Morpeth Herald 22/10/1915 carries an obituary:
MORPETH SOLDIER’S DEATH AT THE FRONT
Mr and Mrs Stephen Waters, 4 Crown Street, Morpeth, have received the following letters from two officers and chaplain regarding the death of their son, Corporal Joseph Waters, 7th N.F., in France:- October 13th, 1915
Captain J. Welch wrote as follows:- “May I express to you my sincere sympathy for the great loss that you have sustained in the death of your son. While I quite realise that the blow must have over-whelmed you, yet I should just like you to know that the loss is ours as well.
“I knew him at Alnwick, although since he came here he has been under my command, I know that he has kept up the high esteem in which I held him at Alnwick, for I knew him as an excellent soldier, and better than that, a true gentleman.
He will be buried tonight in the little soldiers’ cemetery by the Roman Catholic chaplain. I shall personally look after the grave, and I know his many comrades will do that as well. I shall be pleased to let you know as soon as I can as to the exact spot. “Please accept my heartfelt condolences.”
October 15th, 1915.
The letter from Corporal [sic] H.R. Smail reads as follows:- “I understand that Capt. Welch has given you the sad intelligence of the death of your son, Corporal J. Waters, and as his company officer I am writing to add my sympathy.
“He had already suffered much for the cause when wounded, and it seems cruel luck that he should have had to give his life so soon after returning to us. We were all pleased to welcome him back, for he was a most valuable N.C.O., and I know that in him we lost a good soldier and man.
“I hope you and Mrs Waters will bear this blow with fortitude.” October 15th, 1915
Writing to Mrs Waters, the Rev. A. Johnson, Roman Catholic chaplain, says:- “It is with deep regret that I have to covey the sad new that your son Corporal J. Waters, died after being wounded and was buried yesterday.
“I read the funeral service as Roman Catholic chaplain, Sergeant-Major Casey, with an escort of his men of the 7th N.F., arranged the details of the funeral. I covered your dead son’s face with my white handkerchief, which having been done, the body was placed in a new grave which I blessed. I will say Mass for the repose of his soul and commend him also to the prayers of the Catholic soldiers on Sunday morning.
[Extract] It is interesting to note that the late Corporal Waters comes of a fighting stock, who for four generations back have given soldiers to the nation. His paternal great-grandfather was Sergeant-Major Dunn of the Scots Greys. His grandmother was born in “Jock’s Lodge”, the famous cavalry barracks in Edinburgh. One of his uncles went through the Zulu War, another through the Boer War, and one joined the forces in September, 1914.
He was sent back in November for a month’s rest to Maryhill Barracks, Glasgow. He returned to France in January this year and has not been heard of since.
The Waters family have also had the great misfortune to lose two nephews in the present campaign, one in the early stages of the war with the Royal Scots and one as late as September of this year with the Highland Light Infantry.
He is remembered at Morpeth on M17.01 M17.09 M17.17 and M17.31 and in the Battalion History
