Description
1914-15 Star, Victory Medal, Captain Reginald English Rumsey, Royal Flying Corps & Royal Air Force, former Lieut Welsh Regiment.
1914-15 Star officially impressed: “Lieut R.E. Rumsey Welsh. R.”
Victory Medal officially impressed: “Capt R.E. Rumsey.”
Medals issued to his Widow in Bridlington, whom he had married during 1915.
His obituary:
“SALOP AIR OFFICER’S DEATH
Captain Reginald Rumsey, Royal Air Force, formerly of the 10th Welsh Regiment, has died at Gosport as the result of burns and other injuries received while flying.
Captain Rumsey who was only 28 years old, was the only son or Mr W. English Rumsey, of Shrewsbury, and was educated at Ellesmere College.
On his transference to the R.A.F. he did some brilliant observation work over the German Lines. He was a well known footballer and amateur athlete in the Border counties.”
On 28th September 1918, whilst flying D.H.9 D580 with the 10th Training Squadron at Gosport.
His Aeroplane stalled and spun after take-off and caught fire.
Reginald English Rumsey was born circa 1890 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
His father Walter English Rumsey was from Crickhowell, Breconshire, Wales (Born there during 1857) and had moved barely over the border to settle in Shropshire where he married his wife Sarah F. (Born Shrewsbury, 1858).
During his Army Service whilst in England he married Gladys Louise Gardner, a 23 year old Woman from Bridlington at the Christ Church in Bridlington, Yorkshire, he was described as an “Officer of HM Forces”.
In the lead up to the war a young Reginald worked as a Shipping Clerk, with his father who was a Shipping Agent in Shrewsbury.
Before he died he had a son with his wife, who would go onto become a high ranking RAF Officer.
His son was Wing Commander Howard Rex English Rumsey, who later married Patricia Marion Durand, the daughter of Sir Alan Algernon Marion Durdan, 3rd Baronet.
WW1 RAF Service Papers note:
“Enlisted in the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry on 7th September 1914
2nd Lieut in the Welsh Regiment, 12th March 1915
Lieutenant in the Welsh Regiment, 12th August 1915
Captain in the Welsh Regiment 12th February 1917
Wet to France on 2nd December 1915, transferred to the Royal Flying Corps on 18th May 1917 whilst in France
Since Joining RFC :-
Served 4 months in France as a Qualified Observer in an Artillery Squadron, 42nd Squadron, flying Machine RE8”
The Book “Airfields and Airmen: Ypres” by Michael O’Connor provides the following on his period of service in France:
“The RE8’s of 42 Squadron supported the Guns of the II (Anzac) Corps, and 53 Squadron also with RE8s supported the Artillery of IX Corps.
Each Squadron was allocated to specific batteries and RFC pilots and observers were encouraged to visit their batteries and discuss shoots. In addition, Wireless Operators were attached from squadrons to the batteries”
