Name
Walter Randle (poss Randall)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/07/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
201576
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
NEW IRISH FARM CEMETERY
XXXIV C.8
Belgium
UK & Other Memorials
Hunsdon War Memorial
Memorial Plaque St Dunstan’s Church, Hunsdon
Pre War
Born in 1886, in Hunsdon to parents William and Maria, he had five brothers, one of whom was John, who also died in the war and three sisters. His father was a builder’s carman, but by the 1891 census his mother was a widow and he lived with her and some of their family in Widford Road, Hunsdon. They were still there in 1901 and Walter was employed as a domestic gardener. The 1911 census shows that his mother had remarried, a Mr John Warwick and Walter was now a general labourer.
Wartime Service
On joining the Army at Hertford he was posted to 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, who were based in Pretoria, South Africa at the outbreak of the war, they were sent back to England arriving at Southampton on 19th September 1914. They were refitted for European service and arrived in France on 7th October. In 1915 they fought at Neuve Chapelle, Festubert, Givenchy and Loos, the following year during the Somme Campaign they fought at Trones Wood, Delville Wood and Le Transloy. They were transferred to the Ypres salient and took part at the battle for Passchendaele in 1917. In July of that year they were in the line near Zillebeke and on 28th they were involved in raiding enemy trenches, during this action Walter was wounded and died the following day.
Acknowledgments
Terry & Glenis Collins
