L/Cpl 51749 Walter Woodward

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 29th April 1918
• Commemorated at: Tyne Cot Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 31-34

Walter Woodward  was born on May 1^st 1897 at Navarino Cottage, 1 St. Domingo Road in Liverpool and he was baptised on the 20th June at St George, Everton. He was the second youngest child of James and Ellen Woodward (nee Evanson); the youngest being his brother Wilfred. His parents had married 4th January 1882 at St Peter's Church, Heswall.

The family home was adjoining the family bakery which had been located on the corner of Grecian Terrace and St. Domingo Road. 

On the 1901 census the family are living at 19 Grecian Terrace, Everton.

His father, James, is aged 42 a shopkeeper and breadmaker was born in Gayton, Heswall, and his wife Ellen 42 was born in Heswall. They have eight children, Samuel aged 18 is a baker and shop assistant born in Heswall. Their seven other children were all born in Liverpool, Richard J. 15 at school, Nellie 13, Harry 9, James H. 7, Joseph S. 5, Walter 3, and Wilfrid E. 9mths. 

On the 1911 census the family are still at 19 Grecian Terrace.

His father James is aged 52 a master baker, bread and flour dealer, and his wife Ellen 52 is assisting in the business. They state that they have been married for 29 years and have had 8 children. Richard James 25 a law clerk for Council, Nellie 23, Harry 19 shop assistant, James Harold 17 clerk, Joseph Stanley Pemberton 15 shop assistant, Walter 13 at school, Wilfrid Ernest 10 at school. They have a visitor Eliza Jane Hind 63.

He was only thirteen when his mother Ellen passed away in 1911, aged 52, after a five month battle with cancer and the family moved to a new home in Deyes Lane in Maghull. Very few records have survived in relation to Walter and his life and sadly there are no known surviving photographs. We do know that prior to the 1914 war, that almost every Saturday morning he would regularly visit the Reynold’s waxwork on Lime Street in Liverpool, with his brothers where they would sometimes play practical jokes on other viewers.

Upon leaving school he would have most likely found employment within the family bakery business. He was one of six brothers who served in the Great War.

Based on surviving records, when Walter was killed in 1918 his father James received a war gratuity of £9, which would indicate that Walter enlisted for service sometime around April/May 1916. He enlisted as Rifleman 5178 joining the 6th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Rifles). He embarked from Folkestone-Boulogne on 27th July 1916, reaching the 24th Infantry Base Depot on 29th July. He then proceeded to the 17th Battalion K.L.R. on 06th August, and was fully posted from 05th September 1916 to the 20th Battalion K.L.R. as Private 51749.

Walter was admitted to the 31^st Ambulance Train on October 26^th 1916 before being discharged and returned to his Company the following day. 

The Battalion was then involved in a number of engagements alongside the other Pals Battalions the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th   before being later disbanded on February 8^th, 1918 and its numbers used to reinforce the other Pals Battalions. Walter was transferred to the 18^th King’s Liverpool Battalion. 

On the night of April 27^th 1918, the Battalion moved into the line near Voormezeele in the Scherpenberg area (South of Ypres) and spent the duration of the 28^th making improvements to the defences. The 18^th occupied positions between Elzenwalle to Ridge Wood which was between Voormezeele and Dickebusch Lake. Just after 03:00am on the morning of the 29^th, a ferocious German barrage opened up on their positions with a terrific bombardment of high explosives, shrapnel and gas shells. It was the final day of the Battle of Lys and German forces were launching a major offensive against British positions in the area. The first German assault on a position being held by men of the 18^th Battalion occurred at 6:00am and was directed at a listening post near Ridge Wood, occupied by men of No.4 Company. The German’s successfully took the position before it was subsequently retaken by British forces a short time afterwards when Company Sergeant Major G. Sutton of No.1 Company single handedly retook the position using Mill Bombs to clear out the twenty or so German’s occupying the position. 

The 18^th were successful in repelling any further attempts by German forces to take their positions but the casualties were high. The situation became so intense at one point that the battalion War Diary records that at one point British artillery was coming down on top of the British positions, as they attempted to bring an end to the German assault. Ultimately the German attack was repulsed and the Battle of Lys was over. 

