Walter Reed was the son of William Henry and Clara Hephzibah (Dodd) Reed; husband of Elsie Elizabeth (Franklin) Reed, he enlisted in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and volunteered for airborne forces.

Private Reed successfully completed parachute training at RAF Ringway on course number 136 from 2 to 15 October 1944. His course report stated “Rather nervous but keen, average jumper”. He was posted to HQ Company, 8th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, and took part in Ardenne (Battle of the Bulge) and Operation Varsity (Rhine Crossing).

Pte Reed was killed in action on 24 March 1945, aged 26, whilst taking part in the daylight parachute drop into Germany as part of the Rhine Crossing during operation Varsity and was given a field burial at Hovelsmannhof, Germany and was re-interred to Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany, on 30 October 1946.

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