No.S/1424, Lance Corporal, Walter James GRASS
Aged 28
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Walter James Grass is believed to be born in 1886 (Thetford Q3-1886 4B:386), son of James Elijah and Eliza Jane GRASS(née SPALDING). 1891 census...He has not yet been identified in this census. It proves very easy to mix him with Walter Grass (who also was in the Rifle Brigade but survived the war), brother of Herbert, son of Willis GRASS (the George Street GRASS family, which family also had a William who served, but survived the war) 1901 census...Aged 14 he was at The Lodge House, Fettercairn, Kincardine, Scotland with his father James [35] gamekeeper born Brandon :his mother Eliza [35] born Brandon; brother James [4];sisters Mabel [9], Edith [7], Lily [6] (3 sister born Brandon) and Ethel [2] born Freebridge Lynn, Norfolk. All entered as born in England. Possibly the Walter GRASS who started work as a gamekeeper with the Royal household in 1906 on an annual salary of £54/12/= (£54.60) with a cottage,livery and £2 per annum for vermin control. 1911 census...Possibly the Walter Grass, aged 25, and under gamekeeper boarding with Robert and Anne BISHOP at Wootton Woodstock. At Bury Road, Brandon were his widowed mother, brothers William [28] (Edward William ?) born Weeting and James (both gardeners,and Harry [9] born Brandon and sister Ethel [12] born Lynn, Norfolk. BUT at Bradfield, North Walsham were boarding Brandon born William [28] and Walter GRASS [21] There is some confusion as so far it has not been possible to positively identify the birth registration for either William or Walter. His brother James was killed in France on 3rd October 1915. see here |
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He enlisted in Reading on 3rd September 1914, giving his age as 28, born and living in Brandon, Suffolk, a gamekeeper. He was 5 feet 5.5 inches (166.4 cm)tall, weighed
132 lbs (60.1 kg), chest 33.5" to 35.5" (85.1 to 90.2 cm), hazel eyes, brown hair, Church of England. 10th September 1914 he was placed in 2 Coy, 8th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Posted to the BEF on 19th May 1915, promoted to Acting Corporal on 10th July 1915. He was killed in action 20 days later, recorded initially as missing, then presumed killed At Fasque Cottage,Bury Road, Brandon in July 1919, his mother received his 1914 Christmas gift from Princess Mary (the brass tin with tobacco and cigarettes). His mother was at 64 Bury Road, Brandon on 14th April 1919 when she completed the "living relatives" form for the Army giving:- father dead, full brothers Harry [17] at 64 Bury Road, Brandon and Edward William [29] c/o M Vickers, Middleton Market, Harborough, Northants; full sisters Mabel [27] 64 Bury Road, Brandon, Edith ALLWRIGHT [25] 48 Prince of Wales Mansions, Battersea, Lily CAMERON [23] and Ethel Grass [20] both at 64 Bury Road, Brandon; niece Peggy CAMERON [3] 64 Bury Road, Brandon and grandmother Elizabeth SPALDING, 46 Bury Road, Brandon. On 29th July, 24 officers and 758 men of the 8th Battalion went into the trenches at HOOGE the had over being completed by 2 am on 30th. The war diary takes several pages to detail the events of the 30th July. They were against the MENIN ROAD and in ZOUAVE WOOD. The trenches were insufficiently wired, communications were difficult, the trenches were constantly shelled and there were too many troops rammed into the few habitable trenches. The Germans attacked around 3:15 am. having first used flame throwers and then bombs as they broke through in the centre, despite gallant fighting. Our left and right repulsed all attacks however, but the German managed to establish machine guns in the ruins of HOOGE on the south of the MENIN ROAD, commanding all the ground between there and ZOUAVE WOOD. By this time 2 platoons of "A" Company were down to a few stragglers and most on the right were overwhelmed. The whole time ZOUAVE WOOD had been subjected to an intense barrage. Reinforcements ( a company of King's Royal Rifles) arrived around 9 am and the remains of the battalion held the northern edge of the wood. At noon they were ordered to stage a counter attack at 2:15 pm. They had only one organised company left "D", "C" no longer existed and "A" and "B" had suffered very heavy casualties. "D" Company advanced "as if on parade" but eh German machines gun seemed not to have been affected at all by the barrage and swept the ground, bringing the advance to a halt at the half way mark. The remnant held on to the communication trenches until relieved by 7th Rifle Brigade and D.C.L.I. Casualties recorded were 6 officers killed, 3 missing, almost certainly killed, 10 wounded, other ranks 80 killed, 267 wounded. 132 missing (most believed killed). Four of the five machine guns had been put out of action. The men had fought without rations or food for the whole time. CWGC have recorded 173 killed (all ranks) of which a mere 7 have an identified grave. His mother received the following letter from Captain E.V.Carey:- "I have for a long time been anxious to write to you a few words of sympathy on the loss of your son, Acting Corporal W. Grass, of the 8th Battalion Rifle Brigade, but I have only just succeeded in finding your address. Your son was in the platoon which I had the honour to command, and I had the very highest opinion of his coolness and pluck. I felt I could always rely upon him to carry out any task which was required to be done, and I felt his loss keenly. He was shot whilst crossing a piece of open ground between the fire and support trenches, under heavy shell and rifle fire, on July 30th. I saw him fall, but, very much to my regret, I could not stay to attend to him, as there were other men around me who had to be led to a place of safety, and I myself wounded at the time. Moreover, he appeared to me to be killed instantaneously. The regiment has lost a fine soldier, and I deeply sympathise with you in your loss. It may be some small consolation to you to know that your son died fighting valiantly."   photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
