Reginald Douglas Cross

Story:
Reginald Douglas Cross was born in Tarrant Rawston, Blandford, Dorset, on 18 Aug 1897 and baptised there on 19 Sep 1897 the son of Charles Henry Cross and Lucy Hannah Cross (nee Dean).  He lived his very early life at Woodcutts Farm Cottages, Sixpenny Handley, Dorset.  By 1911 he had moved to Great Wishford, Salisbury, Dorset.   He had enlisted with the Territorial Force of the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment as a Private (Service No. 2120) on 16 Mar 1914 and served with the 4th Battalion in India.  His Service No. changed when becoming a regular soldier to 200560 and he served then variously in Palestine, France and Flanders.  He was transferred to the 74th Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps on 1 Jun 1917 (Service No. 94643).  He was eventually discharged on 15 Mar 1919 and awarded the Victory and British War Medals as well as the Territorial Forces War Medal giving his contact address as 56 Farnham, Dorset.  The 1921 Census shows he had moved to The Police Station, Swanage, Dorset, where he had become a Policeman. He married Ada Rose Mabel Miller in the Dorchester, Dorset, Registry area during late 1921. By the time of the 1939 Register he was stationed and living at the Police House, Longburton, Sherborne, Dorset, as the local Police Constable whilst also volunteering as an ARP First Aider attached to the local Red Cross.  He was living in retirement at 52 Weymouth Bay Road, Weymouth, Dorset, when his death was recorded on 30 Dec 1975.   His brother, Arthur Thomas Cross, also served in the conflict.