Name
Walter Reginald Gatward
14 April 1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
19/04/1916
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
22463
Bedfordshire Regiment
8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ESSEX FARM CEMETERY
II. Q. 16.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
GONE BUT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN FROM HIS LOVING WIFE & DAUGHTERS A.& F.
UK & Other Memorials
St Mary the Virgin Church, Therfield, Non-Conformist Chapel, Therfield, Not on the Reed Memorial
Pre War
Walter Reginald Gatward was born on 14 April 1889 at Carters Corner, Therfield, Herts, the son of Thomas and Julia Ann Gatward (nee Haggar) and baptised on 4 August 1889 in Therfield. He was one of eight children, although one died in infancy.
On the 1891 Census the family were living Boutrum Cottages, Therfield where his father was working as an agricultural labourer. They remained in Therfield in 1901 but had moved to Dane End next to Holborn Farm where, presumably, his father worked as an agricultural labourer.
He married Daisy Florence Byatt on 30 July 1910 at Buckland Parish Church, nr Buntingford, Herts, and on the 1911 Census they were living at Crow Cottages, Reed End, nr Royston, Herts with their one month old daughter Annie. They later had another daughter Elizabeth in 1913 who died soon after birth, followed by Florence born in 1914.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Ampthill, Beds, and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment, serving with the 8th Battalion in France from early 1916.
Walter was killed in action on 19 April 1916 near Ypres, Belgium and is buried in Essex Farm Cemetery, close to where he fell, and near the dressing station where Lt. Col. John McCrae wrote the famous poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. A personal inscription on Walter's headstone reads: "GONE BUT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN FROM HIS LOVING WIFE & DAUGHTERS A & F"**.
He is one of 15 soldiers from the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, who died on the same day and who are buried in Essex Farm Cemetery.
The War Diary entry for the 19th and 20th follows:
19 Apr 1916 In trenches at Ijser Canal Bank, - Wounded 2 O.R.
20 Apr 1916 - Ijser Canal Bank, near Ypres, Belgium in trenches - Battalion moved back in support in dugouts on YSER CANAL - *On night 19/20 Apl. after 2 hours heavy bombardment Germans attacked and gained a footing in trenches D20, WILLOW WALK and S18a - D21, B17a and B16 still held by battalion and line VICARS LANE - CLIFFORD TOWER - GANTHORPE ROAD strengthened and reinforced. Killed - Capt Quilter, 2Lt Cartwright, 2Lt. McMichael. Wounded 2Lt Vipond, 2Lt Player [Harold PLAYER], 2Lt Charles [William Eugene CHARLES]. Missing 2Lt Squier. O.Ranks - Killed 32, Missing believed Killed 97, Wounded 65. Relieved by 2/York and Lancaster Regt
Additional Information
His widow, Daisy, received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £1 15s. She also received a pension of 18s 6d a week for herself and her daughters Annie and Florence. Daisy's address on the pension card was recorded as Chipping, Buntingford, Herts. She remarried in Reed in 1920 to Daniel Knights, but died in 1937, aged 45.
Brother of Charles Gatward who served with the Hertfordshire Regiment, was killed in action on 16 August 1917 and is also listed on the Therfield memorial.
**In theory families had to pay 3 1/2d per letter for any inscription so this message would have represented a great deal of money to his widow, however there is no evidence that these sums were ever charged.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Malcolm Lennox, Jean Handley
