Name
Walter Welling *1
1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/09/1916
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
36502
Princess Charlotte of Wales’ (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
WARLOY-BAILLON COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
VI. B. 3.
France
Headstone Inscription
THY WILL BE DONE
UK & Other Memorials
Northchurch Village Memorial,
St Mary’s Church Window, Northchurch,
Berkhamsted War Memorial*1,
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Walter Welling was born in Northchurch, nr Berkhamsted in 1891, the eldest son of Frederick and Alice Welling (nee Miller), and one of six children. He was baptised on 6 May 1894 in Northchurch, Berkhamsted.
On the 1891 Census he was listed as three months old and living with his parents and sisters Annie and Lizzie at New Road, Northchurch, where his father was working as a brickmaker's labourer. They had moved to Orchard End, Northchurch by 1901 at which time he had been joined by sisters Edith and Ethel and brother Arthur.
His mother died and on the 1911 Census he was living with his widowed father, brother Arthur and sister Ethel at Orchard End. Walter was then working as a labourer.
He married Kate Keen in early 1916 in Berkhamsted and they had a daughter Doris Kate born on 27 February 1916. They lived at 5 Norris Terrace, Gossoms End, Berkhamsted.
Wartime Service
Walter initially enlisted at Hertford as Private 5779 in the Hertfordshire Regiment, later being transferred to the 6th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment.
The 6th Berkshires were moved to the Somme area in early September from Flanders. In late Sept they took part in the Battle of Thiepval Ridge, attacking the Schwaben Redoubt on 28 September 1916. There were considerable losses and Walter was one of the wounded. He died on 29 September 1916, aged 25, and is buried in Warloy-Ballieul Communal Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His widow, Mrs K. Welling, of New Rd., Northchurch, Berkhamsted, Herts. ordered his headstone inscription: "Thy will be done". She received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £3 0s 1d. She also received a pension of 18s 9d a week. She later remarried to Sydney Beasley in Berkhamsted in 1919.
His younger brother Arthur served with Machine Gun Corps and was killed in action in August 1917.
*1 His surname has been incorrectly recorded as “W Willing” on the St Peter’s Church Memorial, Berkhamsted.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild,
