Walter's Story.
Walter was the 23 year old son of Robert and Mary Abrams, of Weaver View, Clifton, Runcorn. He was a native of Sutton Weaver.He enlisted into the Cheshire Regiment as 2046 and then the Lancashire Fusiliers and was assigned to the 19th battalion with service number 37311.
His enlistment into the Cheshires must have been for a short duration as it is not noted on his medal index card or any other on line records except Solider died in the Great War.
It was reported that he had been injured prior to his to the death of his brother, Alfred in May 1918, and suffered from trench foot, returning to the front in May 1918.
The Soldiers Effects record states he was killed in action.
There is little information on Walter in the Runcorn papers, and a photograph could not be found. But after losing two sons already, the war had taken its toll on his parents.
The inscription on his head stone reads "NO MOTHER WATCHED YOUR DYING BED OR SAW HER HERO FALL"
There are 64 soliders buried in Haspres Coppice.
The village of Haspres was taken after severe fighting, with the help of tanks, on 20 October 1918.
Haspres Coppice Cemetery was made by the 1st Rifle Brigade and by units of the 49th Division. All of the burials date from the period 13-26 October 1918, and 50 of the graves are of men of the 19th Lancashire Fusiliers, killed on 13 October. Of the remainder, 11 belonged to the 1st Rifle Brigade.
Compiled by Graeme Ainsworth and Percy Dunbevand