Reginald was educated at St Paul’s School, under Mr Groom. He became the manager to the River Plate Company at Gravesend, and was employed there at the time of his enlistment. He enlisted into the Home Counties Field Ambulance in February 1915, then went to France in 1916. He was serving as a medical orderly, attached to the Royal Air Force, when he was wounded on 23rd March 1918 during the great German offensive. During the same incident he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When the aerodrome of the squadron to which he was attached was attacked by enemy aircraft, he was badly wounded in the thigh by the first bomb to fall, and though he could only walk with great difficulty he struggled to other casualties and attended to them while bombs were still dropping, and the enemy aeroplanes were still attacking the aerodrome with machine gun fire. His splendid courage and self-sacrifice saved the life of man who would have died had he not been attended to immediately.” Reginald stated “I won my medal for attending to dead and wounded men under heavy shell and bomb fire, but I was badly wounded myself, and four hours elapsed before I had a chance to look after my own wounds. Of course with the loss of blood I was then done up. I collected all the wounded and dead and conveyed them to the hospital, which was four miles away. This was on the second day of the great retreat and things were very much upside down.” His wounds were treated at the City of London Hospital, Finsbury Square. Whilst there he got married at St Luke’s, Finsbury Square by the Chaplain of a Red Cross Hospital in the vicinity. He was then stationed in Ireland but wanted the presentation of his D.C.M. to take place in his native town. It was placed on his breast by the Mayor (Councilor H Foster Clark) at the Town Hall, Maidstone. The Mayor stating “I have the greatest possible pleasure in pinning this on your breast, hoping the time will not be long when you will come back again, not only as a distinguished soldier in the field, but a distinguished and respected resident of this town.” Frederick received a telegraph from France from the squadron stating “All ranks congratulate you on your well-deserved honour. He was the second son of Mr Alfred T McCoy of 23 Hardy Street, Maidstone. [Information and profile photograph from the Kent Messenger of 4th May & 10th September 1918 (Kindly provided by Julie McLean)]