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Lest we Forget
Reginald Arthur Diffel
This is the last article in the Lest we Forget series
and I do hope you have enjoyed hearing about
Atworth villagers who are now gone but remembered
on the clock tower. Next time you look at the clock
tower memorial and see the name R. Diffel you will
know a little more about him and his family.
Reginald Arthur, the son of James and Emma Diffell,
was born in Purlpit on December 25th 1898.
He attended Atworth village school. After leaving
school Reginald worked in the bakery for Victor
Greenman a grocer and baker whose business was
in Bath Road.
During the First World War Reginald was called up
and served with his cousin, Reginald Victor Diffell, in the Army Service Corps.
Reginald held the rank of Private.
He continued in his trade as baker with the 3RD Field Bakery serving behind the front
lines in France. There is an old adage that an army marches on its stomach, and by
1914 the British Army realised that to fight even a short war in Europe it would have to
provide the required infrastructure to feed its troops on campaign. Much of this work
was done by the Army Service Corps (ASC) and one of its key units in providing part
of the staple diet was the Field Bakery. In 1914 there was one Field Bakery in every
infantry division. Staffed by one officer and ninety-two men from the ASC it could
produce enough bread for more than 20,000 men. Because of the nature of their work
they did not set up these bakeries near the front, and they tended to be static units
that did not move around much.
Reginald was demobbed in 1919 and returned his army great coat on October 29th
1919 for which he received a payment of £1. Reginald's name is inscribed on the War
Memorial Roll of Honour on the Clock Tower.
After being demobbed Reginald returned to Atworth and in 1927 he married Alice
Maud Fido. Reginald worked for the Neston Park Estate where be was employed as a
Mason. For many years Reginald and family lived at 70, Pump Row known only as
Bradford Road. Reginald was a member of Atworth CricketTeam and was well known
for his umpiring.
Reginald died in October 1965 aged sixty-six and is buried in St. Michael's & All
Angels churchyard with his wife.
With my grateful thanks to Joan Cocozza who’s history of Atworth’s Families is my
main source of information. Paul Tyler
Page 8
Yer Tiz Atworth Magazine—July 2014