Reuben Goodyer is remembered, with affection, in our family. As children we were mesmerised by the slurping of tea, and less than refined table manners, but behind this facade lurked a heart of gold. He was born in May 1887, in Bulkington, Warwickshire, and died in a Nuneaton Hospital in February 1968. A kindly man of few words, his stocky figure was a famiiar feature of our childhood because he made his home wih our Great-aunt Alice, as did his young son, Wilfred. Alice was his mother-in -law as he had married her eldest daughter; and later his stepmother, as she married his father, Henry Goodyer. He was a Private in the army in the Great War and was taken prisoner by the Germans. I have a few treasured mementoes from this period. One is a rather tattered letter, dated 26th May 1918, that he was allowed to write to my grandfather, David Lucas, from the P.O.W.camp. It is liberally bedaubed by official looking German endorsements. The pencilled writing is faded and hard to decipher, but a magnifying glass is a great help. Next there is a postcard written from the Milsted Barracks on his release. On the reverse side this depicts the Gloucester Regiment , (28th Foot and 61st Foot), and the ceremonial dress, battle honours, history and traditions. Did he belong to this regiment? I don't know! Then there is a letter from King George V th, dated 1918, which all P.O.W.s received, on their release. And I have photograph of Reuben in his uniform, looking gentle and most unmilitary! He never talked of his wartime experiences. To a man of his retiring nature the trench warfare and the noise and horror of battle must have been particularly traumatic. His life was spared, and I don't recall that he was wounded------but who escapes totally unharmed by such experiences? He worked as a night cleaner at the Midland Red 'bus depot in Nuneaton, cycling to work each day. By the time World War II broke out in 1939 he was too old to serve in the forces. But he willingly helped my mother to rescue our worldly goods from the wreckage of our house in Silverton Rd. after the Coventry Blitz on the 14th November 1940, and transport it some distance, to Webster St., in a handcart. You may remember the difficulties posed by the piano, in "Aftermath". It was typical of him to lend a hand in whatever needed doing. People like Reuben, quiet and unremarkable , did their bit for their country when called upon to serve. We owe them a debt of gratitude. Regards, Muriel.

Hello Muriel It looks like Reuben was in the Machine gun Corps (at least part of his Army career anyway) his medal card will tell you a little more. Medal cards are now available on the National Archives site @ 3.50gbp each (I say each but there are six to a page, so if its an odd name you may get close relatives as well) He is listed in the index thus:- Medal card of Goodyer, Reuben J Corps: Machine Gun Corps Regiment No: 108078 Rank: Private 1914-1920 WO 372/8 I also have copies of 1891 and 1901 census for him should you want them All men that served their country should be remembered indefinitely, I heard that they may do away with poppy day? whats it coming to? Remembering my grandfather, Thomas George YOELL b1879, died 24th Nov 1918. near Cambrai. Best wishes Nivard Ovington Cornwall (UK) Subject: [BAN] Remembering Reuben. > Reuben Goodyer is remembered, with affection, in our family. > As children we were mesmerised by the slurping of tea, and less > than refined table manners, but behind this facade lurked a heart > of gold. > He was born in May 1887, in Bulkington, Warwickshire, and > died in a Nuneaton Hospital in February 1968. > A kindly man of few words, his stocky figure was a famiiar feature > of our childhood because he made his home wih our Great-aunt Alice,