Walter Thompson

Walter Thompson. 245213. L/Cpl. 1st/5th Bn. Manchester Regiment. KIA Sept 2nd 1918, Villers-au-Flos, France.

The 1911 Bulmer's directory lists John Thompson, builder, residing at "Glenlea", Cartmel, the house he built for his family. He went on to build, and move into, "Rose Bank", where he later committed suicide. Walter's mother was John's daughter. Walter was related to the Gaskarths and the census gives his occupation as "Farmer - worker" age 16 in 1911. "Soldier's Died" gives his birthplace as Allithwaite and his first regiment as the King's Own. He was promoted to Lance Corporal in January 1915.

Lance Corporal Thompson in his King's Own days, notice the wire stiffener still in his service cap.

The "Barrow News" reported, on November 17th 1917, that L/Cpl. Thompson had been wounded and "has been very ill, but is improving." The following year, "Missing: Mr. John Thompson, "Rose Bank", (builder) received official information, on Sunday, that his grandson, Lance-Corpl. Walter T. Thompson, 1/5 Manchesters, was posted missing after an engagement in France, on the 2nd of September." October's Parish Magazine had poignantly included the following, "Anxiety is felt about Walter Thompson from whom no news has come for over five weeks. We are afraid he may be a prisoner, but if so, it won't be for long now!"

On 8th August Haig launched an offensive which drove the Germans out of the territory gained in their spring attacks. They reached their old positions, along the Hindenburg Line, by early September. With their assault beaten back, German defeat became inevitable. Casualties in the final battles, "The Advance to Victory", were high. Cartmel lost three men Walter Thompson, Thomas Atkinson and Thomas Tyson.

Walter sporting a youthful moustache. I find the difference in maturity shown between this and the photo below quite astounding.

Walter Thomas Thompson has no known grave and is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France, Panel 9. It is situated on the Arras-Cambrai road and commemorates the missing of the 1918 Final Offensive in Artois and Picardy.The cemetery contains many Manchester graves with a September 2nd date of death, when 42nd Division (IV Corps, Third Army) were advancing south-east of Bapaume, during the Second Battle of the Somme.

A sadder and wiser Walter wearing his Manchester's cap badge.

"The 42nd (East Lancs.) Division 1914-18." by F.P. Gibbon (Country Life, 1920) describes the action, "On September 1 the 127th Brigade, by pushing out to the left, got into touch with the New Zealanders on the high ground north-east of Riencourt. The situation was unsatisfactory on the right, as this flank was much exposed to the enemy in Beaulencourt, which still held out against the 5th Corps. The next objective was Villers-au-Flos, about a mile south-east of Riencourt, and the attack on this thickly-wooded and strongly-held position was made by the 5th Manchesters on the right and the 6th Manchesters on the left at 5.15 a.m. on September 2, after eight minutes' bombardment. The two battalions and a company of the 7th Manchesters attached to the 5th went forward in fine style in the face of very stiff resistance, under a creeping barrage which lifted 100 yards every three minutes. Very stiff fighting took place the moment the advance began, for the barrage, though heavy and accurate, was not sufficient to overcome opposition, and the infantry had to provide additional covering-fire to enable detachments to advance without losing the barrage. The accuracy and quickness of fire of the Stokes gunners attached to each of the leading battalions destroyed a machine-gun nest and two German trench-mortars which had caused numerous casualties. On the left good progress was made, but on the right the 5th Manchesters had a harder task, their right flank being swept by the fire of a number of machine-gun posts, but this was overcome by a noteworthy instance of co-operation. An aviator, seeing that the infantry were in difficulties, flew over the German posts and attacked them with machine-gun fire, and at the same time a battery of 18-pounders, was withdrawn from the barrage and switched on the machine-gun nests, while trench-mortars, machine-guns and neighbouring infantry, on their own initiative, brought their full available volume of fire to bear. This proved too much for the Germans, a number of whom surrendered, and the 5th and 7th Manchesters went forward. Stiff fighting continued, for the enemy made skilful use of the cover of ruined houses, hedges and bushes, but once at close range the Manchesters made short work of the Germans, who suffered heavily. The Stokes gunners, after using up all their bombs, fixed bayonets and joined heartily in the hand-to-hand fighting. They were gallantly led by Lieutenant R.H. Welch, commanding the 127th Light T.M. Battery, who was awarded the D.S.O. Light carriages had been improvised for the 6-inch mortars, and these vied with the Stokes mortars in close support of the infantry. These had to be man-handled across rough ground, but in spite of the weight of mortars and heavy ammunition they were brought into action in forward positions in astonishingly quick time. Two fighting tanks had been detailed to take part in the attack. One broke down, but the other passed through the village with the infantry and gave very valuable assistance by destroying machine-gun posts. A supply tank delivered small-arm ammunition and drinking water close behind the front line. Before noon Villers-au-Flos had been thoroughly mopped up, and the 127th Brigade was consolidating its new position beyond the village. Three hundred prisoners, a battery of 77mm. guns, eighteen machine-guns and much material had been captured, and the enemy's loss in killed and wounded was very great.

"In a Special Order of the Day Brigadier-General Henley congratulated the 127th Brigade on "adding a new anniversary to those which your gallantry has already made famous....Yesterday, after three months of unbroken fighting in trenches and in the open, and in face of stubborn resistance by Huns more than equal in numbers, you stormed and took Villers-au-Flos with the utmost dash and determination - a feat which would have been notable if performed by battalions at full strength and fresh from a period of rest. When Manchester hears of this new proof of your prowess, she may well be as proud of her sons as I am of commanding such soldiers."

"The New Zealanders on the left and the 21st Division on the right had also made good progress, but the 42nd Division had again gone farther forward than either, and in consequence the 127th Brigade was in a pronounced salient, exposed to enfilade fire on both flanks. The machine-gun sections which had advanced with the battalions applied themselves with zest to keep down the enemy's fire, and they dealt with it very effectively. In the early afternoon the New Zealanders on the left made a further attack and came up into line with the 6th Manchesters, thus easing the situation on that flank. In the evening the 5th and 6th Manchesters were relieved by the 7th Manchesters and the 8th Lancashire Fusiliers.".... too late for Walter Thompson.