Military History

Walter is listed as being killed in action on 4 Oct 1917 and the war diary entry for that day is transcribed below.

Cheddar Villa - October 4: Battalion moved forward to assembly positions in support all the 143rd Brigade. Zero hour 6am. B Coy  moved forward to a position east of Von Tirpitz Farm. Bn HQ and all Coys were under heavy shelling during the time they occupied these positions.

At 1pm C Coy move to the neighbourhood of Hubner Farm and together with A Coy, with Capt Arnell commanding both, was placed under the command of the OC 1/6^th R War R. Join the afternoon these two Coys attacked Burns House and Yacker Farm but were held up by heavy MG fire.

At 2pm D Coy moved up to the Hubner Farm area.

At 3.30pm battalion received orders to collect as many men as possible from the 1/6t, 1/7 and 1/8^th R. War R and push forward under a barrage commencing at 5pm with the object of taking Burns, Vacker, Oxford & Berks Houses.  The barrels commenced beyond Burns and Vacker Farms both of which were strongly held by the enemy so our men came under heavy fire and were unable to advance further that our present front line. A heavy rainstorm during the attack I'm darkness settling in made further operations impossible. END

October 5: The Battalion relieved the 1/6^th Battalion at dusk, also any of the 1/5^th Gloucester who were in our area, taking over the dispositions of both. END