Soldier Record
Walter Reginald Bruton
Contributed by: Roger Bruton, on 2008-11-04
| Rank | |
|---|---|
| First Name | Walter Reginald |
| Surname | Bruton |
| Year of Birth | 1882 |
| Year of Death | 1973 |
| Regiment | 3rd The King's Own Hussars |
| Place of Wartime Residence | Watford, Hertfordshire |
Walter Reginald's Story
This man MUST have had a guardian angel. How he survived is a miracle. His 20 years in the British Army Cavalry Regiments looks like detail from a very involved suicide attempt. The Boer War in South Africa, India, N.W.Frontier fighting the Pathans, South Africa again, France with the BEF (and the retreat from Mons), the Machine Gun Corps (the "suicide club"!), Ireland in 1916 and then France again. He tried to enlist AGAIN in 1939 but was turned away as he was 58 years old. Instead, he was a fire watcher on the Air Ministry roof, putting out incediary bombs during the blitz. His medals show the portraits of four British monarchs. We are very proud of him!
The photo of the Old Contemptibles marching was taken in June or July 1964. Reg was my Grandad, and when I was a child, myself and my 3 brothers were always taken up to London when our Grandad had a parade. In the photo he is the one marching in front of the man with a coat over his arm. I never realized when I was a child what a hero he was. He lived with us and I remember hearing him shouting in his sleep and having nightmares about the trenches. I now realise how privileged I am to have known him. Amazingly he didn't pass away until I was 14 years old.
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