Name
Walter Franklin
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1916
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
13607
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and face 2C
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
North Mymms War Memorial, North Mymms War Shrine (now lost), St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, North Mymms, North Mymms Memorial Hall Memorial, Welham Green, Not on the Hatfield memorials, We are not aware of any Roestock memorial
Pre War
Walter was born on 4th December 1895 in Roestock, where his parents, Rose (maiden name Bean) and John Franklin, an agricultural labourer had lived since their marriage in St Albans in 1880.
Walter was the eighth child of twelve children born in Roestock during the course of the couple's marriage. Walter's older sister, Esther, had died when Walter was about two years old, and there is a record of her burial, aged 17 years, on 15th May 1897 in North Mimms.
Not much is known of Walter's early childhood but he can be found in the 1911 census, aged 15, along with fellow siblings, Herbert, age 24, a contractor’s carman, Arthur, age 17, a general labourer, Mabel, age 13, Edith, age 10, both scholars, and Doris, age 2, all still living at home with their parents, John, aged 57, and Rose, aged 52. The family home consisted of 4 rooms. Rose is the only member of the family not to have been born in Roestock. Her birthplace is listed as Hatfield. By the time of the 1911 census three of Walter's older siblings, James John, born 1881, Emma, born 1883 and George, born 1884 had already left home, married and had families of their own. Walter's remaining sister, Nellie, aged 22 and single, is not to be found with the rest of the family in the 1911 census but is listed as a patient in the Hatfield Union Workhouse, having just given birth to a son, George. By 1911 Walter was no longer at school and the census record indicates that he was employed as a house boy (domestic).
Wartime Service
Walter enlisted on 31st August 1914 and was mentioned in the Parish News being wounded in May 1915 at Hill 60 returning to duty afterwards. An article in the Hertford Mercury and Reformer dated 22 July 1916 reports that "A notification has been received that private Walter Franklin, of Roestock, is in hospital in France suffering from sickness."
From the Battalion War Diaries, we find Walter’s Battalion was in and around Longueval: 28 Jul 1916.
They remained on Pommiers redoubt all day, reorganizing Battn. the following entries; 29 and 30 Jul 1916 indicate that they had no moved. Recorded as a quiet day at 6 p.m. 31 Jul 1916 Operations at 12.10 a.m. the Enemy started intense bombardment, 22 NCO's and men killed and over 200 wounded in the two days of 30th and 31st. It seems that Walter was one of these 22 men. A further report in the Hertford Mercury and Reformer dated 2 Sept 1916 reads "Pte Walter Franklin, Beds Regt, of Roestock, killed in action. (Was previously twice wounded)."
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Anne Roberts
Bedfordshire Regiment Web Site, Mike Allen
