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Quorn soldier killed 1916
Loughborough Monitor - 21st September 1916
C.O.'s appreciative tribute
Official news was received on Saturday by the parents (Mr and Mrs Gartshore, Mayfield Villa, Barrow Road, Quorn), of Sergt. A. Walter Gartshore, of the Leicestershire Regiment, that he had been killed in action on 1st September. The news had been unofficially broken to the bereaved father and mother by officers and comrades in his battalion.
Young Gartshore, who was 24 years of age, was greatly respected in Quorn, and was regarded as one of the finest and pluckiest young men who had left the village to fight for their King and country. He was one of those young men who, before the war cloud loomed on the horizon, had performed the patriotic duty of qualifying himself for the defence of his country, for he had early joined the Territorials and made himself an efficient soldier. He worked before the war for the Brush Electrical Engineering Co. at their Falcon Works in Loughborough.
In sending to the parents his Battalion Commanding Officer writes: - "We have lost a really good sergeant, and, moreover, a really good man. He was devoted to his duty and was always at work. He was indeed a good example to his men. They followed him and they trusted him. So long as I have known him I can state that his life has been perfect, and we know, too, that you have lost a good son. Our hearts go out to you and Mrs Gartshore and all yours in this trouble. We know that you as parents have given of your very best for your country's sake."
The Chaplain and the Sergeant-Major of the battalion have also written, sending their sincere condolences with mr and Mrs Gartshore on behalf of all the members of his platoon. "We cannot speak too highly," they write, "of your son's devotion to duty, and of the high esteem in which he was held by everyone".
One of his fellow-sergeants wrote: "Your son Walter, our platoon sergeant was killed yesterday afternoon whilst he was working with some of the platoon. He was one of the finest men you could wish for; he would never send a man where he would not go himself, and he would go without his rations rather than let any of his men go short; and he would give away his last fag. He was most popular with the whole company".
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Submitted on: |
2009-12-06 |
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Submitted by: |
Kathryn Paterson |
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Artefact ID: |
667 |
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Artefact URL: |
www.quornmuseum.com/display.php?id=667 |
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Print: |
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