PETER and Linda Daymond recently flew over from Australia to research their family history and would love to hear from anyone who has any information on the Daymond family from Sandford.

Reginald Daymond (also known as Reg or Reggie) was born in 1896 at Sturidge Farm, Sandford. He left school at 13 years of age to work on the farm.

During World War One Reg saw active duty in three regiments: The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry 202759 (DCLI), Royal Warwickshire 200221 and the Machine Gun Corp 155724.

He served in Ypres, Passchendale (1917) and No Man’s Land.

The struggle for Ypres became one of the bloodiest battles in the history of modern warfare. Reg was gassed while on duty and was brought back to the UK.

Reg received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. It is believed that he may also have received the Star and also the Croix de Guerre for action in Belgium.

Once he had recovered he was sent back to serve on the front line, until the war ended.

Reg married Lena Bessie Madge Daymond (formerly Flay) at St Swithun’s Church in Sandford on October 18, 1928.

Lena was born in 1908 at Woolfardisworthy and worked on the farm milking cows, breeding chickens and turkeys. She also worked at Dowrich House for many years. During the war their home was open for meals for the troops.

Lena later opened a shop at 3 High Street, which was a dairy selling milk, homemade Devonshire clotted cream and ice-cream.

In 1925 Reg and Lena won first prize in the Sandford Carnival with a horse and cart decorated with “Thanks to the Nursing Association”.

Reg’s father, John Daymond, owned The Rose & Crown inn at Sandford during the 1890s. The pub caught fire in 1896 when Sandford only had a hand-pumped horse-drawn fire engine which had been purchased for £130 raised by a collection in the village in 1832. So the first thing that had to be done when a fire was noticed was to run down to the field and capture the horse!

Reg and Lena followed their sons Peter, who was born in 1942 and Perce, who was born in 1930 to Auckland, New Zealand.

Both Reg and Lena have been laid to rest in the cemetery at St Swithun’s Church in Sandford.

If you have any information about the Daymond family that might be of interest to Peter and Linda please email: [email protected] .