Private 18261 Walter George Hind
Photograph courtesy of John Hale.
Grave photograph courtesy Twitter 'WW1 Family Inscriptions'. Plaque to Walter and his brother Herbert is on their parent's grave in Dudley Cemetery.
Killed in Action on Sunday, 29th April 1917, age 19.
Commemorated on Bay 6 and 7 of Arras Memorial, Pas De Calais, France.
2nd Bn., Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. 5th Brigade of 2nd Division.
Son of Arthur Richard and Kate Hind, of 124, Tividale Rd., Tipton, Staffs.
Born: West Bromwich, Enlisted: Worcester, Resident: Tipton.
First landed France & Flanders, 4th October 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.
Commemorated on the Tipton Library Memorial.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.
Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/783577/
Genealogical Data
1901 Census
162 High Street, Poole, Dorset.
Arthur R. Hind (30, Photographer, born Bothersall, Notts), his wife Kate (27, born Lincoln), and their 4 children: Herbert E. (7, born Wakefield), Arthur W. (5, born Lincoln), Walter G. (3, born West Bromwich), and Harold D. (2, born Poole).
1911 Census
124 Birmingham Road, Tividale, Tipton, Staffs.
Arthur Richard Hind (40, Photographer, born Bothamsall, Notts), his wife Kate (38, Shopkeeper - Confectionery, born Lincoln), and their 5 surviving children of 6: Herbert Edward (17, Railway Clerk, born Wakefield), Arthur Watmough (15, Watchmaker, born Lincoln), Walter George (13, School, born West Bromwich), Harold Douglas (12, School, born Poole) and Frederick Hugh (10 months, born Dudley).
Personal Data
None Available.
Action resulting in his death
The 2nd Ox & Bucks Light Infantry moved into the Arras battle area just after the commencement of the Battle of Arras on 9th April 1917. They were positioned near Gaverelle which the Royal Naval Division captured on 23rd April.
On 28th April 1917 the 5th Brigade of 2nd Division were part of the attack on the Arleux-Oppy line, 5th Brigade was led by the 2nd Ox & Bucks with the 2nd Highland Light Infantry on their right flank. The attack was successful in parts with both battalions reaching the sunken Arleux-Oppy road, but the 2nd Highland Light Infantry were forced back due to a failure on its right flank. The 2nd Ox & Bucks were secure, as the Canadians to their left flank had taken Arleux.
On the next day, 29th April the situation did not change. All the ground was maintained, and no German counter-attacks matured, although the shelling was considerable. Rations and water arrived, the remaining wounded were evacuated, and some reinforcements arrived.
It was on the 29th April that Walter Hind was killed in action, probably due to the shelling mentioned above. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.
Newspaper Cuttings
Tipton Herald May 12th 1917
Great sympathy is felt for widowed mother of Private George Hind of Tividale Road who has received the sad news that he has been killed in action. He is an old scholar of Burnt Tree Council School, and a member of the Wesleyan Chapel, Burnt Tree. Two other sons are serving with the colours.
Tipton Herald May 26th 1917
ANOTHER TIPTON HERO.
PRIVATE GEORGE HIND.
Much sympathy is felt for Mrs Hind of Tividale, the widowed mother of Private George Hind, who was killed in action on April 29th. He enlisted at the early age of 17, and after only six months of training was drafted to France, and had been on active service for 18 months when he met his death. In a letter from his officer the latter says that Private Hinds was very much respected by all his comrades, and was a soldier who was always cheerful whatever the circumstances in which he was placed. He was another old boy of Burnt Tree Council School, and a member of the Burnt Tree Wesleyan Chapel. Private Hind was in the machine gun section of the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry.