Name
William George Warman
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/06/1915
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
18734
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BAILLEUL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, NORD
I. D. 54.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Standon War Memorial, St Mary’s Church Memorial, Standon, Puckeridge Memorial Plaque, Standon Village Hall, Standon, Not on the Ware memorials
Biography
Walter George Warman was a Private No. 18734 in the 1st Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment. He died of wounds on 28th June 1915 aged 24 years.
He is buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Bailleul, France. His grave reference is I. D. 54.
He was the son of Frederick and Maria Warman, formerly Tew (nee Trundel). He was baptised 8th February, 1891 and in the church baptism register Walter is the entry next to another man on this memorial, Alfred Smith, and it is likely that they were at school together and knew each other well.
The family had lived at both Wellpond Green and Old Hall Green, presumably because father Frederick moved from one farm to another for work, he being a ‘Horse Man’ and Walter and brother Samuel both being described as a ‘Cowman’ on the census of 1911. They had a large and complicated family, as Maria had been widowed with three children when her first husband William Tew died in 1877 at the age of 28.
The census of 1881 shows Maria as head of the household with four children, the youngest being nine months, plus a ‘lodger’ Frederick Warman. Maria and Frederick went on to have five more children, the youngest of whom was Walter. Father Frederick was evidently very green fingered, and his name crops us as the winner of a potato growing competition. He won 10 shillings in 1898 for turning in a crop of 88 lbs. Walter had won a prize at school in 1903 for attendance and progress, perhaps benefiting from being the youngest, with older siblings to help out around the house, leaving Walter time to learn.
The Herts & Essex Observer article about his death, dated 17th July 1915 states:
"Old Hall Green - Death of Pte. Walter George Warman
Pte. Walter George Warman of the 1st Beds. Regt., who joined the Battalion soon after the War began, was, on Sunday, the 27th June, mortally wounded in the abdomen. With true soldier’s courage he managed on the battle field to write a post card (almost indecipherable) to his mother saying he was badly wounded, but was going on quite well. The wounded man when picked up was taken to No. 8 Casualty Clearing Station, British Expeditionary Force, France, where he died a few hours after admission. A kindly sympathetic letter was sent by the Sister in charge to Mrs Warman stating the deceased was buried in the cemetery at Baillent. Pte Warman was only 24 years of age and a faithful, devoted son. His cheery words written when lying in agony on the battle field show not only filial affection but also heroism of the highest kind."
The letter referred to above was reproduced in the Standon Parish Magazine of August 1915. It was written by a Sister-in-Charge, M.E. Medforth to Mrs Warman, Walter’s mother and says:
“I am very sorry to tell you that your son, No. 18734, Private Warman 1/Bedford, died here on the 28th. He was seriously wounded in the abdomen, and only lived a few hours after admission. He was too ill to speak much. He had every care, and did not suffer much pain. I am very sorry for you. He is buried in the cemetery at Baillent. Yours very truly”
The middle of 1915 was a period of static warfare where the army suffered average losses of 300 men a day from sniping and shellfire while they continued to improve and consolidate the trenches. The men of the 1st Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment were alternating with another regiment in the front line trenches, defending Hill 60, 3 miles S.E. of Ypres, which had, until a couple of months previously, been held by the Germans since December 1914. Although Hill 60 was merely a low ridge, some 150ft high and about 250 yds from end to end, formed artificially when a railway cutting was dug, it was a strategic high point in an otherwise very flat area and gave good views over the surrounding land.
When Walter Warman was mortally wounded he was one of the daily ‘average losses’. A couple of comments from the Battalion War Diary from around the time Walter died gives a depressing impression of how ‘normal’ losing men on a daily basis had become: “Quiet day – casualties – 7 wounded” on another day “Situation normal – 1 killed, 7 wounded, shelling of trenches by Germans”. On the day Walter died the diary entry reads: “Quiet day – Casualties – one killed, one wounded”.
Acknowledgments
Di Vanderson, Jonty Wild
