Photo: Brenda Towers
Wedding Day, Holy Trinity Church, Washington
Photo: Brenda Towers
Photo: Brenda Towers
Samuel [senior], parents were a James Walvin, born 1818, and Hannah born 1820, and they had at least nine children. The family originate from around the Derbyshire area and James Walvin was originally an agricultural labourer.
The children were Hannah, born 1887, [married on the 29th February 1908 to Joseph Wilkinson at the Durham Register Office], Constance, [Connie], born 1892 at Pegswood, a Fish Shop Fryer, Edith born 1894, was at St Thomas school in 1901, she died in 1912, John Thomas, born 8th August 1897, who married Mildred, born 25th May 1897, in 1924, [both were residing at 9 Emmerson Terrace, Washington in 1939], Samuel [Junior], born 21st June 1899, at 24 Wylam Street, Craghead, James, born 13th June 1880? or 12th September 1880, a Milkman, Mary Ann, born 21st October 1882, who married Arthur, born 15th October 1900, they had one child Charles born 3rd August 1919, Joseph born 30th April 1883, died at sea 1903, married Jane, born 15th November 1886, Fanny born 1885 and Frances, born 1885, who married in 1908.
Samuel Wavlin, [Junior], was born at 24 Wylam Street, Craghead, and married Anne Hewison, born on the 21st April 1904, in 1924.
They had nine children, Roseby Hewison, born 31st March 1925, Lawrence, born 21st March 1927, who married Mary J. Shields in 1950, died in 1988, Edith, born 28th October 1930, who married Alfred Leithes in 1950, Ena Mary, who married Ernest Guy, who resided at Dunkirk Avenue, Houghton, they were engaged on the 3rd January 1953, Ronnie, born 1926, Constance, 'Connie', married Thomas Forster, Samuel Walvin, Keith Walvin and Anne, who married Peter Kirkwood.
Roseby Hewison Walvin ['Roxby'] was educated at the Shiney Row School and was residing at 44 The Harbour, Herrington Burn, Shiney Row, Durham.
In 1915, Joseph was residing at 13 Willow Street, James Walvin was at 24 Beech Street, and Samuel Walvin was at Station Road, all at Washington.
Roseby attested on the 15th July 1943 at Newcastle into the 98th Primary Training Centre.
This used to be the 70th Young Soldiers Battalion which was formed at Newcastle on the 19th September 1940 by withdrawing the Young Soldier companies of the 30th Battalion, the 30th Battalion of the Green Howards, and the 30th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry. On the 12th November 1942 it was re-designated as No. 98 Primary Training Centre. The 70th (Young Soldiers) battalion was formed in December 1940 at School Aycliffe near Darlington, for men too young for conscription (20 years at the time). Instead of disbanding when the conscription age was lowered to 18 years in 1942 it was chosen to be a demonstration battalion for the G.H.Q. Battle School at Barnard Castle. The battalion was disbanded in August 1943, over 400 of its men being sent overseas.
When he attested at 18 years and 3 months old, he was called up for the 'Duration of Emergency' National Service in the General Service Corps. His service number was 14658918 and his rank was a private. The address he was now residing was his parents house 34 Maple Terrace, Shiney Row, Philadelphia, Co Durham. Roseby described his trade as a Warehouseman. Height 5 feet 2 and a half inches, weight 95 lbs, brown eyes, dark brown hair with a scar on right shin, was underweight, classed Medical Grade II.
Posted to the 73 P.T.W. on the 6th October 1943. He is then transferred into the Durham Light Infantry. On the 18th November 1943 he is posted to the 4th Infantry Training Centre at Brancepath, Co Durham.
Here he undertook a ten week course, with a training Company, which specialist training was undertaken to identify those who may have specialist skills that could be transferred to other services, after this course if you still at Brancepath, you then were in the infantry either in the Durham Light Infantry or the Duke of Wellington's regiment.
After this he was posted to a Field Force Battalion, [the 11th Battalion Green Howards], somewhere in England, after his obligatory seven days leave.
On the 2nd May Roseby is embarked overseas for North Africa and arrives on the 17th May at the 6th I.R.T.D., which was based at Geneifa in Egypt.
The 1st Battalion were involved in the defence of the island of Cos but were badly mauled by the Germans, the remnants of the battalion about 9 officer and 120 men concentrated at the Infantry Base Depot at Geneifa. By the 21st November the battalion had moved to Mena, near Cairo. Here 163 men arrived from the 17th Battalion in England to able the battalion to form at least 2 companies.
On the 30th April 1944, the battalion sailed for Italy and disembarked at Taranto on the 4th May, the battalion was to fill the remaining vacancy in the 10th Indian Brigade part of the 10th Indian Division.
2nd July the battalion occupies the Cardinal's Palace near San Giovanni. The battalion had three months of hard if unspectacular fighting between July and September. Roseby joined the battalion on the 6th July 1944.
