Name
Walter Peter Westwood
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/09/1917
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Suffolk Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 40 to 41 and 162 to 162A
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Royston Town War Memorial
Pre War
Son of Mrs. Clara Westwood, of 43, Queen's Rd., Royston, Herts Walter was born 1895 in Clavering Essex, and had a twin brother William. By 1901 he was resident at Brocking Farm with his widowed mother, Clara, two sisters Lily and Florence 10 and twin brother William.
The 1911 census has Clara 56, Katie 28 and William residing Queens Road Royston (the address given on the CWG page for his mother) Frederick was married and living in Meesden as a Horsekeeper, Beatrice/Lilly was a domestic nurse in Richmond, Florence was a servant in The Old Ford (Fool) in Harlow and married a William John Chapman in 1915 at Royston.
Walter does not appear in any family census in 1911 forms but there is one record of a Weller Peter Westwood b1895 Clavering Essex adopted son of Cecil Frank Wrightson a surgeon at Melbourne Street Royston Herts.
Wartime Service
Walter arrived in France on the 4th May 1917.
On the 26th September 1917 his Battalion took up a line running from Glencorse Wood to Fitzclarence Farm having picked up “B” company on the way. No advance could, however, be made as some of the troops on the left were not ready. Gradually the situation grew worse. The moon had gone, the shelling became more persistent and a thick mist rose. Colonel Copeman asked brigade to allow the 4th Battalion to go forward alone, this was not sanctioned, but at 5.45am he arranged an advance of his and the other battalion, with the men linked hand in hand so as not to lose touch in the darkness. As they cleared the irregular line of shell holes and ditches which they were holding, down came a tremendous barrage in the face of which a regular advance was impossible. Some of the platoons however made certain progress. Captain Lake and Scrimgeour with a score of men succeeding in reaching the Blue Line, later masking further advance and capturing two machine guns and fifteen prisoners, who gave valuable information. About noon a Battalion of another brigade passed through and on towards the objective. Shortly after Captain Lake was wounded, and the following morning Captain Scrimgeour and his party, having been relieved, re-joined the Battalion. By evening of the 27th the division had succeeded in capturing all its objectives. The relief of the Division commenced in the afternoon, the battalion finally arriving at Bellegoed Farm about midnight, having sustained 265 casualties including the following officers. Killed Lieutenant H C Hattam and 2nd Lieutenants L C Palmer and W P Westwood.
Acknowledgments
Paul Johnson
