Reginald Walter Pratt was born in Boxmoor, Hertfordshire on Friday, 10th June 1898 and baptised one month later at St John’s Church in the village on Wednesday, 13th July. He was the youngest child born to Thomas and Eliza (Elizabeth) Pratt who had nine children together. The children were: Alfred George, Annie, Harry, Emily May, Lily Eliza, Fred, Rose Nora, William Horace and Reginald Walter. His brothers Frederick and William also served in the Great War and survived the conflict.

When Reginald was born his family lived on Puller Road where they had lived since the late 1880s. They lived on this street until Reginald’s sister Lily died in 1967, a remarkable eighty years.

Reginald started his education in 1904 and on the 1st February 1905, moved from the Infants to the Middle class at Boxmoor JMI School. He was at school when the census was taken in 1911, whilst four of his siblings were working at John Dickinson & Co. Limited. When Frederick left school on 2nd June 1911 he too started work with Dickinsons at Apsley Mills.

On the outbreak of war Reginald was too young to join the Colours and had to wait until June 1915 and his eighteenth birthday before he could enlist. He joined the 1st Battalion Hertfordshire Regiment attesting at Hertford in August.

Following his basic training he went to France early in 1916 and was posted to Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment joining the 6th Battalion. When Kitchener’s "New Armies" arrived on the Western Front in the summer of 1915, the 1st Battalion Hertfordshire Regiment (Hertfordshire Guards) was moved, as the army was reorganised, so that veteran units were distributed amongst the "green" New Army battalions. As a result when he arrived in France, Reginald was assigned to the 6th Royal Berkshires and stayed with this unit for the rest of his time at the Front.

In 1916 Reginald saw his first significant action at the Somme fighting first in the Battle of Albert, followed by the Battle of Bazentin Ridge which included the capture of Trones Wood. He then fought in the Battle of Delville Wood before his final action at the Battle of Thiepval Ridge. In each of these actions he was part of a machine gun company.

On the 27th September the 6th Battalion were at Authuille Wood in support of the attack at Thiepval Ridge and the Battalion War Diary recorded events as follows: "Sept.27 Suffolks attacked SCHWABEN Redoubt and took their objective. Bn kept in readiness to move up in THIEPVAL – AUTHUILLE WOOD VALLEY. Out all day and night in readiness for counter-attack 1 killed, 5 wounded."

Reginald was the soldier killed by an exploding shell and died on Wednesday, 27th September 1916.

His death was reported in the Hemel Gazette in November 1916 and it described his death and his gallantry at the Front.

Reginald is Remembered with Honour on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, Pier and Face 11 D.

He was only 18 years old when he died.

Reginald was entitled to the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.