Captain, Essex Regiment
Born: December 6th 1888
Died: July 8th 1916
Age at Death: 27
Killed in action, Ovilliers, France, July 5th 1916
Institute of Actuaries.
Son of G. Reeve of Walthamstow.
A donation to the memorial statue has been made in honour of this soldier by the Tiplady Family.
Gilfrid Montier Reeve (School House 1902-1905)
Gilfrid Montier Reeve was born on 6th December 1888 in Walthamstow, London. He was the only son and second child of Gilfrid Reeve, a brewer later based in Essex, and his wife Alice (nee Montier). After boarding at Brighton College Reeve became an actuary and an expert advocate of Bimetallism. Bimetallism is the theory that there should be a fixed ratio of value between Gold and Silver, a pertinent issue in the era of the Gold Standard when the value of all major currencies was fixed to Gold. Following a major speech he gave in 1911 advocating the use of a Bimetallic standard he was admitted as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in 1912.
When war broke out he received a commission in the Essex Regiment and was initially attached to the 12th (Reserve) Battalion before being later transferred to the 9th Battalion for overseas service. It was with the 9th Battalion that he took part in an attack on Ovilliers as part of the first phase of the Battle of the Somme. The attack began on the 4th July 1916 and sometime thereafter, probably the next day, Reeve was reported missing. The records disagree on the date of death- some give it as 5th July, others either 7th or 8th July but given when his Battalion began its attack the earlier date seems more likely to be correct.
Reeve has no known grave but is commemorated on the Face 10D of the Thiepval Memorial, France and on the War Memorial at the Institute of Actuaries.
Source: LEST WE FORGET PROJECT, Brighton College 2014-15