Walter Twitchett, Private 60800 15/17th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment
Walter Twitchett was born in Denston Green, Suffolk in late 1898 or early 1899. His parents were Charles Twitchett, a Horse Keeper on a farm (1856-1923) and Ellen Malton (1857-1934). His siblings included Flory, Hannah Elizabeth, Clara, May, Edith Amelia, Ada, Eva, Edgar Charles, Charles William (*see End Note 1) and Frank (*see End Note 2) all born between 1877 and 1899. In 1901 the family were living at Upper Green, Denston and by the end of WW1 were at Top (possibly another name for Upper) Green, Denston, Near Newmarket, Suffolk. He married Alice H Cardy at Plomesgate, Suffolk in late 1915, when he was probably 17. The following year, or more likely 1917, he enlisted, at Bury St Edmunds, but whether he volunteered or was conscripted is not clear, the latter seeming more likely. In December 1917 the 15th Battalion, the original Leeds Pals, was amalgamated with the 17th, the Bantams, and they were thereafter designated the 15/17th.
Walter was posted to The Leeds Pals and perhaps took part in the Battle of Arras, which took place in April and May 1917. He was certainly involved in the last German assault of the war, the Kaiserschlacht, which began on 23rd March 1918. At first this was extremely successful, but gradually it slowed down and the German advance was held, but by then Walter was dead. He died on 22nd April 1918, and was buried at Le Grand Hasard Military Cemetery, Morbecque, Departement du Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France. The War Diary for that period recorded:
‘During this tour of duty in the Reserve Line the Battalion suffered several casualties by shell fire, 4 Other Ranks killed, 14 Other Ranks wounded and 2 Other Ranks died of wounds’.
It is not clear whether he was one of the four soldiers killed or of the two who died of wounds. The XV Corps Commander wrote:
‘The troops of the 29th and 31st Divisions by their stout defence covered the detrainment of the 1st Australian Division and saved HAZEBROUCK.’
Walter was subsequently awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. A Memorial Plaque and scroll would also have been sent to his parents.
End Note 1: Charles William Twitchett – Emigrated to Canada
Charles William was born in Tenston, Suffolk on 25th September 1892. He emigrated to Canada prior to the war and was employed as a farmer. Charles was described as being 5’ 5½” tall, with a dark complexion, light brown hair and black eyes. He joined the Canadian Over-seas Expeditionary Force (CEF) as 220469 Private Twitchett on 23rd February 1916, joining the 80th Battalion. Promoted to Lance Corporal in March he sailed for England from Halifax on 20th May 1916 on the SS Battie and served in France with the 47th Infantry Battalion from August 1916. He was wounded in November 1916, receiving gunshot wounds to the right thigh and finger and was treated at N0.23 General Hospital Etaples. Later in the month he moved to the Canadian Base Depot at Harve. He was awarded the MM on 9th July 1917 for ‘Bravery in the Field’,although there was no published citation forthe award.He was again wounded in October 1917 and was treated at No.24 General Hospital, Etaples for a severe gunshot wound to the ankle. Returning to England he received further treatment at Birmingham and Epsom. After recovering he was transferred to the Canadian Army Base at Witley in Surrey, the village I lived in as a child. Charles returned to Canada from Liverpool on the SS Regina in early September 1919 and was discharged on 27th September of that month at Halifax. He was married to Kate Elizabeth Cooke, who was born in England, at Cobourg, Northumberland, Ontario, Canada on 29th June 1922.
End Note 2:Frank Twitchett – also emigrated to Canada
151979 Private, Canadian Manitoba Regiment
Frank was born at Denston Green in Sufflok on 22nd April 1896 and was two years older than Walter. He was a Farmer Labourer and in early March 1914 emergrated to Canada aged 17. When he attested in the Army some 18 months later he was discribed as being 5’ 11½” tall, with a rudy complexion, grey eyes and dark hair.
On 11th November 1915 he enlisted in the Canadian Army at Brandon, Manitoba and initially joined C Company, 79th Overseas Battalion. On 24th April 1916 he sailed with the Canadian Expeditionary Force from Halifax to the UK on the RMS Lapland, arriving on 4th May. At the end of June he transferred to the 16th Battalion and sailed for France.
He was killed in action sometime between the 4th and 7th of September 1916. As his body was not recovered he is commemorated on the Canadian Vimy Memorial in France.
His war medals, Memorial Plaque and Scroll were sent to his father and his mother received a Canadian Memorial Cross.
Sources:
Canadian Archives – Frank and Charles William’s Service Records
Ancestry – Census Records, Medal Records, Marriage records
War Diary for April 1918
Researchers: David J Owen and Peter Taylor
Please Note:
- All opinions and inferences are the researcher’s own.
- Please refer to our Glossary of Terms for further information on the terms and phrases used in this post