STRINGER Reginald Edward

Reginald Stringer sailed from Liverpool on the S.S. Laurentic on 28th September 1912 bound for the United States.  According to the ship’s manifest he was 17 years of age, born in Leicester, England, his occupation was a machinist, his next of kin was his father Edward Stringer in England and his final destination was Chicago, Illinois.  He was travelling with William H. Stringer, aged 41.

Reginald enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 5th October 1915 at Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.  On his attestation paper he gave his date of birth as 18th October 1896 at Leicester, England, his next of kin as Edward Stringer of Bromsgrove, England and his occupation as a Machinist.  Reginald was 5 feet 6 inches tall with blue eyes, light hair and a fair complexion.

Nation Archives of Canada Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 9385 – 25 Item No 256442.

The Canada Commonwealth War Graves Registers record the following information on Private Reginald Stringer:
Killed in action
Buried at Bois Bernard B.C.S. No 168
Exhumation of isolated graves North West side Road running from Willerval to Acheville 4½ miles of Lens.
Orchard Dump Cemetery. 5 miles North East of Arras Plot 14 Row J. Gr 6. [Reburial]

Bromsgrove, Droitwich and Redditch Messenger, 26th May 1917:
Mr and Mrs E Stringer, the Elms, Birmingham Road, Marlbrook have received a letter from the major of a Canadian Machine-Gun Company expressing the very deep sympathy of the whole company with them in the loss of their son Private Reginald Edward Stringer, who was one of the finest chaps and liked by everybody.  He was killed instantly by a shell.  Deceased was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs Stringer and was 20 years of age.  He had been in America since he was 15 years of age and enlisted in Canada at the commencement of the war.  Before going to France, Private Stringer had five days leave and visited his parents who formerly lived at the George Hotel, Bromsgrove.