Herbert William Rayner was the son of Joseph and Annie Rayner who, during the war, lived at Hest Bank in Lancashire. Joseph Rayner was a Postmaster with the Post Office and had worked at various locations throughout the country. Originally from Bedfordshire he had worked at Retford in Nottinghamshire, then at Oswestry and finally at Carnforth Post Office in Lancashire. Herbert had been born in 1892 in Bedfordshire, the second of 4 children. Whilst in Oswestry the family lived at 7 Victoria Parade on Roft Street. At that time Oswestry Post Office was on Church Street -now a restaurant, the old clock can still be seen on the front wall.

Herbert was an old boy of King Edward VI Grammar School, Retford and had then gone on to study at King’s College London and London University before joining the civil service, again in London. At this time he enlisted as Private 1350 in the 1/15 Battalion (Civil Service Rifles) London Regiment Territorials. The battalion was mobilised at the outbreak of war and went over to France in March 1915. He saw action at the Battles of Aubers Ridge, Festubert and Loos and was wounded twice. In 1916 he was selected for officer training and in March 1916 was commissioned Second Lieutenant and posted to 10 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers in 76 Brigade and reported for duty on 10 March 1916. He was subsequently attached to the Brigade Trench Mortar Battery and promoted to Lieutenant. The Brigade had seen action during the earlier part of Third Ypres but by November 1917 had been withdrawn and redeployed in the Bullecourt sector between Baupame and Cambrai. Herbert died of gas poisoning at 142 Field Ambulance on 5 November 1917. He is buried at Favreuil British Cemetery, his headstone reads – ‘Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest’. Herbert is also commemorated on the War Memorials at King Edward VI School and at Retford, on the town memorial and at Grove street Methodist Church as well as Hest Bank and Bolton le Sands, Lancashire and at Holy Trinity Church, Oswestry.

Acknowledgements. Lancaster WW1 Project

References and Sources

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