REGINALD FREDERICK HARDING was serving as a Corporal with the 2/4th Battalion, The Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry when he was killed in action on 19th July 1916, during the Battle of Fromelles. He was aged 18 and is buried in Laventie Military Cemetery.

 He was the son of John and Louise Harding of 28, Rock Hill, Chipping Norton, one of nine children. He worked as an errand boy and was the younger brother of Bertie Harding who also died in 1916.

He joined the Territorial 4th Battalion in April 1914 and landed in France as part of 2/4 Battalion on 24th May 1916 under the command of the 19th (Western) Division.The first major action in which the Division was engaged turned out to be an unmitigated disaster. An attack was made on 19th July 1916 at Fromelles, a subsidiary action to the much larger battle taking place further south on the Somme. The Division suffered very heavy casualties for no significant gain and no enemy reserves were diverted from the Somme.

Steve Kingsford