A son of Ipswich: Remembering Private Reginald Henry Makeham

Born on 28 July 1914 in Ipswich, Reginald Henry Makeham was the youngest son of Reginald Linnel Makeham and Mary Makeham. In 1921, the family resided at 25 Spring Road, Ipswich, where Reginald grew up alongside his sister Katherine and brother Derrick. He attended local Ipswich schools and enjoyed a happy childhood, sharing many cherished moments with his parents, siblings, and maternal grandmother.

Reginald's father worked as a Commercial Traveller for Debenham & Co. and was a veteran of the First World War, having served as a Sergeant in the Irish Guards. Through his father's example, Reginald was instilled with strong values of integrity, responsibility, and duty that remained with him throughout his life. Sadly, his father passed away in 1936, leaving behind a loss that was deeply felt by his family.

By 1939, Reginald was working as an under manager at a grocer's shop and was lodging with his employer in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. Away from his Suffolk roots, he was building a life and career for himself during a period of growing uncertainty across Europe. He then married the love of his life, Rebecca Downie, and together they looked towards a future that the war would ultimately deny them.

As conflict engulfed Europe, Reginald made the life-altering decision to join the British Army. He became a proud member of the Gordon Highlanders, where his courage, discipline, and determination soon distinguished him from his peers. These qualities led to his selection for No. 2 Commando, one of Britain's elite special forces units, whose members undertook some of the most dangerous operations of the war.

In September 1942, Reginald took part in Operation Musketoon, a daring commando raid against an electricity-generating station at Glomfjord in German-occupied Norway.

The raiding party crossed the North Sea and landed in a remote Norwegian fjord before undertaking a gruelling trek across mountainous terrain. After days of hardship and close encounters with German patrols, they reached their objective and launched a carefully planned attack on the night of 20 September.

Norwegian workers were helped to escape before explosives were planted throughout the facility. The commandos inflicted such severe damage that the plant remained out of action for the remainder of the war. It was a remarkable feat of endurance and military precision deep within enemy territory.

Following the successful raid, German forces launched an intensive search for those responsible. The commandos split into two groups in an attempt to evade capture. Whilst one group succeeded in reaching neutral Sweden, Reginald and six of his comrades were eventually discovered and captured by German forces. At this stage of the war, German High Command had issued Adolf Hitler's infamous Commando Order, which declared that all captured Allied Commandos were to be executed immediately.

After being held at Colditz Castle and later transferred to SS Headquarters in Berlin, Reginald and his fellow commandos were sent to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp near Oranienburg. On the morning of 23 October 1942, they were taken outside for execution. There were no cries, no pleas—only silence and dignity. One by one, they were shot with a single bullet to the back of the neck. Reginald was 28 years old. Their bodies were subsequently taken to the camp crematorium.

Today, Reginald and his fallen comrades are commemorated on the Brookwood 1939–1945 Memorial in Surrey. His name is also honoured in Ipswich, Sidlesham, and Keswick, as well as on the Scottish National Roll of Honour housed within Edinburgh Castle and on a memorial at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in Germany.

Private Reginald Henry Makeham’s story is one of sacrifice and service, shaped by a generation defined by courage and duty. It echoes that of countless fallen heroes who gave their lives for peace and liberty. Ipswich must preserve the legacy of one of its bravest sons, whose story remains part of the town’s memory.

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