In the Vailly British Cemetery, France is the Commonwealth War Grave of 4843 Private Walter Darcy Thompson, serving with the 4th Company, 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards who died 16/09/1914.
Walter Darcy Thompson was born in Elswick in 1883, son of the late John Thompson, engineer.
He married at Southwick on Wear, Parish Church, 21st February 1906, Martha Alexandra, daughter of Robert Whyte, of Perth, and had two sons and one daughter. Edna born 21st April 1909, Vernon born 3rd November 1912 and Walter Darcy born 11th November 1914.
Walter was educated at the Southwick Board School, and enlisted at Elswick on the 26th September 1902 into the 3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards, posted to the 2nd Battalion on the 1st December 1902.
When he enlisted he was 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 122lbs, and was aged 18 years 10 months. Fair complexion, grey eyes with brown hair. He also had 4 teeth decayed with 1 tooth deficient, had lost his tip middle finger right hand, had a dancing girl tattooed on his right forearm and a girl with rifle on the left forearm over initials of W.J.
Walter described his profession as an apprentice Engineer.
Walter had previously been in the 1st Durham Garrison Artillery as a volunteer.
The family resided at 5 John Street, Southwick, Sunderland. Walter was employed as a Stoneman at Castletown Colliery, he was well known and respected in the district. [his father was residing at 38 Wellington Road, Sunderland], he previously had been a reservist, and was called up to the colours. On the very day of his death he was entitled to a pension.
Walter had been promoted to a Lance-Corporal on the 24th June 1903.
Walter took a keen interest in football, and during the season 1912, acted as secretary to the Southwick Football Club.
He left with the British Expeditionary Force on the 12th August, and was killed in action in France on the 16th September 1914.
Walter kept a diary up to his day of his death. Left London on the 12th August in the Cawdor Castle for Havre, and on arrival marched to the Guard’s quarters. Everywhere the troops were kindly received by the inhabitants on the way to Belgium.
He describes the ordeals the men had to undergo in the course of their marching, and referring to his first engagement on the 25th of August describes it as hell let loose. On that occasion the front rank of the enemy were dressed in French uniforms, and on seeing the British greeted them as friends, then charging upon them and inflicting great damage. In that engagement 19 British were killed and 64 wounded, and the number of Germans killed was estimated at over 2,000.
On another engagement he writes:- I got a good range at 200 yds and dropped three poor men with four shots. Captain Burton congratulated me on my good shooting. It is lawful, shooting big fine men who have done us no harm; but we do it, or they will do it to us. Captain Burton [4th Company, 3rd Battalion], got shot in the thigh [this happened on the 1st September, 3rd Coldstream lost 8 killed, 29 wounded and 8 missing], and I went back for him under fire and had to half carry him two or three hundred yards, and landed him into the doctor’s hands. In that engagement Lieutenant Lambton and others were killed.
The next move of the regiment was to the outskirts of Paris, and for three weeks they were continuously marching and fighting and each day’s doings are set down in the diary.
The Germans were kept almost on the run, and at one place-Charly-they left writings on the walls of the town, one of which was as follows:-We shall dance the Tango in Paris on Sept 13th over the dead bodies of the English.
The troubles of the troops, what with marching, fighting, and the heavy rains, were graphically described by the writer, winding up with the observation, one wonders how one comes out alive.
On the day of his death the only entry is:- 8 am., Wednesday, September 16th, wet through we move on to a farm to get under cover.
Source: Sunderland Echo Wednesday 28/10/1914.
The History of the Coldstream Guards page 122. The Weather continued abnormally bad; it poured with rain, flooding the trenches, filling them with mud, and making it impossible for the troops to improve the slender cover already made and to maintain the ground they had gained at the cost of so much labour and blood. It cleared at 8 am, and then the guns opened on both sides and the usual great artillery duel went on during the whole day.
The 4th (Guards) Brigade were busy improving the defences of the farm, when about noon of the 16th the buildings were subjected to a sudden and very fierce bombardment and the sheds and house where the wounded were lying were soon ablaze. Many of the 3rd Battalion happened to be on the spot and they were ordered away without delay, except a sufficient number of volunteer who promptly rescued these helpless victims of the war, both English and Germans, but most of them German, of whom there were sixty men, and brought them all safely to a hollow close to a cave across the road east of the farm.
A high explosive shell burst in the very mist, killing some 12 men and wounding at least 50 others.
His widow died on the 12th March 1915, leaving the three infant children without any known relatives. Captain John Smith of the Salvation Army at Southwick, took temporary charge of them. Queen Alexandra hearing of their sad story, wrote to Captain Smith for particulars and expressed herself as anxious to assist in some way. The story was submitted to Her Majesty, and in reply a handsome money gift was sent for each child to be banked in trust for them.
Source: De Ruvigny Roll of Honour
Walter Darcy Thompson is remembered at Southwick on S130.03, S130.06 and S130.22 and in Peter Gibson’s book.
