Private Walter Ernest HAYTER
1st Battalion, Northampton Regiment 3/9992
Walter Hayter 1895-1915
Walter was born in Brixworth in 1895, the eighth of ten children of George Hayter from London, a gardener, and his wife, Priscilla, who came from Huntingdonshire. All five of the sons served in the First World War: Arthur, Frank, Harold, Jack and Walter, but sadly Walter was killed in action in 1915. The family moved around frequently in order for George to find work and the children were born in a number of different places. By the time Walter was 16 the family lived in Haynes Lane, Spratton in a four-roomed cottage that has since been demolished and he was working as a general labourer.
When war was declared in 1914 Walter was employed by Messrs Green, contractors of Northampton, working at Cottesbrooke Hall (where his father was employed as a gardener) but he enlisted in the 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment in the October. He was sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force in November 1914 and was killed in action on 3 July 1915. He was 21 years old. His obituary appeared a few days later in The Northampton Independent. He is buried at the Quarry Cemetery, Vermelles, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, northern France and is remembered on the War Memorial in Spratton churchyard.
Walter's mother, Priscilla, never recovered from the death of her son. She died the following year and a memorial to Walter is on her tombstone, which is in the old cemetery in Brixworth Road, Spratton. It reads: Also Walter Hayter, son of the above, who was killed in action in France July 3 1915 aged 21 years. "Greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life for his friends." "Onward Christian Soldiers"
His medals, awarded posthumously, include the1914 Star and Clasp, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Of five brothers who went to war he was the only one who did not return.
Memorial to Walter Hayter on his mother's tombstone in the old parish cemetery, Spratton
Memorial to Walter Hayter on his mother's tombstone in the old parish cemetery, Spratton
EXPLORE SECTIONS
MEN WHO SERVED
- Private Charles Herbert AUSTIN (known as Herbert)
- Corporal Frank AUSTIN
- Lance Corporal James William AUSTIN
- Private John Samuel AUSTIN
- Sergeant William Henry AUSTIN
- Sergeant Bertie Henry BALDERSON
- Corporal Frederick Charles BALDERSON MM
- Lance Corporal Robert Samuel BALDERSON
- Private George William BUCKBY (known as William)
- Private Henry Andrew BUCKBY
- Richard Henry Horne BUCKBY
- Transport Sergeant Thomas BUCKBY MM
- Company Quartermaster Sergeant William Gander BUCKBY
- William Archibald COPSON (known as Archibald)
- Sapper Ebenezer COPSON
- Private Ernest Edward COPSON
- Pioneer Henry Owman COPSON (known as Harry)
- Private James COPSON
- Private John William COPSON
- Private Joseph COPSON
- Private Arthur Sidney GOODEN (known as Sidney)
- Private Hugh Henry GOODEN
- Sergeant Joseph Eric GOODEN (known as Eric)
- Private Arthur Thomas HAYTER
- Driver Frank Leonard HAYTER
- Private Harold Herbert HAYTER
- Lance Corporal John Charles HAYTER DCM (known as Jack)
- Private Walter Ernest HAYTER
- Ordinary Seaman Arthur Charles HORNE
- Private John William HORNE (known as William)
- Lance Corporal Lewis HORNE
- Private Thomas HORNE
- Driver John Henry LEESON
- Corporal Joseph Henry LEESON (known as Harry)
- Thomas Baden Powell LEESON (known as ‘Bard’)
- Private Albert MANNING
- Corporal Amos MANNING
- Private Arthur Cecil MANNING
- Private George MANNING
- Sergeant George William MANNING
- Sapper Henry Stanley MANNING (known as Stanley)
- Private John Thomas MANNING
- Private John William MANNING
- Air Mechanic Nathaniel MANNING
- Driver/Saddler Samuel MANNING
- Gunner George Albert MARTIN
- Private Joseph MARTIN
- Private Thomas Henry MARTIN (known as Harry)
- Private Thomas Walter MARTIN (known as Walter)
- Pioneer Walter Ernest MARTIN
- Sergeant William Higgs MARTIN, DCM
- Private Arthur Walter PAGE
- Private Francis Samuel PAGE (known as Sam)
- Private Frank PAGE
- Private Stephen PAGE
- Lieutenant George REEVE MC MM
- Private Richard Henry REEVE (known as Harry)
- Private Samuel REEVE
- Private Sidney Philip REEVE
- Private Frederick Thomas RICHARDSON
- Private John William RICHARDSON
- Private Percy John Partridge RICHARDSON
- Private Abraham Bert SMITH
- Private Alfred SMITH
- Private Frank SMITH 46648
- Private John Samuel SMITH
- Private John William SMITH (6942)
- Private John William (William John) SMITH (8964)
- Private Charles Walter WADHAMS
- Private John Edward WADHAMS
- Private Thomas Edwin WADHAMS
- Private William WADHAMS