No. 2809, 4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, who died on 20th July 1916 aged 26.

Walter has no known grave and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

Walter was born Hasketon in 1889, son of Joseph and Elizabeth Thompson, and lived at Fairfield Cottages, Hasketon.

He died during the Battle of the Somme during an attack on High Wood.

Before the war he worked as a gamekeeper.

Personal details

Walter, and his younger brother Arthur Thompson (later killed during the 1918 German Spring Offensive), were the two youngest sons of 10 children born to Labourer Joseph Thompson [b. Hasketon,1841] and Elizabeth Thompson (nee Shimmen) [b. Melton, 1845]. The other siblings were all born in Hasketon: Morris, [1866] Andrew [1871] Alice Frances [1873] Josiah [1878] Ernest [c1888] Harry [1880] Walter [1889] Ellen [1882] Annie [c1878].

Their home was Fairfield Cottage Hasketon, currently the site of Fairfield house, Boulge Road.

Walters oldest brother Morris had 3 children including Stanley Morris Thompson who was also killed in the War. Thus, Walter and Arthur were Stanley’s uncles.  All 3 are commemorated on the Hasketon War Memorial.

War service.

The Medal Rolls Index Cards indicate Walter is eligible for both the Victory and British medals.  Unfortunately his Army Service Records are not available so we have no information regarding his enlistment date or arrival in France.

The 4th Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment was heavily involved in the Somme campaign during the summer of 1916, sustaining heavy casualties in action on both 15th and 20th of July, and also on August 18th. Walter may have been involved in the first of these actions.  The second involved an attack on High Wood in along with other regiments in the 19th Infantry Brigade.  He was presumably killed or went missing during this action.  The story of Hasketon men at the Battle of the Somme is covered in more detail here.

High Wood was fought over for many more weeks before it finally fell into British hands on September 15th 1916 during the Battle of Flers–Courcelette.