Walter Sidney Coleman

A Private with 7th Battalion, Walter died on 4th of November 1915 at the age of 21. 

Walter was born at Lowestoft on 9 May 1894, a son of George and Henrietta Coleman. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft, on 30 May 1894, and his family lived at 61 Reeve Street, Lowestoft. By 1901 Walter’s mother had died and the family lived at 3 Sudbury Cottages, Bevan Street, Lowestoft. In 1911 his family lived at 71 Norwich Road, Lowestoft, and Walter was a stable boy working for the Great Eastern Railway (G.E.R.). Later his father lived at 8 Winnipeg Road, Lowestoft. 

In 1912 Walter became a greaser, at Lowestoft with the G.E.R., and by the time he enlisted he was an acting fireman, still with the G.E.R. 

Walter volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment and was posted to the 7th Battalion. He was already an Acting Corporal when arrived in France with the 7th Battalion on 30 May 1915. 

Between June and August 1915 the 7th Battalion were based in Belgium, and often sent out working parties. During this period Walter unearthed some ‘Belgian treasure’, artefacts from a Belgian monastery, which he handed over to the Belgian authorities. 

From 30 October 1915 the 7th Battalion were in support trenches north of Vermelles. They then spent a couple of days in the front line and, on 2 November, returned to the support trenches. During the night of 3-4 November working parties were sent out. The enemy shelled the working parties and the bombardment became particularly intense around 11 p.m. with trench mortar bombs and rifle grenades falling on the Suffolks causing extensive damage to the front trenches and blowing in the Headquarters dug-out. Thirty-eight men became casualties including Walter Coleman and Fred Mullender, both from Lowestoft, who were killed.