BOW Walter

Additional information on the memorial: Pte. Wor. R.

“…Before dawn on September 25th the darkness was broken by the flashes of the opening bombardment. The 3rd Worcestershire were roused in their reserve trenches, and heard the dull explosions of several mines. All day long the Battalion waited, while conflicting reports came in as to the course of the swaying fight in front. Not until the afternoon was it definitely known that after much hard fighting the attacking troops had been forced to fall back to their own trenches. The attack had been abandoned (b. That attack has since been officially entitled “The Second Attack on Bellewaerde”.) That evening came orders for the Battalion to go up into the line, and shortly before midnight the 3rd Worcestershire took over the trenches that were in a lamentable condition, broken everywhere by shell holes and littered with dead. The Worcestershire worked hard during the night and following day, and by the evening of September 27th the trenches were in fair order. The Battalion was relieved by the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers and marched back down the Menin Road to billets at Busseboom (c. Casualties September 25th – 27th were 6 killed, 2/Lieut EL Bishop and 15 men wounded).

They were not left long in reserve. On the evening of September 29th the Germans sprang a mine in Sanctuary Wood and attacked in darkness and heavy rain. The enemy stormed and held the British front line.  All next day a confused fight continued, and that night the 3rd Worcestershire and the HAC were detached from the 7th Brigade and were sent up from reserve to the point of danger. The 3rd Worcestershire relieved the 4th Middlesex in a half-dug line of new trenches among the shattered tree stumps of Sanctuary Wood. The Battalion held those trenches, fighting continuously (d. Casualties – 3 officers (2/Lieut CEW Kauntze on October 1st, 2/Lieut EE Vaile on October 5th, 2/Lieut AM Scougall on October 7th and 5 men killed, 17 NCO’s and men wounded.) until the evening of October 8th. Then the Middlesex battalion again took over the line and the Worcestershire marched back to Busseboom…”

Source for additional information: The Worcestershire Regiment in the Great War by Captain H. FitzM. Stacke of the Regiment, 1928 p129