Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Harry and Louisa Pettitt. Walter’s parent’s moved from Hornsea in Cambridgeshire to Hugglescote in northwest Leicestershire when he was a small child, and just before the war they moved to their present address in Ellistown. Walter attended the Church School and and worshipped at St. John the Baptist Church in Hugglescote, and after leaving school he gained employment as a miner at nearby Nailstone Colliery. Walter enlisted in the 1st/5th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment in early August 1914, and in the spring of 1915 he volunteered for Lieutenant Aubrey Moore’s tunnel counter mining and was involved in operations at Messines and Ypres. He fought as a front line soldier at the Battle of the Hohenzollern Redoubt and also on the Somme. Walter was awarded a week of home leave in the latter part of July 1917, and was killed nine days after returning to his unit. After witnessing and suffering the inherent dangers of mining and trench life Walter was killed in a relatively safe area quite some distance from the front line. The Battalion had just spent a restful fortnight at Fouquieres in France, when they moved to huts at Noyelles in preparation for a heavy raid against German trenches close to Hulluch, in the St. Elie Left Sector of France.The purpose of this raid was to detract attention for a Canadian attack that was scheduled on Hill 70, just to the south of Loos. On the 15th August 1917, the day before the raid, the Battalion paraded at 10.00am and marched through Vermelles to Lone Trench and Tenth Avenue where they were to await. During the journey “B” Company was marching in fours past the Mansion House Dump, when an enemy shell fell amongst them. Eleven were killed outright including Walter and fourteen others were wounded. Lance Corporal C. Frearson, a Coalville soldier wrote to his parents:- “Walter was more like a brother to me, and now it seems as if a great cloud has come over, and every joy and pleasure has gone. He died doing his duty like a man, and I hope this will console you. On the battlefield and at sports he was always a giant in himself. Always be merry and bright, was Walter’s motto, and many a time he has cheered the whole platoon.” The War Diary for today records. NOYELLES. Advance party of 2 N.C.O.’s per Coy report to 2nd Lt BARRETT to go forward to reconnoitre dug outs. The Battn marched off to the trenches at 10.00am in the following order, D, C, B, A, HQ. On the way up B Coy had an accident. A shell landed by the side of a party marching up killing 11 and wounding 14. On arrival at trenches accommodation was found in LINE TRENCH, 10th AVENUE, LONE TREE REDOUBT. Most of the men were under cover but they were a bit squashed. Battn HQ was in HULLOCH TUNNEL shared with the 6th Battn NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGT. Found BROOKE up in the line and he reported that the wire on the front of the raid was not properly cut. He had been up in the line since August 2nd doing patrol work at night and observing wire cutting operations with the Forward Observation Officer, on one occasion he was informed that the enemy were suspected of having left his front line trench, so he crawled out in broad daylight and lay on the enemy’s parapet for about three minutes. Until a Bosche poked his head round the corner of a traverse, saw him and at once disappeared. BROOKE at once made off and just afterwards the place where he had been was peppered with a shower of bombs. He gained our front lines all right. About 3.00pm the Divisional Intelligence Officer and General Staff Officer’s came up and the situation was discussed, the former went up to the line to where the Forward Observation Officer’s were observing and saw things for himself and sent several reports through to Division, all to the effect that the wire was not cut through. In the end every body agreed that this was so and a message came through about 8.45pm that the raid was postponed. This only just gave time for Officer’s Commanding Coy’s to be informed before they moved to assembly positions. The Coy’s settled down to spend the night in their somewhat cramped quarters and rations arrived about 2.00am next morning.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday 16th July 1915

Ellistown Soldier Wounded.

The friends of Pte. Walter Pettitt, of the Leicesters, whose home is at Ellistown, on Tuesday, had intimation that he had been wounded and was in hospital. His relatives have also received a small tin box which he had in his pocket at the time he received his wound. The box has a bullet hole through it and undoubtedly saved the soldier’s life. Pettitt, in fact, seemed to have enjoyed a charmed life. A short time ago, we published an account of how his buckle was shot off his belt, leaving him uninjured. On another occasion he was near a bursting shell which caused him to fall into a hole, by which he escaped, and now at last when a bullet did find him, the tin box somewhat counteracted the effect.

We understand that Pettitt is going on well and trust that he will soon be taking his place again at the front, also that the luck which he has experienced up to now, will remain with him to the end.

Coalville Times article - Friday September 21st, 1917

LOCAL CASUALTIES

Corporal Walter Pettitt, of the Leicestershire Regiment, who was one of the first men to volunteer at Ellistown soon after the war broke out, has been killed in action. He was 21 years of age and the son of Mr Harry Pettitt, of 64, Ibstock Road, Ellistown formerly working at the Nailstone Colliery where his father is also employed.

Lance-Corporal C. Frearson, a Coalville soldier, writing to his parents says Walter was one of the best of pals. “In fact”, he adds, “he was more than a brother to me, and now it seems as if a great cloud has come over, and every joy and pleasure gone. He died doing his duty like a man, and I hope this will console you. On the battlefield and at sports he was always a giant in himself. ‘Always merry and bright’, was Walter’s motto and many a time he has cheered the whole platoon.”

A letter has also been received from Lieut. Chapman who says the company has sustained a great loss by the death of such a magnificent soldier. The deceased was at home on leave in the latter part of July and was killed nine days after returning to the Front. He had previously been wounded and had three or four narrow escapes. On one occasion he was saved by a tin flask he was carrying strapped round his body. The flask, with an indentation where it was struck by a bullet, is now in the possession of his parents.

Research undertaken and submitted by Andy Murby 5/9/2017

"My mother was Walter's sister we lived at 64, Ibstock [Road], Ellistown. I have in my possession the flask and bullet/shot, letters and a photo which may be Walter."
Information from R Cook, 20/10/23.