Farmer, Reginald William Bartlett

FARMER,

REGINALD WILLIAM BARTLETT

BORN 27 JUNE 1888

Reginald William Bartlett Farmer was born on 27 June 1888 in Petersham, New South Wales, Australia, son of William, (b 1807 in Middlesex), and Clara Farmer (née Buck, b 1855 in Kingsbridge, Devon). Clara was one of eight children to parents Henry William Buck and Elizabeth (Betsey) Buck. Originally from Kingsbridge, the family moved to Stoke Damerell, Devon and by 1871 to Truro, Devon. In 1881 Clara was a certified teacher living with her sisters Alice and Emily Buck in Hastings Villa, Lower Ashley Road, Bristol; this being the home of her married brother Thomas J, his wife Sophia and their two daughters. Clara married William Farmer in St Werbergh’s church on 4 June, 1881. The following description of his life comes from the Australian War Memorial Collection. Reginald was born in Sydney as was his sister Kathleen Josephine (b1887) and brother Aubrey George (b 1892). After their father died, their mother moved the family back to England around 1895. Reginald was educated in Devon before securing a scholarship to Bristol Grammar School. The school records show that Reginald entered the School on 18 September 1900, aged 12. At this time, he was living with his widowed mother, Clara, at 115 Cotham Brow, Bristol. The census of 1901 show Clara, Reginald, Kathleen and Aubrey living on Cotham Brow. Reginald left the School in April 1903, aged 14. Aubrey attended Colston’s School. In about 1904 Reginald entered the merchant navy as an apprentice and joined the sailing ship 'Invergarry' on a voyage to Sydney. From there he transferred to steamers, signing on with the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand, which operated passenger ships. His mother, brother and sister returned to live in Sydney in 1908. Reginald was 26 years old, serving in the 7,000 ton SS Makura, and already an experienced officer, when he was appointed a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve on 15 December 1915. After training at HMAS Cerberus in Victoria, he was appointed navigator of the newly commissioned River Class torpedo boat destroyer

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CONT. FARMER,

REGINALD WILLIAM BARTLETT

BORN 27 JUNE 1888

HMAS Torrens in June 1916. Torrens began her seagoing service as part of the British Far East Patrol, operating out of Singapore and Sandakan in Borneo until May 1917. In July 1917 the ship became part of the Australian Destroyer Flotilla and in August arrived in the Mediterranean, tasked with escorting merchant ships to protect them against enemy submarine attack.

From October 1917 Torrens was based at Brindisi, Italy, helping to patrol the Strait of Otranto to prevent enemy submarines based in Austrian and Adriatic ports from reaching the open sea. This subsequently turned into a combined British and French fleet full scale blockade of the Adriatic Sea. On 8 September 1918 Torrens was withdrawn to Messina in Sicily for a refit. On 1 October, while the ship was in dry dock, Reginald contracted what was later diagnosed by Italian doctors as the 'Spanish' influenza. Efforts to treat his symptoms aboard the Torrens were ineffective and his temperature rose to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. On 6 October he was taken ashore to the Military Hospital for treatment. Delirium set in and he died there of pneumonia on 9 October 1918, aged 30. He is buried in the Messina Town Cemetery, (Plot 5, Row 2, Gr 12).

The Mosman Library Service has created an online resource ‘Doing our bit’ where the stories of over 1500 men and women are recorded. Reginald’s story is one of the people featured.

Farmer's mother, Clara, lost both her sons during the war. Her other son, Aubrey (below) attended Colston's

Fifth Panel School, later he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), B Company, and sailed for Egypt aboard the HMAT A14 Euripedes in October 1914. As part of the AIF 3rd Battalion he landed at Gallipoli.

He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for several acts of bravery. It is believed he was attempting to recover the body of Captain Edward Leer when he was killed. He died on or after 29 April 1915.

He is remembered with Honour on the Lone Pine Memorial, on the Gallipoli Penisula.

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