Universities at War

Humphrey Stanley Reece was born in Barbados on 16 February 1892, the son of William and Helen Maude Reece. He matriculated as a member of the university’s affiliated Codrington College in Barbados, on 20 October 1913 as an Arts student. Not long after the start of the war, he left his course and travelled to London on the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company’s “Orotava”, arriving on 9 November 1914. He served initially as an Ordinary Seaman in the Royal Navy before being commissioned into the 1st Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders where he served in B Company. He won the Military Cross in March 1916. The citation recorded it as being: “For conspicuous gallantry during operations when leading the attack. When his company commander was killed he took charge and drove off an enemy counter attack. He came back over the open frequently to report to battalion headquarters.” He died of wounds not long afterwards, on 2 April 1916 (reported in the battalion’s war diary as 1 April 1916). The battalion had relieved the 10th Royal Welsh Fusiliers in trenches at Sint Elooi (St Eloi) south of Ypres on 1 April, and endured repeated bombing attacks and shelling. Reece is buried in La Clytte Military Cemetery in Belgium. He is commemorated on the Codrington College war memorial.