The exact circumstances around Walter’s death that day are unknown. He was just two days short of his 21^st birthday. He was one of three brothers killed in 1918. 

In total, twenty three men from his battalion lost their lives that day, with more dying from wounds in the days that followed. Each of them are listed on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the missing in Ypres and have no known grave.

Those United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after August 16th 1917 are named on the Tyne Cot Memorial, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war.

The Tyne Cot Memorial now bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Herbert Baker with sculpture by Joseph Armitage and F.V. Blundstone, was unveiled by Sir Gilbert Dyett on 20 June 1927.

The memorial forms the north-eastern boundary of Tyne Cot Cemetery, which was established around a captured German blockhouse or pill-box used as an advanced dressing station.

Liverpool Echo 13th May 1918

ROLL OF HONOUR

Killed In Action

WOODWARD - April 29, killed in action in his 21st year, WALTER, Lce-Corpl. K.L.R., sixth son of James Woodward, Deyes Lane, Maghull.

The other brothers who were killed in 1918 were:

Private Harry Woodward (28305), of the 1/4^th King’s Shropshire Light Infantry who was killed on the 10^th August 1918 during the relief of the 8^th North Staffordshire’s. He was buried at the Sandpits British Cemetery in Fouquereui. He left behind his wife and two young children. Harry is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 33 Left.

Company Sergeant Major Richard James Woodward (241159), of ‘C’ Company the 2/6^th King’s Liverpool Battalion. He suffered a serious head wound after being struck by a bullet during Operations on the 27^th September 1918 near the Canal Du Nord and died at the Military Hospital in Camberwell on the 27^th October 1918.  

Liverpool Echo 31st Aug 1918

ROLL OF HONOUR

Killed In Action

WOODWARD - August 10, killed in action in his 28th year Private HARRY WOODWARD, King's Shropshire Light Infantry, the dearly beloved husband of Florence Woodward. Deeply mourned by his sorrowing Wife and Children, 45 Gosford Street, Dingle.

Liverpool Echo 31st Aug 1918

ROLL OF HONOUR

Died From Wounds

WOODWARD - October 27th, at 1st General Hospital, Camberwell, London, from wounds received in action, aged 32 years, C.S.M. RICHARD JAMES WOODWARD, King's (Liverpool Regiment), dearly beloved second son or James Woodward, Deyes Lane, Maghull (for 15-years a Liverpool Municipal Officer).  Interment at Heswall Parish Church, tomorrow (Thursday) at 3:30 p.m. Train leaves Woodside Station, Birkenhead at 2 p.m. (Friends kindly accept this - the only - intimation). 

The three brothers are remembered on the Roll of Honour for the COMRADES OF THE GREAT WAR CLUB, Southport Rd, Ormskirk (now located in the Council Offices, Derby St, Ormskirk) https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/3397 

Soldiers Effects to father James, Pension to sister Miss Nellie Woodward, Deyes Lane, Maghull

Walter is commemorated on the printed sheet within a glazed wooden-framed noticeboard set up directly in front of the plaque for St Andrew's War Memorial School, which forms part of the Maghull WW1 Centenary Project. 

Family Grave in St Peters, Heswall:- 

His mother, Ellen, died aged 52, on 02nd September 1911 in Toxteth. 

His father, James, died aged 76, on 21st May 1935 in Ormskirk. 

On November 13^th 1975 an article appeared in the Liverpool Echo entitled “A Soldiers Will”. The articles would indicate that following the battle, the men of the 18^th Battalion who lost their lives received a proper burial somewhere behind the line. With this in mind and on a personal note, the hope is that one day they are identified and that Walter can then finally be laid to rest in a marked grave and in the presence of his family.

Grateful thanks are extended to Matthew Owen Andrew for the detailed biography of Walter and his family.

Grateful thanks are also extended to Kevin Shannon the author of the book The Liverpool Rifles for providing details of Walter's service with the 6th Rifles.  

We currently have no further information on Walter Woodward, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.