regrecord

Name   Reginald Garbett        Born   6th December 1914, at 42 Summer Street, Stourbridge.

    Mother, Elizabeth Garbett, formally; Droy.              Father, Joseph Dennis Garbett.

    Siblings;    Edward, Elsie, Joseph, Howard, Mary, and younger brother Albert.

Earliest known photograph;   At 42 Summer Street, Stourbridge, Age 19.

Married;   Elizabeth Lillian Spilsbury, [known as Betty]. On 22nd September 1945.
At Yardley Wood Church. Birmingham. Photo available.
Bridesmaids; Marion Spilsbury, Jean Yardley, June Yardley. Guests include; Ada Spilsbury.

Profession; Assembler, at Austin Motor Works, Longbridge, Birmingham.

Children;   Reginald Keith,   Kenneth,   Peter,   Dawn.

Addresses; 42, Summer Street, Stourbridge.   15, Crabmill Camp, Hollywood, Birmingham,
62, Church Road, Mosely, Birmingham,    96, St Heliers Road, Northfield, Birmingham.
41, Hedgefield Grove, Fatherless Barn Estate, Cradley, Halesowen. Tel; 67004.

Was a train driver prior to his life in the Army during WW2, Although not much is known of his early life and Childhood.
He had a serious accident; approx. 1950, Whilst working at the Austin Motor Company in Longbridge, Birmingham, a piece of metal went through his eye, and lodged in his brain, this metal could never be removed, as it was to close to essential parts of his brain, and could have caused his death if removed. The accident caused him to at times, slur his speech, and be unstable on his feet, [as if he was drunk]. He never fully recovered from the trauma of this accident, at one point he even felt suicidal, he went on the roof of Lewis's department store in Birmingham City Centre, and intended to jump off, but was talked down by an evangelist, who happened to be in the area at that time. Reg, spent time in convalescent to recover.

During the second world war, Reg was in the Royal Artillery.     Photo available.

Reg, played Santa Clause for his children, he had his own Santa Clause outfit, which used to be hidden away in the back of the airing cupboard.

Reg, could not be kept at home, even when ill, he would pretend to be going for a newspaper, and go to work. During his holidays, he would often get part time work, He used to help his brother Joseph, who was doing demolition work in Stourbridge, He would often take one or the other of his boys with him, As Keith, Kenneth and Peter all recall, and Joseph would take them to the snack caravan, [on the ring road now], which was opposite the bus garage. Amazingly, the very same snack caravan was still there at the time of printing this document. May 2001.

After Reg, had his accident, he took the family on a trip of a lifetime, [well it was in those days, as money had been tight], to Butlins, Eire.

Reg, as a lot of his siblings died at a young age, He died peacefully in his sleep, on 10th January 1976, at Hayley Green Hospital, on the Hagley Course way, Halesowen. He was just 61 years old.

He was cremated at Stourbridge Crematorium, his ashes where scattered in the garden of remembrance.