Key Information<\/strong><\/h2>\nName:<\/strong>Reginald John Atkinson<\/p>\nDoB:\u00a0<\/strong>January 3 1898<\/p>\nRegt:\u00a0<\/strong>Rifleman 243773, \u00a0Liverpool<\/p>\nDoD:<\/strong>\u00a0June 3 1917<\/p>\nAcademic Career:\u00a0<\/strong>CGS 1914 \u2013 1916<\/p>\nOther:\u00a0<\/strong>son of Thomas Atkinson, Bowness-on-Solway<\/p>\nBiographical Information:<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n \n \n\n \n ![\"Reginald](\"https:\/\/www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk\/warmemorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/atkinson-4-768x1024-330x440.jpg\" "\\"atkinson")
\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n \n Reginald with his family. He is the youngest boy. <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n - \n \n \n Family Background <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n \n\n \n
Reginald John Atkinson was born at Bowness-on-Solway, a small fishing\/farming community, which is twelve miles west of Carlisle. His father Thomas was the local schoolmaster.\u00a0 Reginald was the youngest of Thomas and Mary\u2019s five children. When Reginald was six months old his brother Thomas died in an outbreak of measles.<\/p>\n
Thomas and Mary had married at Darlington in 1881, Thomas\u2019s family were from County Durham and Mary\u2019s from Manfield, Yorkshire. They moved to the Bowness area when Thomas was appointed headteacher of Anthorn School and later of Bowness School so they moved to the village and lived there for over thirty years. Thomas was a meticulous keeper of school records and even records the death of his son. He shut the school for several days when Reginald died.<\/p>\n
Teaching was part of the Atkinson family\u2019s way of life Reginald became a pupil teacher at Bowness, and an assistant teacher at Burgh by Sands School, and his sisters and brother also taught.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n
- \n \n \n Academic Record <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n \n\n \n
Reginald and \u00a0his brother Gerald both attended Carlisle grammar school. Reginald then remained at the grammar school in the pupil teacher\u2019s class, gaining teaching experience as a pupil teacher at Bowness, and \u00a0Burgh by Sands School; he finally left the grammar school in July 1916. He had completed his pupil teacher course, passing the senior Cambridge local examination, thus qualifying for college. However he enlisted and was dead within a year.\u00a0<\/p>
\u00a0<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n
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Reginald enlisted in October 1916 and went to London. Writing to his sister Mabel that he was not impressed by the big city and commenting on how dirty it was. He also ran out of money and asked her to send him some!<\/p>
He was killed on sentry duty in a front line trench, on June 3 1917 and is buried at the Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres.<\/p>
A\u00a0 letter written by one of his comrades to Reginald\u2019s parents was quoted in his obituary in The Cumberland News ( June 16 1917)<\/p>
\u201cWe have lost a good soldier and a good pal. Reg. was well liked by all the boys and was a good Lewis gunner.\u201d<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n
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Liverpool Rgt<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n
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DoB:\u00a0<\/strong>January 3 1898<\/p>\n Regt:\u00a0<\/strong>Rifleman 243773, \u00a0Liverpool<\/p>\n DoD:<\/strong>\u00a0June 3 1917<\/p>\n Academic Career:\u00a0<\/strong>CGS 1914 \u2013 1916<\/p>\n Other:\u00a0<\/strong>son of Thomas Atkinson, Bowness-on-Solway<\/p>\n Biographical Information:<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n Reginald John Atkinson was born at Bowness-on-Solway, a small fishing\/farming community, which is twelve miles west of Carlisle. His father Thomas was the local schoolmaster.\u00a0 Reginald was the youngest of Thomas and Mary\u2019s five children. When Reginald was six months old his brother Thomas died in an outbreak of measles.<\/p>\n Thomas and Mary had married at Darlington in 1881, Thomas\u2019s family were from County Durham and Mary\u2019s from Manfield, Yorkshire. They moved to the Bowness area when Thomas was appointed headteacher of Anthorn School and later of Bowness School so they moved to the village and lived there for over thirty years. Thomas was a meticulous keeper of school records and even records the death of his son. He shut the school for several days when Reginald died.<\/p>\n Teaching was part of the Atkinson family\u2019s way of life Reginald became a pupil teacher at Bowness, and an assistant teacher at Burgh by Sands School, and his sisters and brother also taught.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n Reginald and \u00a0his brother Gerald both attended Carlisle grammar school. Reginald then remained at the grammar school in the pupil teacher\u2019s class, gaining teaching experience as a pupil teacher at Bowness, and \u00a0Burgh by Sands School; he finally left the grammar school in July 1916. He had completed his pupil teacher course, passing the senior Cambridge local examination, thus qualifying for college. However he enlisted and was dead within a year.\u00a0<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n Reginald enlisted in October 1916 and went to London. Writing to his sister Mabel that he was not impressed by the big city and commenting on how dirty it was. He also ran out of money and asked her to send him some!<\/p> He was killed on sentry duty in a front line trench, on June 3 1917 and is buried at the Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres.<\/p> A\u00a0 letter written by one of his comrades to Reginald\u2019s parents was quoted in his obituary in The Cumberland News ( June 16 1917)<\/p> \u201cWe have lost a good soldier and a good pal. Reg. was well liked by all the boys and was a good Lewis gunner.\u201d<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n Liverpool Rgt<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n \n <\/div>\n \n \n \n