The Wartime Memories Project - The Great War

Those who Served - Surnames beginning with W.

Surnames Index


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

215961

Pte. John James Waister

British Army 2nd/6th Btn. Manchester Regiment

from:Jarrow

(d.26th Mar 1918)

John James Waister, Private 270182, enlisted in Jarrow and served in the 2nd/6th Battalion the Manchester Regiment with former service in the Durham Light Infantry (205026). He died from wounds age 31 on the 26th March 1918 and is remembered at St. Paul's Church is buried in Honnechy British Cemetery.

John was born in Jarrow 1886 son of William and Elizabeth Waister nee Gray of 16 Shakespeare Street, Jarrow. In the 1911 census the family are living at that address with William(65) a shipyard labourer and Elizabeth, his wife of 42 years who has borne 8 children of whom 4 survived. Two are living at home, Wllliam(38) single, also a shipyard labourer and John James(24) single a shipyard caulker. Also staying with the family is a granddaughter Evaline Jones aged 9. William later married Susan E Waister nee Meginnes in the quarter Jan-Mar 1913.




233322

Pte. I Waistle

British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers




239909

Cpl. Cecil Henry John Waite

British Army 3rd Btn. Wiltshire Regiment

from:Frome

Jack Waite enlisted aged 18 on 6th of November 1911. He served seven years with the Colours and five years in the Army Reserve. Jack trained as a sharpshooter. His service was as follows:

  • Gibraltar 1st January 1914 - 3rd September 1914
  • Embarked 5th October 1914
  • Wounded by a shell at Ypres on 24th October 1914
  • Returned to the front on 28th April 1915
  • Promoted to Lance Corporal on 5th June 1915
  • Demoted for using threatening language to an NCO on 18th October 1915
  • Promoted to Lance Corporal on 28th April 1917
  • Wounded in the right hand by a bullet on 5th August 1917
  • Volunteered for Army of Occupation
  • Discharged 24th December 1919




1402

Pte. Fred Charles Waite

British Army 2nd Btn. B Coy. Northumberland Fusiliers

(d.8th May 1915)




240675

Pte. George Waite

British Army 4th Btn. West Riding Regiment

Georges Waite was discharged on the 29th of May 1916 time expired




244748

Pte. George Waite

British Army 2nd Btn. Highland Light Infantry

(d.15th Nov 1916)




263342

Pte. George Henry Waite

British Army 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment

from:Wainfleet, Lincolnshire

(d.9th August 1915)




1206085

Sgt. John Taylor Waite MM.

British Army 20th Hussars

My grandfather Jack Waite born in Normanton in 1895 and served in the Great War 1914 -18. His regiment was the 20th Hussars, fighting in Mons 1914, Ypres 1915 and Somme 1916. Jack Waite served with his brother Herbert in the same regiment and at his side in the battle field. The day Herbert was killed by machine gun fire, Jack, being a corporal at the time, had to carry on fighting with his men battling with machine gun fire, exploding shells, mud and barbed wire all around. Fortunately Jack was of strong mind, body and soul, helping some of his men, who were suffering from shell shock and serious injuries, back to base in the trenches, with his faithful horse pulling a makeshift cart.

This experience made him think that if there was a God why would he allow such carnage of his fellow man? It is well known that at Christmas time, all went quiet and stillness was in the air! Then the German troops started singing Silent Night Holy Night. Then the allied troops started to sing along in timing, football was played by the opposing troops, then the next day all Hell was let loose with more explosions, machine gun fire and blowing up each others trenches.

In March 1918 - Jack Waite and a small number of his men (30) from the Hussars were given top secret orders from King George V. via their commanding officer to try and rescue the Tsar and family, and relatives. They were to meet up with the white Russian Cossacks (loyal to the Tsar) and arrange to escort the Romanov family to Constantinople (Turkey) where there would be a ship awaiting to take them to America, by the time they arrived in Russia it was too late, the Tsar and his family had been brutally murdered by the red Russians ( The Bolsheviks ) July 1918 During this mission a number of brave men were fatally wounded.

However they did manage to rescue a number of the Romanov relatives, accomplish their mission and return to England.

