Page 12 - Greystones Archaeological Historical Society

THE GREAT WAR – PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

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delighted when just before her 34 birthday women became
entitled to vote in a general election.

My paternal grandfather, Reginald Le Normand, known as
Normie was born in 1869 and became a career soldier as an
infantry man in the Grenadier Guards. He served in the Boer War
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and then went on to serve in the 1 World War as a Lieut. Colonel
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commanding the 1 Battalion Grenadier Guards, Wellington
Barracks, London. However, because of severe losses incurred
by the Irish Guards in the Ypres salient, which killed their
commanding officer, John Morris, along with some of their
company commanders and senior N.C.Os., Normie was
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transferred to Command the 1 Battalion Irish Guards in the
Field by mid-September 1914. Unfortunately he was severely
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wounded on 1 November in action at Polygon Wood near
Ypres, saved from death by the deflection of his metal cigarette
box. This invalided him out until he could resume active service
in 1918. For his action at Ypres he was mentioned in despatches
by Lord French in February 1915 and awarded C.B. Military.

Whilst recovering he worked in the Munitions Invention
Department of the War Office and in November 1916 he took
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command of 3 Reserve Battalion Irish Guards at Warley in the
U.K.

In February 1918 he took up his command as Brigadier
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General of the 4 Guards Brigade in the line at Lille. He was
badly gassed on 4 April 1918 and hospitalised at Abbeville.
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However within a few days he was back on the front line.

The following extract is from a letter sent to his wife, Aileen,
my grandmother, by Lord Cavan:

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