Name
Walter Andrews
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/11/1916
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
4785
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
WARLOY-BAILLON COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
II. D. 2.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Ware Town Memorial,
St Mary’s Church Memorial, Ware,
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Born in 1892 in Ware, Hertfordshire son of Richard and Catharine Andrews later of 8 Princes Street, Ware. In 1901 and 1911 they were living in 20 Crib Street, Ware.
Wartime Service
Enlisted at Hertford on 15 Apr 1915 embarked at Southampton on 13 Mar 1916 for Rouen and joined his battalion on 27 Mar 1916. He was briefly attached to the 13th Gloucesters but returned to his own battalion on 10 Aug 1916.
During fighting in the Battle of the Ancre on the Somme he was wounded by a gunshot to the abdomen and died of his wounds the same day in a casualty clearing station in Warloy. (From Battalion Diaries)”
In the evening the battalion left billets and marched in light fighting order to the SCHWABEN REDOUBT where it formed up in assembly positions in four lines. At 5.45am on the 13th just before dawn and in a thick mist the guns opened fire, the Bn went forward, the Cambridgeshires on the left and the East Lancs (19th Division) on the right. Direction was kept and the Bn had very soon taken all its objectives, capturing the whole of the HANSA line and advancing to a depth of 1,600 yards. Over 250 prisoners were captured and many Germans were killed. The new line was consolidated and the Bn held the new position till the night of the 14th/15th. During the period the Germans made three small raids against the bombing post on our left but these were successfully driven back. In all these operations 9 machine guns were captured.
The Bn was relieved on the night of 14th/15th by the Kings Own and marched back to huts near AVELUY, its last platoon leaving the trenches at 5.0am. During the period our casualties were; 7 Officers wounded, 20 OR killed, 5 OR missing, and 115 OR wounded.”
Additional Information
Brother of Private Albert Andrews who was killed in action on 30 Jul 1917 and of Private John Andrews who was killed in action on 23 Apr 1917 and of Private William Andrews who was killed in action on 11 Apr 1918 and who are all commemorated on these memo
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Jonty Wild