Jack Waite was awarded the Military Medal and was made a sergeant. He was discharged in 1930 returning Normanton Yorkshire, to work in the coal mines at Sharlston Wakefield for a short time, then moving on to be a male nurse in Wakefield Mental Hospital Asylum where he attended to some of the old shell shocked soldiers whose minds had been badly disturbed. One of the patients attacked Jack and had bitten him right down his left arm from shoulder to wrist.

Jack went on to join a Union and became General Secretary for the Confederation of Health Services. Attending conferences and making speeches in Scarborough, Blackpool, Ryde, Isle of White, London and many other places.

Information Given - March 1918. Rescue the Romanov Family: -

The above mission has never been seen on the record or internet records which I have been searching for the last five years, so gave up. Just recently, On Sept 3rd.2012 I was on holiday with my wife at Lake Garda N. Italy. Staying at the same hotel, and sitting at the same dining table, was an elderly couple by the name of Lionel and wife Angela, both in their mid eighties. In their early years had studied at Cambridge University and were very Professional people. They had an interest and knowledge of the Romanov families in 1918 and gave me a name of a friend of theirs, the son of the commander of the ship assigned to the rescue of the Romanov relatives, Commander Fothergill RN. 1918 – 1919 HMS Espegle. Assistant director of Naval Intelligence. HMS. Malborough. 1919 – 1920 Changed name by deed poll to Stewart Fitzroy then Henry MacLean Fothergill RN. (1881 – 1963 ) Lived in Sussex. England.

It would appear that the HMS Malborough took on board the Romanov relatives with loyal subjects and the British troop escort bound for America. The British troops were then transferred to the HMS Nelson anchored some three miles away. HMS Nelson returned to England.

I feel sure there must be other families who’s grandfathers were on that mission and can confirm the actions of these brave men who survived Hell on Earth of the 14–18 War, then go on to survive a second world war. No military photographs were allowed, or taken and he remained silent for many years. At the age of fifteen I started asking questions about his taking part in the war, slowly getting some answers. Then when he died in 1968 his war medals and other personnel belongings were given to me by my mother.




251722

Pte. William Charles Waite

British Army 2nd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment

from:Rangeworthy

(d.14th April 1918)

William Waite, the son of Mr and Mrs Frank Waite of Rangeworthy, Gloucestershire, enlisted into the General Service on 29th November 1915. He transferred to the reserve and was mobilized on 15th June 1916 and posted to the Royal Engineers. On 25th December 1916 he was posted to 1st Btn, Gloucestershire Regiment and deployed to France.

He was wounded on 19th of November 1917 and repatriated to UK on 20th. On 25th of March 1918 he was re-deployed to France with 2nd Btn, South Lancashire Regiment. He died at 62nd Casualty Clearing Station on 14th of April 1918. His widow, Elizabeth (nee Fletcher), and daughter Ivy Muriel Marjorie, lived at Chaingate Lane, Yate.




259686

Pte. William Robert Waite

British Army 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment

from:Easton Royal, Wiltshire

(d.19th May 1915)

William Waite was the eldest son of Robert and Harriet Waite of Easton Royal, Wiltshire.




255462

Pte. James Wake

British Army 8th Btn. Welsh Regiment

from:Uxhall, London

(d.12th Jan 1917)

James Wake is on Panel 24 of the Basra War Memorial in Iraq along with 7000 others.

He was killed in action, missing, his body never found.

He was my great great Uncle.

The War Graves Commission sent photo's of the memorial.




231129

Gnr. M Wake

British Army 12th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery

from:Sunderland

(d.9th Aug 1915)




233323

Pte. Mathew Wake

British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers

from:Isabella Pit

(d.1st July 1916)

Mathew Wake was born in Blyth. He is buried in Ovilliers Cemetery




214363

Pte. Thomas Henry Wake

British Army C Coy. 7th Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers

from:Alnwick

(d.26th April 1915)




233324

Pte. W. Wake

British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers

from:Shildon

W Wake was wounded in October 1916




214365

Pte. Wilfred Hereward Wake

British Army 7th Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers

from:Alnwick

(d.26th April 1915)




222543

Pte. Albert Henry Wakefield

British Army 15th Btn. Sherwood Foresters

from:King's Lynn

(d.22nd Oct 1917)

I am sorry that I have no information about my great uncle Albert Wakefield apart from that he was my grandfather's oldest brother and that he left a wife and two children without a father and husband when he was killed in France. I was hoping that there was some information as to where and how he met his end I would like to know as I am in my sixties and it is coming up to 100 years since his demise.

