Memorials & Monuments
on the Isle of Wight
- Biography -
- Reginald (Rex) Brandt Arnell -

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, October 30, 1914 Page 4

SANDOWN J.P.'S SONS OF SERVICE
All three sons of Major W.T. Arnell, V.D., J.P., the Chairman of the Sandown District Council, are now serving in Kitchener's New Army. The eldest, Mr. G.W. Arnell, who formerly held a commission in the I.W. Rifles, has been appointed Captain in the 8th Battalion Warwickshire Regiment. Mr. Oliver R. Arnell, the second son, has received a commission as Second Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers and the youngest, Mr. Rex Arnell, is a Lieutenant in the 7th Battalion King's Royal Rifles. The Major lost his eldest son as a result of enteric contracted in the South African campaign, in which he served as a volunteer.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, August 6, 1915 Page 4

Second Lieutenant Reginald Brandt (Rex) Arnell, 7th King's Royal Rifle Corps, who was killed on July 30th, was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. William T. Arnell, of Sandown, Isle of Wight. Born in 1893, he was educated at Berkhamsted School, where he won the school exhibition and captained the football and cricket elevens. He gained an open classical scholarship and went to Exeter College, Oxford, where he had just completed his second year. He was a member of the O.T.C. both at school and Oxford, and when war was declared he offered his services and was given a commission in the K.R.R.C. He went to the front in May, was reported wounded in July, and had only rejoined his battalion a few days at the time of his death.

ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY PRESS

Saturday, August 7, 1915

Killed in action &c
ARNELL - Killed in action, on the 30th July, in Flanders, while leading his platoon in a counter attack, Reginald Brandt (Rex), 2nd-Lieut. 7th K.R.R.C., youngest and dearly loved son of William T. and Henrietta Arnell, of Whitecliff, Sandown, I.W., aged 21.

THE ISLAND AND THE WAR
2nd-LIEUT R.B. ARNELL KILLED
We regret to learn that among the officers who have fallen in the severe fighting in which the British forces have recently been engaged is 2nd-Lieut. Reginald Brandt (Rex) Arnell, 7th King's Royal Rifle Corps, youngest son of Major Wm. T. Arnell, V.D., J.P., and Mrs. Arnell, of Whitecliff, Sandown. The first intimation of his death was received by the family on Tuesday morning, and was conveyed in a letter from Lieut-Col. A.P. Rennie which read :-

1/8/15
"It is with the greatest grief I have to tell you that your son was killed in action on the 30th ult. while leading his men in a counter-attack on the Germans. He was hit in two places and died very soon without any pain. It was a noble death in a great cause."
"He was an excellent soldier and a great friend of all, and his loss is a great one both to the regiment as a soldier and to all of us as a friend. I can only offer you my deepest sympathy in your great loss, and I hope it may be some consolation to you to know that he died nobly doing his duty."

A little late in the day confirmation was contained in a telegram from the War Office, in which was an expression of sympathy from Lord Kitchener.

2nd-Lieut. Arnell was in his 22nd year, having been born in 1893. He was educated at Berkhamsted School, where he won the school exhibition and captained the football and cricket elevens. He gained an open classical scholarship for Oxford and went to Exeter College, where he had just completed his second year. At Berkhamsted and Oxford he was a member of the O.T.C., and when war was declared he offered his services and was given a commission in the King's Royal Rifle Corps. He went to the Front in May and was reported wounded in July. His injuries then were but slight, and after 19 days in hospital he rejoined his regiment on Sunday July 25th. Two other sons (*) of Major and Mrs Arnell hold commissions in the Army, one of these being at the Front, and the other is at present doing duty in this country. It will be remembered that their eldest son (**) died from enteric fever contracted in South Africa during the Boer War. It is a coincidence that the date of his birth was October 16th while that of his brother who has now fallen was October 15th. They have died in the service of their country within about a month of the same age. the sympathy extended to the family is coupled with the thought so tersely put by Col. Rennie - Lieut. R.B. Arnell has died "a noble death in a great cause."

ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY PRESS

Saturday, August 4, 1915

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
MAJOR AND MRS ARNELL AND FAMILY wish to express their heartfelt appreciation of the very real sympathy which has been so universally shown them in their sorrow. - Whitecliff, Sandown, 11th August 1915.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, November 5, 1915 Page 5

Major W.T. Arnell, V.D., has been appointed Lieutenant Colonel with effect from 21st October 1915, of the 3rd Cadet (Isle of Wight) Battalion, the Hampshire Regiment which is composed of the following Cadet Companies: Ventnor Cadet Company, Ryde Cadet Company, East Isle of Wight Cadet Company and Shanklin Cadet Company.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, January 7, 1916 Page 1

In his final dispatch, Field-Marshall Sir John French, includes the names of, and recommends for gallantry and distinguished conduct in the field, Capt. G.W. Arnell, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, a son of Colonel W.T. Arnell, J.P., of Sandown, and Lieut. F.H. Fardell, R.F.A., a son of Mr. John Fardell, Solicitor, of Ryde. The Field Marshall's dispatch includes the names of some 8,000 men altogether, and probably this long list contains the names of other Islanders serving King and country.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

FRIDAY, August 25, 1916 Page 3

A battalion parade of the 3rd Cadet (Isle of Wight) Battalion Hants Regiment took place at Sandown on Sunday afternoon under the direction of Lieut.-Colonel W.T. Arnell, V.D., J.P., who was accompanied by his son, Captain Geoffrey Arnell, who has been awarded the military cross for services in the field on the western front. Following a drum-head service, conducted by the Chaplain (Rev. J. Agg-Large), the forces were divided and engaged in most interesting field manoeuvres. Colonel Arnell congratulated the battalion on the way in which they had carried out the work, and subsequently Captain Drabble entertained the whole of the battalion to tea.

Wisden Obituaries 1915

2ND LIEUT. REGINALD BRANT ARNELL (7th King's Royal Rifles), who had been captain of cricket and football at Berkhamsted School, was killed in action in Flanders on July 30, aged 21. In 1912 he had a batting average of 31.61.