206826 Pte. Walter Woodward British Army 7th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment from:Liverpool (d.31 Jul 1917) I must admit I don't know a great deal about what my great uncle Walter Woodward did at war, but I most of all want him to be noted on your website as a member of the Loyal North Lancs and someone who died for the cause.
Walter was born in February 1898 in West Derby, Liverpool. He was the 2nd youngest son of Margaret and William Woodward. He had 5 brothers and 4 sisters.
At the time he was called up to service he was a capstan fitter living in 42, Webb street, West Derby, he was unmarried. He joined at the technical college, which I think was in Seaforth (he was 18 years and 10 months) on the 20th of December 1916. To bring a little background in, the family had already lost one of the brothers in July 1916, Reginald (born 1894) of the Liverpool Regiment had been killed in Delville Wood in the Battle of the Somme, so everyone was warning Walter to keep his head down and not take any chances.
According to his war record he was in France* from April up to July 1917. He died in the field on the 31st of July that year during an offensive, according to my uncle by a gunshot wound to the head. Inexplicably he is remembered at the memorial at Ypres, Menin gate, which makes us wonder if he was moved to Belguim for the 3rd Battle of Ypres and perhaps died on the first day of fighting.
Editors Note: *Most Great War records consider France and Flanders as a single entity, usually written as France, shorthand for anywhere on the Western Front. 7th Btn Loyal North Lancs served with the 19th Division who took part in the Battle of Passchendaele which began with an attack on the 31st of July 1917, so it would be safe to assume that this is the offensive in which Walter lost his life.
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