G/9099. Private Walter Alfred Stephen Wenban
9th. (Service) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 24th. Division, British Expeditionary Force. Formerly Lieutenant in 1st. Cinque Ports Cadets. Born 1892 in Hastings. A Paperhanger and Painter by Trade. Enlisted in Hastings on 11th. December 1915. Mobilized on 29th. February 1916. Posted to 3rd. Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment on 2nd. March 1916. Embarked from England on 15th. November 1916. Disembarked in France on 16th. November 1916, and Posted to B.E.F. Base Depot. Posted to 7th. Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment at Etaples on 17th. November 1916. Posted to 9th. Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment at Etaples on 30th. November 1916. Killed in Action In the Field, between Wednesday 6th. June and Monday 11th. June 1917, aged 25, during The Battle of Messines, which was part of the Third Battle of Ypres (also known as Passchendaele), in the successful assault that dislodged the Germans from Messines Ridge. Lost Without Trace. No Known Grave. Known Unto God. Commemorated on Panel 20 of The Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial to The Missing, Ypres, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Walter was 1 of only 5 Servicemen with the surname “Wenban” to have Fallen during The Great War. 23 of Walter’s Comrades from the Battalion also Fell on this day.
Walter was the only child of the late Alfred and Elizabeth Wenban of 92 Alexandra Road, St. Leonards-on-Sea.
Walter was entitled to The Memorial Plaque and Scroll, British War Medal and Victory Medal, all of which were sent to his mother.
The Battalion War Diary notes:
1st June. 1917.
Bn. At STEENVORDE, training for attack.
4th June. 1917.
Bn. Moved to Camp at LYSSENHOEK.
5th June. 1917.
Bn. Moved to OTTOWA CAMP near OUDERDOM
The Battle of Messines Ridge. Task of Battalion - To capture part of the final objective - S.W. of HOLLEBEKE on a front of 600 yds. Northward from the ROOZEBEEK. The Bn. Was supported by 7th Northamptonshire Regt. On the right were the 1st Royal Fusiliers & on the left the 13th Middlesex.
6th June. 1917.
Bn. Left camp at 11.30 p.m. & marched to assembly trenches at CHATEAU SEGARD, near DICKEBUSCH.
On arrival the assembly trenches were heavily shelled with gas shells. Casualties were slight (1 O.R. killed & 3 gassed) and the troops were got into position satisfactorily. 3.10 a.m. was the time for the first attack. The shelling of back areas at once ceased & the work of using Bombs, Tools, etc. was carried on without interruption. At 11.30 a.m. Bn. Moved in Artillery formation to an old British front line. At 2 p.m. Bn. again moved forward slowly over the very broken ground. The advance continued over the ground captured by the 41st Division & by ZERO TIME 3.10 p.m. troops had deployed under our barrage. The advance under the barrage took 20 minutes. The objective was taken without much opposition & contact was established with the flank Battalions. The total casualties up to the evening of the 7th were under 40 of all ranks.
8th to 11th June. 1917.
Bn. Held the line & consolidated the position. Strong points were constructed & communication trenches cleared. Enemy shelling increased each day and the final casualties were:
Officers - 6 wounded.
Other ranks - 31 killed, 134 wounded, 3 missing.
11th June. 1917.
Bn. Relieved by 10th Bn. The QUEENS - and moved to OUDERDOM.
Barry Jenkins