Editor's Note: Albert served with the 15th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters and was killed during the 3rd Battle of Ypres. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial on the battlefield in Belgium.




300851

Sgt. Edmund Wakefield

British Army 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry




559

F. S. Wakefield

Army 8th Btn. Durham Light Infantry




261272

L/Cpl. George Fredrick Wakefield

British Army 1st Btn. Royal Fusiliers

from:Northfleet, Kent

(d.1st May 1915)

George Wakefield was killed in action in Flanders.




300850

L/Cpl. Thomas Wakefield

British Army 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry




245485

Pte. Henry Thomas Wakeford

British Army 16th (Chatsworth Rifles) Btn. Sherwood Foresters

(d.15th October 1916)




223198

Drvr. Joseph Wakelam

British Army 26th Bty. Royal Field Artillery

from:Birkenhead, Cheshire

(d.7th June 1915)

Joseph Wakelam died on the 7th of June 1915 and is buried in the Lancashire Landing Cemetery in Gallipoli, Turkey. He was the eldest son of Isaac Henry Wakelam and Martha Wakelam of Birkenhead, Cheshire




212905

Pte. Albert Edward Wakelin

British Army 9th Btn. York and Lancaster Regiment

from:Chesterfield

Grandad Bert Wakelin was called up on the 20th of January 1916 and was posted to Rugeley camp. He arrived in France in June and was at Ovillers Boiselle on the 1st of July 1916. He was wounded at Messines on 7 June 1917 was was sent back to England to the Red Cross hospital at Saffron Walden. By the time he was sent back to France the 9th had left for Italy and he was placed with the 2/4th Battalion Y & L. He spent some time in Germany at Cologne and was discharged in 1919/20. After the war he returned to work with the Midland Railway Company in Sheffield as a clerk where he stayed until retirement.




217393

L/Cpl. Joseph Wakelin

British Army 1st Btn. Scottish Rifles

from:Essex

(d.22nd Oct 1914)

My great grandfather's brother Joseph Wakelin was the son of David and Emily Wakelin, of 103, Princes Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex. L/Cpl. Wakelin served with the 1st Battalion, Scottish Rifles and was killed in action on 22nd October 1914 aged 30. He is commemorated at the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing in Belgium.




500851

Spr. John Harold Walby

Australian Imperial Forces 1st Australian Tunnelling Coy.

from:Charters Towers




240738

Dr. Thomas Walcot

Thomas Walcot was the Medical Officer of Camberley Military Hospital in 1915 and was named in the New Years Honours list.




241623

Private Walter William Waldram

British Army 20th Btn. Durham Light Infantry

from:Eston, Yorkshire

Walter Waldram, my grandfather was born on 26th of January 1896. He returned to Eston when he was discharged from the 20th Btn DLI on 1st of January 1919 from South Camp, Ripon. He married Edna Mary Muriel Leng on 22nd of November 1919 and they immigrated to Australia in 1924 with their children Enid and Alfred. He lived and worked in Kersley and Cessnock in New South Wales. He passed away in 1969. I remember him singing and whistling the DLI anthem when I was a child.




223925

Pte. Harry Waldron

British Army 5th Btn. Royal Lancaster Regiment

from:Bolton

(d.26th Oct 1917)

Harry Waldron was engaged to my maternal grandmother and they were to be married on his next leave. He was a soldier fighting on the western front in France. Unfortunately for Grandma (fortunately for me) he was killed before his next leave. Had that not been the case I would not be writing this now.




254580

Pte. John Waldron

British Army 7th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment

from:Loughborough

(d.26th August 1916)

John Waldron was my great grandfather and was killed in action on 26th of August 1916 during the Battle of the Somme, somewhere near Bazantin or Delville Wood (I think). He is buried at Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun.







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