Private 27786, 12th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. Died 11/11/1919

​

Walter was born in Pettaugh, Suffolk in 1898, the second of four sons of Frank Sawyer & his wife Florence Emily nee Reed. 

 

Walter initially enlisted 15th February 1916 where he declared his age to be 18 years 6 months but was discharged 26 July 1916 until he attains the age of 19. He re-joined the Royal Fusiliers 15 May 1917 and shipped out to France in September with the 5th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers.  On 20 December 1917, at the Battle of Cambrai, he was severely wounded by shrapnel and suffered gas inhalation.  He was treated at the 5th Casualty Clearing Station & then No. 8 General Hospital in Rouen, France.

​

On 20 December 1917 at CCS the third & fourth fingers on his right hand were amputated, he also had  incisions of multiple wounds on his left leg & erasion & cleaning of tracks of multiple wounds on his right leg & thigh. On 22 December he was also found to be suffering from signs of gas in his left leg. By 22 May 1918 his wounds were largely superficial & he was finally moved to an auxillary hospital 2 July 1918. Walter was  honourably discharged from the Army in December 1918 because of his wounds which meant that he was entitled to the Silver War Badge given to service personnel who had been honourably discharged due to wounds or sickness: Walter’s badge no. -B59166. His injuries presented some loss of grip in his hand & pain walking from the healed gun shot wounds. He returned to live in Rues Lane, Felixstowe.

​

Walter died of Consumption on November 11, 1919, aged 21, and he is buried in St Peter and St Paul graveyard and he is commemorated on St Peter and St Paul WW1 Memorial.