Roll of Honour
Private Richard John Allen
Service Number: TR/8/17978
Regiment: Training Reserve (35th)
Conflict: World War One
Date of Death: 10th June 1917
Age at Death: 18
Burial/Memorial Location: Bicester Cemetery, Oxfordshire, UK
Address: Chapel Street, Bicester.
Died whilst training at Salisbury, after contracting measles, double pneumonia and bronchitis.
"The death has taken place while in training at Salisbury Plain of Pte. R. J. Allen, of Chapel-street, a member of the Training Reserve. Previous to his joining up some eleven weeks ago he was employed on agriculture. He was first sent to Swindon, and later to Salisbury Plain, where he contracted measles. Complications ensued in the form of double pneumonia and bronchitis, and despite the care bestowed by the hospital staff upon deceased, he passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 18 years.
The funeral took place at the Parish Church, Bicester on Thursday (yesterday) afternoon. The coffin was conveyed to the Church on a bier, surrounded and preceded by about twenty patients of the Bicester Red Cross Hospital, fifteen of whom formed a guard of honour, and the remainder were carriers.
There was a large number of people present in the church, the Vicar (Rev. W. O’Reilly) officiating, while a still larger gathering was at the graveside. The dead man’s comrades formed up beside the grave and stood to attention while the committal sentences were read, after which the “Last Post” was smartly sounded by L.-corporal Hamlin.
The coffin bore the inscription “Reservist R. J. Allen, 37 Training Reserve Battalion, died June 10, 1917, aged 18 years. R.I.P.” – Mr. H. J. Jackson was the undertaker." Bicester Herald 15/06/1917