Site Home
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.
If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.
Great War Home
Search
Add Stories & Photos
Library
Help & FAQs
Features
Allied Army
Day by Day
RFC & RAF
Prisoners of War
War at Sea
Training for War
The Battles
Those Who Served
Hospitals
Civilian Service
Women at War
The War Effort
Central Powers Army
Central Powers Navy
Imperial Air Service
Library
World War Two
Submissions
Add Stories & Photos
Time Capsule
Information
Help & FAQs
Glossary
Our Facebook Page
Volunteering
News
Events
Contact us
Great War Books
About
263135Pte. Walter Smith
British Army 9th Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers
from:Wallsend
Walter Smith was my Grandfather. He was a miner and enlisted 9th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers on the 2nd of September 1914 in Wallsend. According to his service book, he was aged 21 years and 4 months, height was 5ft 4½ inches. Described as having a fresh complexion, grey eyes, with brown hair.
The 9th (Northumberland Hussars) Battalion was formed at Newcastle in as part of Kitchener's Second New Army, and was assigned to the 52nd Brigade, 17th (Northern) Division at Wareham. In July 1915 it moved to the Western Front where it was to remain until the end of the war. It took part in battles with 17th Division, Battle of the Somme (1916) July 1916 Battle of Albert and August 1916 Delville Wood, 2nd to 5th of July 1916 at Fricourt
Walter took part in the battle for Mametz Wood after rejoining the Battalion from being caught in a gas attack earlier. The British Artillery began firing to cut the barbed wire defences in front of Mametz Wood. At 3pm on 3rd July, patrols were reporting that Mametz Wood was empty of German troops. This was not entirely true. 2nd Royal Irish Regiment and 1st Royal Welsh Fusiliers of 7th Division's 22nd Brigade were ordered up to occupy a line on the southern edge of the wood, along with the 9th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers but it was not until dawn on 4th of July 1916 that they were fully in position. During the night, a detachment of 55th Landwehr was discovered in the wood by a patrol of the 2nd Royal Irish Regiment and driven off.
On 4th of July it began to rain. In front of Mametz Wood lay trench systems called the Quadrangle and Wood Trench. A rain-delayed attack to capture Mametz Wood, Wood Trench and Quadrangle Trench took place at 12.45am, 5th July the 9th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers and 10th Lancashire Fusiliers crept out of their trenches and towards the German line. From only 100 meters they charged forward capturing the Quadrangle.
During this assault Walter Smith sustained a Blighty wound to his right arm during the battle. He was evacuated from Mametz Wood and took no further part in the battle or War. Due to the seriousness of his injuries Walter did not return to active service but was kept in France working behind the lines and was discharged from the Army on the 28th of February 1918. He was classed as no longer physically fit for War Service.
Walter spent 358 days in France. He returned back to Wallsend and married Hilda and had two children, Robert and Edna. He took part in the Jarrow Marches in 1936, eventually finding employment as a cabinet maker for Swan Hunters the Shipbuilders till he died in 1958. Walter never talked about the War, it was too painful, only the friends he lost.
Related Content:
Can you help us to add to our records?
The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them
Did your relative live through the Great War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial?
If so please let us know.
Do you know the location of a Great War "Roll of Honour?"We are very keen to track down these often forgotten documents and obtain photographs and transcriptions of the names recorded so that they will be available for all to remember.
Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice.
Celebrate your own Family History
Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Great War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc.
Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.
The free section of The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers.
This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.
If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.
Hosted by:
Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
- All Rights Reserved -We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.