerton Park, Rock Ferry. Captain Easterbrook was in his 24th year. He was educated at Plymouth College, in which town his father, now a Deputy Director on the board of Messrs. Lever Brothers Limited, Port Sunlight, was for many years well-known in the wholesale grocery trade, and where he represented Messrs. Lever. When his parents removed to Bristol, Captain Easterbrook joined the staff of the Wiltshire and Dorset Bank, and subsequently on his father taking up residence near Port Sunlight, occupied a position in Messrs. Lever Brothers audit department. He was one of the first to answer his country's call, joining the Liverpool Pals in September 1914, in the following March obtaining his commission, and proceeding overseas in July 1915. Since when he had seeing hard service on both the French and Italian fronts, being severely wounded in the first month, but on on the latter occasion remaining on duty with his regiment, the Cheshire's. When an action on the 15th instant, however, Captain Easterbrook received very severe wounds, from which we regret to announce he succumbed.

Reginald was awarded a Military Cross which was recorded posthumously in the London Gazette on 15th October 1918. 

The 18th Btn War Diary records an operation for 28th June 1918 in which Capt. Easterbrook won his posthumous MC

"Front Line LE SART Sector - D Company, under Captain W.R.Easterbrook carried out an operation on the morning of 28th of June, N.W. of Merville (K.15. D.7.3)"

The Liverpool Daily Post of 18th Oct 1918 carried the L.G Military Cross Citation

Lt. (Act. Capt) William Reginald Easterbrook, Cheshire Regiment, Special Reserve. - During an attack on the enemy defences this officer was in command of the company, which, without artillery preparation or barrage fire, captured a substantial portion of the enemy's trenches which was screened by a belt of wire and a thick hedge. Under cover of rifle grenades and Lewis gun fire he captured the objective and took two machine guns. His leadership and example largely contributed to this successful results.