Military History

Walter is listed as being killed in action on 10th September 1914. The 1st Battalion war diary entries for the period 9th to 11th September 1914 are transcribed below.

La Noue - 9 Sep 1914: Brigade moved on at 4.30 a.m. round E. of wood in front of bivouac, advanced on river bridge at Charly which was barricaded and took two hours to clear, crossed the bridge at 8.15am.  C. A. D. B. in order of march to occupy hills on opposite N side.

9am C. Coy rushed summit of hill, N of Charly. Inhabitants reported that majority of the enemy left the village last night: just a small party of cyclists hung on to the N. side of bridge.

Halted here for 7 hours and moved on at 4pm due North via Villiers to Domptin (5pm), arrived in bivouac at Coupru at 6pm.

Coupru - 10 Sep 1914: Left Coupru at 4am moving north via Mariguy. Battalion with Berks as vanguard and 50th Battery R.F.A., on arriving at south end of village of Hautesvesnes a column of the enemy was reported marching up road from Vierley to Chez yen Orxois. The 50^th Battery R.F.A were immediately brought up and opened fire on enemy in force at 1500 x [yards] from SW edge of Hautesvesnes.

Enemy then lined the side of the road which at this point ran through a cutting forming a natural trench. C Coy were ordered to attack, starting with their left on the right of 50th Battery and advanced across an open stubble field to a position about 400yd in front of the guns on the forward slope of the hill. B Coy were sent round by N. side of village under cover of a Sunken Lane, and then reinforced C Coy's right and centre. A Coy was deployed on left of C Coy and D Coy kept in reserve in a Sunken Lane until another Battalion was deployed on our right.

As soon as our guns opened fire the enemy brought 4 guns into action from high ground just N of Brennatz, at the same time our guns opened by mistake on HQ’s of the Battalion from a SW direction. Fire coming from this direction enfiladed the road, and one shell bursting by HQ wounded Lt. Woods, Sgt Richardson, L/Cpl Willows (Cyclist) and Rfn Butler (groom).

Berkshire Regiment remained NE of village watching. 2 Coys of S. Staffords came up eventually on our left and 2 Coys of Kings on our right.

Fire of our guns and heavy rifle fire of the Battalion silenced the enemy who eventually, after 1½ hours fighting put up white flags and surrendered. They had about 80 killed and wounded and we took 450 prisoners, about 500 of them got away behind Chezy but were captured by the 3^rd Division, enemy guns got away.

We had the following casualties:
10 NCO’s & Rifleman killed
4 Officers and 60 others wounded
5 Rifleman missing

1 Platoon of B Coy left an escort to prisoners. We bivouacked at Chevillon

Chevillon - 11 Sep 1914: Left bivouac at 5am, B Coy still with prisoners. Marched via Latelly where we halted for about 1 hour from 8 to 9am. Halted again in Breing and eventually got to billets at Wall’ec about 4.30pm in heavy rain.