Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Tyrrell, a farm labourer, born 1829 in Hallaton, Leicestershire and his wife Sarah Tyrrell (nee Neal, married in the 3rd quarter of 1856 in the Billesdon, Leicestershire district), born 1835 in East Norton, Leicestershire. Walter was born in the 3rd quarter of 1880 in Hallaton, his siblings were, Tom William, a farm labourer, born 1864, Florence, a schoolgirl, born 1870, Gertrude, a schoolgirl, born 1873 and Henry, a schoolboy, born 1877, all his siblings were born in Hallaton, in April 1881 the family home was at Hog Lane, Hallaton. In April 1891 Walter was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at Main Street, Market Overton, Rutland, together with his father, a publican, his mother and siblings, Gertrude, assisting in the home and Henry a newsagent. In March 1901 Walter was employed as a railway porter and was residing as a boarder at Main Street, Asfordby, Leicestershire. In April 1911 Walter was employed as a blast furnace labourer and was residing as a boarder at Asfordby. Walter had the following older siblings, Elizabeth Ann, born 1856, Mary Jane, born 1858, Clara P., born 1861 and Phoebe C., born 1866, the latter four siblings were all born in Hallaton. Walter died from wounds received in action in the 16th Casualty Clearing Station. He was awarded the British and Victory medals.
The War Diary records: 6 Apr-16 - The 19th and 28th Bde’s supported by 21st Bde were ordered to carry out a night march with the intention of attacking at dawn. The march was commenced shortly after midnight, in massed formation, 28th Bde on right, 19th Bde on left. Formation of 28th Bde. Front line 51st SIKHS (FRONTIER FORCE) and Provisional Battn OXFORD AND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY, second line 2nd LEICESTERSHIRE REGT, third line 53rd SIKHS and 56th RIFLES (FRONTIER FORCE). Owing to considerable delay during the march the attacking Bde’s were 1000 yards short of enemy’s position when it was daylight. Suddenly the enemy opened a withering fire. The first lines of the Bde pushed forward to within 800 yards of enemy’s position until compelled to halt through very heavy casualties (our own artillery on right bank of TIGRIS being responsible for a considerable number) when they entrenched. Some 400 yards behind these another line was established and consolidated by some 200 men of the LEICESTERSHIRE REGT and HIGHLAND Battn’s (1st SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS and BLACK WATCH of 19th Bde), the remaining units of both Bde’s extending in rear. Heavy fire was kept up by enemy throughout the day. At dusk the wounded and a few others of the Battn and other units crawled back, and organised stretcher parties were sent out. The following casualties occurred, very early in the Battn. Officers killed 2nd Lt H. BILLINGS, wounded Major R. N. KNATCHBULL D.S.O., Major A. F. R. COLQUHOUN, Capt C. A. BAMFORD, Capt H. N. H. GRIMBLE, Lt H. STOCKLEY, 2nd Lt T. MONAGHAN, 2nd Lt. J. HARBOTTLE, 2nd Lt. H. S. ELLIS. 2nd Lt B. BRAKES was wounded in the afternoon. Other ranks during the 6th April, killed 45, wounded 254, wounded but did not quit Battn 3, missing 19. Major D. L. WEIR D.S.O. reassumed command of the Battn on the afternoon of the 6th April.
On Friday April 28th 1916 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “MELTON AND THE WAR.” – ANOTHER ASFORDBY SOLDIER KILLED. News has been received that Pte. Walter Tyrell, of the Leicesters, has been killed in action, but up to the date of writing no further details have come to hand. The deceased, who was a native of Market Overton, has lived in Asfordby for the last 14 years, and was in the employ of the Holwell Iron Company. By his kindly, genial disposition he had endeared himself to everyone with whom he was brought into contact, and was especially popular with all the employees of the Holwell Iron Co. So pronounced was this popularity that immediately on enlistment, he was drafted to the Drill Hall at Melton Mowbray, as Assistant to the Enlistment Staff there, and was instrumental in securing a large number of recruits. He came home to Asfordby just before Christmas for a few days, prior to his departure for the front.
On Friday April 6th 1917 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS” – IN MEMORIAM.- TYRELL – In loving memory of Pte. W. Tyrrell, 2nd Leicester’s, who died of wounds April 6th 1916. Peace, perfect peace. From Nan.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Walter was born to what were by the standards of the time, elderly parents, William a farm labourer being aged 52 and his mother Sarah aged 46. He had four elder siblings and they all lived in one of the small charity cottages on Hog Lane. By 1891, William had taken a completely different direction in his life and was now a publican at The Black Bull in Market Overton with young Walter going to school there. In the 1901 census Walter was working as a railway porter in Asfordby in the north of the county and some three miles west of Melton Mowbray. Asfordby possessed an anomaly which was a huge iron and steel works in the heart of rolling countryside and jobs were plentiful and paid well. In 1911 Walter worked there as a blast furnace man. He enlisted probably in early 1915 at Melton Mowbray into the Leicestershire Regiment with service number 20411 and after initial recruit training, was posted to the Drill Hall in that town as Assistant to the Enlistment Staff. According to a note in the Melton Mowbray Times, “his genial personality and popularity resulted in a great number of additional recruits.” He was posted to the 2nd Battalion which was sent out to Mesopotamia to relieve the British-Indian army besieged by the Turks in Kut-al-Amara. 2nd Leicesters had arrived off the mouth of the Tigris on 6th December and proceeded by river transport up river to Ali-Gharbi some 60 miles downstream from Kut, arriving there on 13th where they undertook extensive training in a very different sort of warfare. It was cold and raining. In the succeeding months, the relief force fought its way slowly up stream in appalling weather with poor supplies and little or no provision for the sick or wounded. On 3rd April 1916 a further advance was ordered on Kut and an attack made on the Sannaiyat position, another outpost defending the besieged town. The Turks employed the tactic of keeping out of sight until an attack was well underway then reappearing and raining fire down on the approaching troops. It seems that the lesson of how to deal with this had not been fully learnt and a withering fire was focussed on the advance. The 2nd Leicesters suffered 45 killed and 254 wounded one of whom was Walter Tyrell who died of his injuries on 6th April. He was buried in the War Cemetery at Amara halfway down the Tigris towards Basra. This cemetery was virtually destroyed in the invasion of Iraq by the USA, Great Britain and other allies in 2003. The gravestones have now been replaced by memorial tablets around the walls. Walter Tyrrell is remembered on the war memorial in All Saints Church, Asfordby and in Asfordby Village Hall. His name was added to the Hallaton memorial in 2008.

Information (including photograph) kindly provided by Dennis Kenyon.