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Reginald Furber
42294, Private, 16th Manchester Regiment
Died of wounds, 26th September 1917, aged 19
Buried at Pond Farm Cemetery, Belgium
CWGC registered (no family details)
Reginald Furber was born at 2 Pleasant Street, Craig-y-don on 4 November 1897. Registered as “Richie”, he was the illegitimate son of Mary Furber, a domestic servant, and an unknown father. His sister, Agnes Furber, also registered without her father’s details, was born on 3 January 1900 at “Errol House”, Clarence Street, Craig-y-don. Sadly, Agnes died later that year. The Census for 1901 records Reginald Furber (3) living at “Errol House” and described as the adopted son of John and Hannah Jones, the head of household and his wife. Also in the household was a general domestic servant called Mary Herbert. Mary Herbert was without doubt Mary Furber, Reginald’s mother. The Census for 1911 indicates that Reginald Furber and his mother still resided in what was now known as the “Errol Boarding House”; John Jones had died, Hannah Jones was the head of the house and a boarding house keeper, Mary Furber was described as a general domestic servant and Reginald described as a schoolboy. It would appear that the 1901 Census was a little economical with the truth for sensitive reasons which compares markedly with the 1911 Census in which the enumerator has crossed out “2 illegitimate [children]” alongside Mary Furber’s name.
Reginald Furber’s army record no longer exists. He enlisted at Llandudno and joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in November 1915. His regimental number was 29422 and it is likely that he joined the 21st Local Reserve Battalion at Morfa Camp, Conwy. Reginald was later transferred to the Manchester Regiment with a regimental number of 42294 and was posted to the 16th Battalion on the Western Front on a date unknown. The 16th (Service) Battalion (1st City) had formed at Manchester in August 1914 and had landed in France in November 1915.
Reginald Furber was one of four soldiers of the 16th MR wounded on 26 September 1917 when the battalion was holding the line at Wytscahete, near Ypres. He died of those wounds the same day, probably at a field ambulance, and was buried at Pond Farm Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Known memorials:
- Llandudno Roll of Honour
- Llandudno War Memorial
- Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
- Llanrhos Parish War Memorial, All Saints’ Church, Deganwy
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