Reginald was born on 17th February 1896 in Northwood, Hampshire to parents Frank Minshull Elgood and Fanny Isabel Lloyd Allen and baptised the following month on 21st March 1896 at Holy Trinity, Northwood.
At the time of the 1901 Census, aged 5, Reginald lived in Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, with his parents and one sibling. Ten years later on the 1911 Census, he was listed as a naval cadet aged 15, living at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Devon.
He enrolled with the Navy on 15th January 1909 first spending time at training establishments until 15th May 1913. He was then posted to HMS St Vincent until 17th July 1915 and transferred to HMS Vanguard on 17th July 1915. He was promoted to Acting Sub-Lieutenant 15th May 1915, gazetted 15th November 1915 to Sub-Lieutenant, and promoted to Lieutenant on the 15th May 1917.
He died aged 21, having served with the dreadnought during the Battle of Jutland. His body not recovered for burial, he is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
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Sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 Free BMD
London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: dro/117/001
National Archives - ADM 196/118
1911 England Census
UK, Navy Lists, 1888-1970
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty and predecessors: Office of the Director General of the Medical Department of the Navy and predecessors: Service Registers and Registers of Deaths and Injuries. Registers of Reports of Deaths
CWGC Register
Signature image courtesy of Ian Thorogood
Portrait image courtesy of The Orcadian Vanguard Booklet