Reginald William Tulley

Private Reginald William Tulley – Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 4^th Battalion

Early Life

Details of Reginald William Tulley’s early life remain limited. No census entries have yet been found that clearly record his family background or place of birth. Further research into local and national archives may help to provide more information about his origins and early years.

Family

Attestation Papers 

While Reginald’s family details are currently unknown, his surviving military papers note his home address at 10 De-la-Beche Road, Sketty, suggesting that he was living locally at the time of his enlistment. His occupation before joining the army was recorded as a Grocer’s Assistant, indicating that he was employed in retail or provisions work within the community.

Military Service

Reginald enlisted in 1915, joining the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, where he served as a Private in the 4^th Battalion. His attestation papers are among the few to have survived the extensive destruction of military records caused by the bombing of London during the Second World War, making them an important source of information about his life and service.

The 4th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers was a Territorial Force battalion, originally formed for home defence but later deployed overseas as the war intensified. By 1918, the battalion was serving on the Western Front, participating in the Allied counter-offensives that followed the German Spring Offensive earlier that year. These operations formed part of the Hundred Days Offensive, a series of major advances that ultimately led to the collapse of the German Army and the end of the war.

During this period, the battalion was involved in actions near Amiens and the Somme Valley, supporting the steady advance of British and Commonwealth forces across northern France. The conditions were extremely difficult, with troops facing constant shellfire, heavy casualties, and widespread outbreaks of disease as they fought to maintain the offensive momentum.

Death

Army Register of Soldiers' Effects

Private Reginald William Tulley died from wounds on 17^th August 1918, during this phase of intense fighting in the Allied advance. Although the exact circumstances of his injury are unknown, his death came just days after the Battle of Amiens, a decisive victory that marked the beginning of the final push towards victory in the First World War.

Burial

Reginald William Tulley
Dive Copse British Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Reginald is buried at Dive Copse British Cemetery, near Méricourt-l’Abbé in France. This cemetery was established by field ambulances and casualty clearing stations operating close behind the front lines from 1916 onwards.

Legacy

Private Reginald William Tulley’s name is commemorated on the St. Paul’s Church War Memorial, Sketty, among those who gave their lives in the Great War. Though little personal information about him survives, his preserved service papers provide a rare and valuable glimpse into the life of a young man from Sketty who served with dedication and courage. His story reflects the service and sacrifice of the many who answered the call to duty and did not return.