Reginald Norman Ware

This story is shared by the Trust with kind permission from Amesbury Royal British Legion

Reginald Ware was the middle of three sons of Mr Harold and Ethel Ware of 6 Parsonage Road, Amesbury. He was educated at Amesbury Junior and Church of England Schools. His father, Harold Ware served in France with the Wiltshire Regiment in 1918. His oldest brother, Archibald, was serving in India and his youngest brother, Kenneth, would serve with him in Normandy.

Reginald was employed as a Builders Labourer Heavy Work and he had played in the Amesbury Town Band as a boy probationer. He was called up in 1943 and at the time of his death was serving with the 5th Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. He was killed on the 11th July 1944, two weeks before his brother, Kenneth, in what is known in the regimental history as the battle of Hill 112, also now known as “Cornwall Hill”. He is buried in the War Cemetery at Tilly Sur-Seulles (about 10 km west of Caen).

Their parents posted a notice about his death in the Salisbury Times of 11th August but in September a longer article was published to report on the fact his brother had also been killed.

Salisbury Times - Friday 15 September 1944

 

The article reveals that the Ware family suffered much family loss in both wars. "Mr Harold Ware was one of five brothers serving in the Great War, three of them giving their lives and one of these being awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously."

In his last letter home, Reginald had talked about the fact that another man from Amesbury who was serving in the same regiment as him, Pte Edward Truckle, had been killed. You can read about Edward Truckle's story here

British Normandy Memorial - Additional Information

You can read the story of Reginald's brother, Kenneth here