Biography of Private Charles Walpole (13619)
10th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
Formerly 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment and
8th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
Died 15th April 1918

• Name: Eliza Barnes
• DOB: 1860
• Place Of Birth: Elsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England
• Marriage: 1884 Bourne Distirct

• None found

• No marriage for Charles has been found and we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

• Daily Casualty Lists  Saturday 11th September 1915
  Nco’s and Men
  WOUNDED
  Lincolnshire Regiment, 6th Battalion
  Walpole, 13619, C.

• Sheffield Daily Telegraph Saturday 11th September 1915
  WOUNDED
  6th LINCOLNS
  Walpole (13619), C.

• Spalding Guardian Friday 17th September 1915
  WOUNDED
  6th Lincolns
  Walpole, 13619, C.

Military Records

Medals

• The British Medal
• The Victory Medal
• The 15 Star

Memorials

• UK:
• Edenham, Roll of Honour in St Michael and all Angels Church

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
• In memory of Private C Walpole, 13619, 10th Bn., Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 15 April 1918
• Remembered with honour, Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord
• Grave III. G. 110.

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

Military Service Timeline

• It is not known when Charles enlisted in the Army as 60% of all WW1 full service records were destroyed in a warehouse fire int he London Blitz, although we do know that he enlisted in Bourne. A calculation from the War Gratuity Payment would indicate that he probably enlisted in the month following the 16th October 1914. he was given the Regimental number of 13619 which would indicate an enlistment in November 1914.
  From his medal rolls we know that we was originally posted to the 6th Lincs and then the 8th lincs before his posting to the 10th Lincs where he served his final days.
  This movement between battalion usually happened during initial training and then mobilisation into the field but also on many occasions this was due to a soldier being wounded and after regaining fitness after a period of convalescence would then be posted back into the field into a Battalion that was in most need of replacements.
  There are three records that can still be found for Charles, the first dated 1914 (medals rolls), second dated 15th September 1915 (Home office Casualty Lists) and the final document dated 1918 (presumption of death).

  It is most likely that Charles joined the army in November 1914 being posted to the 6th Bn. The 8th battalion did not disembark in Boulogne until the 10th September 1915 and did not see its first action until the 25th September, therefore it is unlikely that Charles was injured on the list of the 15th September whilst with the 8th Battalion, so we have to assume that this injury happened with the 6th battalion.
  The 6th Battalion had been mobilised on the 1st July 1915 and embarked from Liverpool for Gallipoli. It sailed via Alexandria and Mudros and eventually arrived at Cape Hellas on the at the end of July.
  The Battalion landed at Sulva Bay on the 7th August and proceeded to see various actions including The Battle of Scimitar Hill and the attack Hill 60.

  Charles was most likely wounded during these attacks although it is not known the severity of the wound or if this was the catalyst for hospitalisation and the move to the 8th Battalion. One would assume this is the case in order to appear on the casualty lists on the 15th September.
  The dates of being posted to the 8th Battalion and subsequently the 10th Battalion are both unknown and so we can only say for certain that Charles was serving with the 10th Battalion during his final days.
  The Battalion Diary shows Charles’ last days of the war:-
  14th April 1918 –

  Throughout the morning the enemy could be seen dribbling forward troops from the direction of De Broeken. Heavy machine-gun fire swept my front the Lewis guns of A and C Companies kept the enemy under a continuous barrage and his troops were unable to make any progress on our front. One small party of the enemy with a machine gun managed to work along the edge on my left front. This party was wiped out by Lewis gun fire, and later the gun was captured by C Company.
  At 12 noon my B and D companies reported the return from the 101st infantry Brigade and I established them in a support position in S .17. B.

  C company was now losing men fast and Captain Charles commanding was wounded. I therefore ordered A company to reinforce with two platoons.

  As the result of heavy day’s fighting no ground was lost and severe casualties were inflicted on the enemy.
  At 10:50 pm I was informed that a portion of the 59th division was to relieve my Battalion, guides were sent off at once to Brigade headquarters and at 2 am a company of the 1/4th Lincolns arrived and relieve my companies in the line.

  Two companies in support were not relieved but moved away independently about 3 am relief was complete by about 4:30 am.
  15th April 1918 – Haegedoorne

  Relieved we marched back to Hagedoorne in S.4.a and at once commenced to dig a new position on the forward slope of the hill at the same time the 200 field company were engaged in digging posts which embraced the wood in S.10.18 and these I subsequently manned and improved.

  The day passed quietly.
  At 5:30 pm the 59th division were driven out of their positions and we again became frontline troops. The night passed without incident except that a patrol was sent out from my life forward company to gain touch with part of the 9th Northumberland Fusiliers who held a position in S.10.D. at 11:35 pm the patrol returned having found the Northumberland Fusiliers in position. A patrol was also sent to farm in S.10.A.5.4.
  The above forming part of a report into the 10th Battalion actions between the 9th and 21st April from Lt Col, commanding 10th Ser. Bn. Lincs. Regiment. 3rd May 1918.
  Between the 9th and the 21st April the battalion was engaged almost continuously night and day in fighting, digging and marching.

  In that period the casualties numbered:-

  Officers; 10 wounded, 3 missing.

  Other Ranks; 41 killed, 86 wounded, 194 missing.
  Charles was originally buried where he fell at map reference Sheet 28 S4 d4.2 and as was the case with a lot of the “in the field” burials was moved to the local cemetery in Bailleul by the labour corps in December 1919.
  He was originally missing presumed dead on the 15th April 2018 but was finally identified by his disc when he was found and moved to his new resting place.

Sources

• WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
• British Newspaper Archive.
• Fold 3
• Find My Past
• Genealogist
• Forces War Records
• British Army Service Numbers
• War Gratuity Calculator
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
• General Registry Office