The Somme Remembered – 2nd July 1916

Walter Edmund Say enlisted in Southwark.  He was born in Newington or Walworth depending which census you are look at.  In the 1901 census you will find Walter aged 1 year living with his parents, Walter and Sarah, and his sibling – Henry aged 7 and his step-sister Rhoda Eaglen aged 8, at 38 Rodney Place, Newington.  His father, Walter was a labourer but is listed as being on the Army Reserve List.

Ten years later in 1911 the family has grown and Walter Edmund now has three siblings. Rhoda, his step-sister, is now listed as Rose but Henry who was entered as 8 years old in the 1901 census, now becomes a step-brother.  Home for the family at this time is 16 Palatinate Buildings.

Walter while living at 2 Black Prince Court, Walworth, signed his Attestation Papers at Southwark Town Hall on 9 December 1914, joining the 9th Batt.,  in the Queens (Royal West Surrey. In August of 1915  he was transferred to the 7th Batt.,  of that regiment and they became his new family.  He served as Private 3887.

One document in Walter’s surviving service records give his sibling and information on Rose and other close relatives.

The Queen 7th Battalion was made up mainly of Kitchener Volunteers.  These volunteers had served on the Western Front with distinction.  Walter and the 7th went to France in August 1915 and suffered horrific casualties on the Somme, at Ypres and Amiens.

La Neuville British Cemetery via CWGC

Walter was wounded, and died on the second of July aged 17.  He rests in La Neuville, CWGC cemetery, Corbie.

For his service to King and Country Walter was eligible for the 1915 Star and the British and Victory Medals.

Walter’s family, unable to say goodbye to him or visit his grave, for many years would be receiving letters from the Army.  One such letter was posted on the 9 November 1916 – addressed to his mother, Sarah Ann, asked to confirm where Walter’s possessions and medals were to be sent. Can you imagine how many tears must have been shed over that letter, but Sarah, as we now know, was not alone in shedding tears over such letters.

Walter died of wounds in July 1916.

The war ended in November 1918 and in 1921 Sarah was still receiving letters and documents from the Army.  The 18 March 1921 Sarah was asked to confirm the receipt of Walters Victory Medal.  The 1914-15 Star and the British War Medal had been received in June of the previous year.  The monies due to Walter were settled in two installments, firstly in November of 1916 with the sum of £2 13s 7d and in August of 1919 with £6 10s.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone information has Sarah Ann as Mrs S A Day, 2 Black Prince Court, Walworth Road, London S E 17.  Sarah chose, in addition to the standard information, to include on her son’s headstone the following inscription:-

Gone to meet our Saviour. He who loves so dear.  Gone to rest in Heaven and we shall meet him there.

Sarah Ann Say died in 1932.  Did she ever get to see the grave of her son and say Goodbye?

The Somme Remembered – 1st July 1916

Frederick Arthur Churchyard – In 1901 Frederick was seven years old, the son of Arthur and Emma Churchyard of Bruisyard, Suffolk.  Arthur worked as an Ag. Lab. on a local farm, while Frederick and his elder sister Mabel,  attended school.  Their younger brother, Leslie, was only one at the time.  The family at the time lived on The Street, Bruisyard, a small village which seems to mainly consist of a hall, a collection of houses and a few farms.

Ten years later the family had grown with eight children being born to Emma, all of which were alive to be included in the census, with the ages ranging from 17 down to eight months.  Arthur and Emma had been married 19 years and he now was a yardsman at a local farm, while Frederick worked as a milkman on a farm – possibly the same farm his father worked on.  Also, living in the house was Samuel Crisp, a widow, who in the previous census lived next door to the Churchyard family. It appears that when looking at Mr Crisp’s place of birth it is the same as Emma Churchyard.  A quick look at FREEBMD for Arthur and Emma’s marriage (Dec. Qtr. 1891), and it appears that Emma’s maiden name was Crisp.  Home for the extended family of 10, must have been quite a good size as it consisted of nine rooms – Emma, who completed the census form, wrote in the ‘number of rooms’ box, that her house had six bedrooms and three sitting rooms.

The war, which was supposed to end all wars, started and Frederick enlisted in Ipswich.  He became Private 14702 in the Suffolk Regiment and entered France in July 1915.

The Suffolk Regiment 8th Btn., had been raised in Bury St. Edmunds the month following the outbreak of war as part of Kitchener’s New Army.  The Division moved to Salisbury Plain in May of 1915 and by July were on their way to France.  In 1916 the regiment saw action on The Somme including the Battle of Albert and the Battle of Thiepval Ridge.

Frederick was Killed in Action on Saturday, 1st of July 1916 and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Pier and Face 1 C and 2 A, along with over 72240 other casualties of war whose final resting place is known only unto their God.

St Peter’s Church, Bruisyard war memorial via lives of WW1

Frederick is also remembered on the war memorial in St Peter’s Church, Bruisyard along with six others who died during WW1 and two who died in WW2.

Emma, in the latter part of 1916 was sent £4 15s from the War Office, with a further £8 10s in September 1919.