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Army Service |
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Recollections 1. Rod Wallace Kincardine on Forth, Fife, Scotland |
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Thank you to Rod Wallace for sending me all the information and photos below, relating to his grandfather's service in the Army. Rod wrote: |
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Reginald (Pop) Files London "Here are a few pictures of my maternal grandfather, Reginald (Pop) Files. Pop who born a Londoner in 1881, but had the good fortune to marry a Scottish lass and lived in Edinburgh from around 1920 until his death in 1959. He had a long and rather unusual military career, for the details of which I am extremely grateful to Major Tom Gordon of the Royal Scots Museum." |
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1. Reginald Files - 1898 - Enlisted in RMA
© Rod Wallace, Kincardine on Forth, Fife, Scotland "Photo 1 is of Pop in 1898, around the time he enlisted (underage) in the Royal Marine Artillery (RMA). In 1901, he formed part of the force involved in the relief of Pekin." |
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2. Reginald Files - c.1910 - Gunner
© Rod Wallace, Kincardine on Forth, Fife, Scotland "Photo 2 was probably taken around 1910, by which point he’d attained the rank of gunner. Pop left the RMA in 1911 and it evidently came to light that he’d been under 18 when he enlisted. His record shows he had the days of underage service deducted as ineligible for pension." |
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3. Reginald Files - c.1916 - Sergeant in KRRC then RDC
© Rod Wallace, Kincardine on Forth, Fife, Scotland "Photo 3 shows Pop as a Sergeant after he re-enlisted for service in WW1, this time with the Kings Royal Rifle Corp (KRRC). He evidently didn’t serve overseas until after 1 January 1916, but was wounded thereafter and was transferred to the Royal Defence Corp (RDC) for the rest of the war. |
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Edinburgh Royal Scots "When Pop and the family moved to Edinburgh, he served in a territorial battalion of the Royal Scots from 1920-25. On discharge, had attained the rank of Company Quartermaster Sergeant. On 1 March 1939, Pop re-enlisted in his old battalion, which by then had been converted into a searchlight battery. Latterly he was based at Edinburgh Castle. |
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4. The Files Family - Marchmont Crescent
"Photo 4 shows the whole Files family in the back green of their flat at 39 Marchmont Crescent, Edinburgh with Pop in his Royal Scots uniform. The rest of the group are (left to right): - my aunt Louise - uncle Reg - grandma Files - my mother, Jean - uncle Alex. Pop was finally discharged from military service on 12 March 1942, as 'overage' - but only slightly!" This remarkable man served in 3 conflicts, not least the Great War. I think there might have been a bit of luck about him, which he passed to his two sons. Both Reg and Alex survived arduous service in WW2. Alex was a 'D-Day Dodger', celebrating his 21rst birthday at Monte Cassino. Maybe that luck came down the maternal line too because I’ve also been in one or two scrapes that might have been the end of me. During the 1950s Pop lead a quiet life, regularly attending the RS Club in Abercromby Place." |
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5 .Reginald Files with First Grandchild
"Photo 5 shows Pop with his first grandchild, my cousin Gerry. When I used to visit as a youngster he would wind up the gramophone and play some of his favourite tunes – military marches – to amuse me. When he died, granny gave my mother the gramophone and most of the records. When I started to learn the piano a few years later, for some reason Colonel Bogey featured high in my repertoire." |
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6. Reginald Files' Medals
"Finally, Photo 6 shows Pop’s medals, the first awarded in 1901, the last in 1945." |
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Rod Wallace, Kincardine on Forth, Fife, Scotland: October 23, 2014 |