By September the battalion was reduced to three companies because of casualties. The Eighth Army had opened a massive offensive on the Adriatic front. On the 20th September the 10th Indian Division were relieved from its positions inland towards the East Coast in torrential rain. By the 9th October the battalion had moved into Sogliano across the Rubicon river to prepare for an attack that very night. The countryside as described in the book 'The Tiger Triumphs The story of three great Divisions in Italy' page 142. 'The hills were little more than bare, sharp ridges, slashed by precipitous ravines. The area was heavily populated, everywhere solidly built villages and farmsteads provided the enemy with ready made pillboxes and strong points. The village church with its observation tower and the high, thick walls of the village cemeteries, supplied the nodal points of such defences. As Allied artillery and aircraft wee loath to attack consecrated ground, the Germans established their headquarters in sanctuary and enjoyed a measure of immunity during the early stages of any battle.'
The Battalion climbed the south east shoulder of Monte Farneto and moved through the hamlet of Croce to Monte Spaccato. Occupied the Castle at Monteleone then were moved back to Sogliano for a month's rest. On the 24th November the battalion moved up to the Montone River.
Finally in April 1945 they crossed their final river the Qaderna. On the 2nd May 1945 the battalion is billeted in farms near Ferrara.
Numerous mountain battles and river crossings followed with Operation Olive on the Gothic Line and then Operation Grapeshot. The 10th Indian Infantry Division earned many battle honours and decorations and suffered many casualties before final victory in Italy and the end of World War II in Europe in May 1945. Security tasks on the Yugoslav border around Trieste completed the 10th Indian Division's war service.
Post war, the 1st battalion was active in the Greek Civil War between January 1946 and June 1948, returning to Britain on the 23rd July 1948.
Roseby was posted to India on the 23rd January 1946 with the HQ of the 10th Indian Division.
Disembarked at Bombay on the 11th February 1946. Billeted at the reception camp at Kalyan, just a few miles outside Bombay. On the 26th February 1946 he was posted to the HQ of the 10th Indian Division at Rawalpindi. In the Indian Census dated the 30th November 1946 he was still with this unit.
1st July he was reclassified as a 3 Star Private. After 1 year and 104 days he embarked at Bombay to return to the UK on the 22nd April 1947. Roseby now a Corporal, was then posted to the School of Infantry at Warminster from the 7th May till the 6th November 1947 and reverted back to a private.
He served a total of 4 years and 115 days in the forces.
On Thursday 04/12/1947 there is an announcement in the Sunderland Echo : - Engagement Walvin - Pickals Mr and Mrs Walvin 44 The Harbour, have pleasure in announcing the engagement of the eldest son Roxby to Margaret Pickals. However, she died.
He was finally released to a class Z reserve on the 7th November 1947. Roseby was discharged from the reserve on the 30th June 1959. He had attended a two week training camp at Wakefield from the 11th August 1951 to the 25th August 1951.
Roseby was employed as a driver at the Co-op store at the Newbottle branch. He married at Washington Holy Trinity Church on the 28th March 1953 Joan Bowring, [daughter of Cornelius Bowring born 21st January 1892 at 11 Speculation Place, Washington, {who was the son of David Mel, a Draper, born 1867, died 1902, and Isabella Bowring}, and Jennie W. Bowring, nee Whitfield, born 1st September 1892, married in 1925], who resided at 15 Glen Terrace, Washington, Co Durham. Prior to 1926 they were residing at 8 Glen Terrace. After 1926, they resided at 11 Speculation Place, which was sometimes also a shop 11a.
Cornelius Bowring born 1892, married in June 1925, died 1957 was also in WW1 in the 20th [1st Tyneside Scottish], Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers, service number 20/224. He also was in the 9th, 16th Battalion and the 12/13th Battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers, discharged as a Class Z reserve.
Cornelius died on the 19th June 1957 at the Sunderland General Hospital and he left £1336 0s 6d to Joan Walvin (wife of Roseby Hewison Walvin).
Roseby Hewison Wavlin was now working for Calders delivering Pref-Fab houses, then to Vaux Breweries as a Dray Man delivering to the Public Houses in the area. He was residing at 32 Gladstone Terrace, Penshaw prior to moving to 32 Houghtonside, Houghton-Le-Spring, Durham.
Roseby Hewison Walvin later worked for Tube Investments at Washington as a Crane Driver, then finally for the National Coal Board as a Mini Bus driver at the Philadelphia Yard at Houghton-Le-Spring. He retired in 1985 at the age of 60. He often played Bowls at the Chester-le-Street and Houghton-le-Spring Bowls Clubs. Roseby and Joan had three children Pamela, died in 1956 at birth of Toxemia, Brenda, born 15th December 1958, now married with children, [Ashleigh, born 7th August 1991, who works for the Civil Service, and Mark, born 11th January 1994, who is training to be a pilot in the Royal Navy], and Colin died of a shocked Heart on the 11th March 1960.
He was great friend with the Richardson Brothers from Penshaw Arthur and Robert [Bob], Arthur Bell also from Penshaw and Police Constable Fred Chilton from 1965 at Houghton-le-Spring.
Roseby Hewison Walvin died on the 3rd March 2014 from a stroke. Joan died on the 19th December 2020.
There are some family photographs which have been collated below.
Research : James Pasby
Thanks to Brenda Towers
Roseby Hewison Walvin is not remembered on a North East War Memorial, however, relatives of the family are remembered at Washington on W96.08 and W96.09.