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Lance Corporal Reginald John Youngman
Description
TitleReginald John YoungmanSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionReginald was born at Oxford on 21st September 1896, son of John Reeve and Mary Youngman. He had previous military experience with the 1st Mounted Rifles, Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry. He was 5ft 9in tall with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and black hair.
Reginald enlisted at Christchurch on 13 March 1917 and was assigned to 27th Reinforcements, E Company. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 10th April 1917 and embarked from Wellington on 12th June 1917 arriving in Devonport on 16th August. He marched in to Sling Camp and the Auckland Infantry Regiment the same day and as was usual reverted to the ranks. He left for France on 6th October and to Base Depot at Etaples on 9th October. He was detached to Reinforcement Camp on 20th October and then joined 1st Battalion Auckland Infantry Regiment on 27th October. He was detached to another group on 19th December. He re-joined the Auckland Infantry on 19th January 1918. He was killed in action on 27th March 1918, aged 21. The New Zealand Division was tasked with holding back the advancing German Army in the Ancre Valley. The First Brigade, consisting of the 1st and 2nd Auckland Battalions, was sent to re-take the village of Colincamps. They came under strong attack near the sugar factory on the Serre Road. Two bayonet charges cleared the immediate area, but the Aucklanders were still exposed. To secure this flank, they attacked again at dusk and cleared the German positions at bayonet-point. He was buried in the Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps, Somme, Special Memorial. B. 11. In New Zealand Reginald is remembered on the Malvern County War Memorial.
Colincamps is a village 11 kilometres north of Albert. Colincamps and "Euston", a road junction a little east of the village, were within the Allied lines before the Somme offensive of July 1916. The cemetery was started as a front line burial ground during and after the unsuccessful attack on Serre on 1 July, but after the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917 it was scarcely used. It was briefly in German hands towards the end of March 1918, when it marked the limit of the German advance, but the line was held and pushed forward by the New Zealand Division allowing the cemetery to be used again for burials in April and May 1918. The cemetery is particularly associated with three dates and engagements; the attack on Serre on 1 July 1916; the capture of Beaumont-Hamel on 13 November 1916; and the German attack on the 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade trenches before Colincamps on 5 April 1918. The whole of Plot I, except five graves in the last row, represents the original cemetery of 501 graves. After the Armistice, more than 750 graves were brought in from small cemeteries in the neighbouring communes and the battlefields. The cemetery now contains 1,293 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 170 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 32 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to two soldiers whose graves in nearby small cemeteries were destroyed in later battles. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.First NameReginald JohnLast NameYoungmanFamilySingleSon of John Reeve and Mary YoungmanDate of Birth21 September 1896Place of BirthOxfordDate of Death27 March 1918Place of DeathFranceCause of DeathKilled in actionAge at Death21
Reginald enlisted at Christchurch on 13 March 1917 and was assigned to 27th Reinforcements, E Company. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 10th April 1917 and embarked from Wellington on 12th June 1917 arriving in Devonport on 16th August. He marched in to Sling Camp and the Auckland Infantry Regiment the same day and as was usual reverted to the ranks. He left for France on 6th October and to Base Depot at Etaples on 9th October. He was detached to Reinforcement Camp on 20th October and then joined 1st Battalion Auckland Infantry Regiment on 27th October. He was detached to another group on 19th December. He re-joined the Auckland Infantry on 19th January 1918. He was killed in action on 27th March 1918, aged 21. The New Zealand Division was tasked with holding back the advancing German Army in the Ancre Valley. The First Brigade, consisting of the 1st and 2nd Auckland Battalions, was sent to re-take the village of Colincamps. They came under strong attack near the sugar factory on the Serre Road. Two bayonet charges cleared the immediate area, but the Aucklanders were still exposed. To secure this flank, they attacked again at dusk and cleared the German positions at bayonet-point. He was buried in the Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps, Somme, Special Memorial. B. 11. In New Zealand Reginald is remembered on the Malvern County War Memorial.
Colincamps is a village 11 kilometres north of Albert. Colincamps and "Euston", a road junction a little east of the village, were within the Allied lines before the Somme offensive of July 1916. The cemetery was started as a front line burial ground during and after the unsuccessful attack on Serre on 1 July, but after the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917 it was scarcely used. It was briefly in German hands towards the end of March 1918, when it marked the limit of the German advance, but the line was held and pushed forward by the New Zealand Division allowing the cemetery to be used again for burials in April and May 1918. The cemetery is particularly associated with three dates and engagements; the attack on Serre on 1 July 1916; the capture of Beaumont-Hamel on 13 November 1916; and the German attack on the 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade trenches before Colincamps on 5 April 1918. The whole of Plot I, except five graves in the last row, represents the original cemetery of 501 graves. After the Armistice, more than 750 graves were brought in from small cemeteries in the neighbouring communes and the battlefields. The cemetery now contains 1,293 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 170 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 32 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to two soldiers whose graves in nearby small cemeteries were destroyed in later battles. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.First NameReginald JohnLast NameYoungmanFamilySingleSon of John Reeve and Mary YoungmanDate of Birth21 September 1896Place of BirthOxfordDate of Death27 March 1918Place of DeathFranceCause of DeathKilled in actionAge at Death21
Connections
CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OneImageMalvern War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph
Military Service
Memorial or CemeteryEuston Road CemeteryMalvern County War MemorialRegiment or ServiceAuckland Infantry RegimentEnlistment Details13th March 1917Service Number51812Embarkation12th June 1917Place of EmbarkationWellington CountryNew Zealand
Attribution
Researched ByL. M. SeatonTaken FromPhoto taken from Auckland War Memorial Cenotaph. Please refer to this site for the photo’s copyright license
Lance Corporal Reginald John Youngman. Selwyn Stories, accessed 17/11/2025, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/325
