Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Herrman Arthur Attenborough a hosiery needle maker, born in the 3rd quarter of 1858 in Leicester and his wife Eliza Attenborough (nee Pegg, married on the 29th January 1884 in St. Peter’s Church, Belgrave), born on the 21st December 1862 in Belgrave, Leicester and baptised on the 27th May 1863 in St. Peter’s Church, Belgrave. Walter George was born in the 2nd quarter of 1889 in Hinckley, Leicestershire, his siblings were Arthur, born in the 1st quarter of 1885 in Loughborough, Leicestershire and baptised on the 5th April 1885 in All Saint’s Church, Loughborough and Richard Frederick, born in the 3rd quarter of 1887 in Hinckley, in April 1891 the family home was at 59, Druid Street, Hinckley. In March 1901 Walter was residing in the family home at 37, Dares Walk, Hinckley, together with his father, a hosiery needle maker, his mother and siblings, Arthur, a shoe trade worker, Richard, a hosiery trade worker and Alma Grace, born in the 2nd quarter of 1895 in Hinckley and baptised on the 16th June 1895 in the Parish Church, Hinckley. In April 1911 Walter was absent from the family home at 91, Druid Street, Hinckley, residing there was his father, a needle maker, his mother and sister, Alma, a hosiery trade sewing machinist. Walters’s two older brothers both fell in action, Arthur on the 3rd September 1916 and Richard on the 15th September 1916.
Walter’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted in Rugby, Warwickshire into the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, and was allotted the service number 15494, and posted as a Private to that Regiment’s Depot for training, subsequently being posted to the 2nd Battalion. And it was to join this Battalion, that he first entered the theatre of war in France on the 26th May 1915. Nothing further is known of his military service until he was reported as having been killed in action on the 25th September 1915 at Givenchy, France. He was buried in Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy, France. Walter was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The War Diary records: 25 Sept-15 – GIVENCHY. About 2.00 am information received that the “accessory” cylinders would be opened at 5.50 am, so that our attack would commence at 6.00 am. The attack by 5th Infantry Brigade was timed to be half an hour in advance of the attacks Southwards. In this neighbourhood at the above hour the air was practically motionless, with the result that the gas hung very considerably and in our part of the line did more harm to our men than to the enemy, who in only very few cases were found to have suffered from its effects. The right Company (“A”) had little difficulty in reaching the German 1st Line and a great part of this Company also penetrated the 2nd Line, another 150 yards beyond. The Company had about 20 bombers and between them they carried about 200 bombs of the new ball pattern. Each man carried five in a belt and each pair shared a case of twelve. This supply was however nothing like sufficient to withstand the attack by the German bombers launched about an hour after their lines were occupied. The 2 Companies of the 1st QUEENS REGIMENT, as well as the 2nd HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY on their right were gradually forced back and by about – am, all these five Companies or what remained of them were back in the British front line trenches. Once more a shortage of bombs is one cause of our retirement, another is that the match striker in use with these ball bombs was very much affected by the damp weather; another – the Germans use handle bombs and these undoubtedly carry further than those without handles. Meanwhile the left Company (“D”) on advancing from the neighbourhood of the WARREN, where our gas had affected many men, received a very warm reception from the enemy. They advanced in 2 parties, each of 2 Sections; the Southern one under Lieutenant NEWTON-KING at once came under severe Machine Gun fire, and practically no advance could be made here; the Northern party did no better, as on advancing to the edge of the craters, they found the enemy ready prepared for them, and for some little time a bombing and fire encounter took place in which we were able to kill many Germans but no ground could be gained, owing to the very heavy wire entanglements in front of their trenches and the presence of many Machine Guns. Between 6 and 11.00 am, our trenches were pretty steadily bombarded by “whiz bangs,” whilst heavier shell were directed on the neighbourhood of the church. The remainder of the day and the night was quiet. The 5th Brigade had been told not to press their attack continuously should the first results be fruitless. A Section of the 5th Field Company ROYAL ENGINEERS was in readiness to assist should the attack be successful. A working party of 100 men of the 7th KING’S REGIMENT was employed in digging out a communication trench, but the work did not proceed very far. On one part of the line a party thus employed very much impeded the advance of reinforcement on this line of slight cover.
Casualties:
Killed: Lieutenant P. F. NEWTON-KING, 2nd Lieutenant E. R. G. HUGHES. 2nd Lieutenant L. A. VIDAL and 33 men.
Died of wounds: (the next day) 2nd Lieutenant C. HURST-BROWN.
Wounded: Lieutenant T. E. WITHINGTON, Lieutenant A. N. CAREW-HUNT, Lieutenant P. L. C. WEBSTER, Lieutenant J. D. BELGRAVE, Captain E. SCOTT (R.A.M.C.) and 124 men.
Missing: Lieutenant V. V. JACOB and 69 men.
Lieutenant R. C. CLARK took over medical charge of the Regiment vice Captain SCOTT.
On Friday, October 15th, 1915 The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – ROLL OF HONOUR. – LOCAL CASUALTIES – The greatest sympathy is expressed locally with the friends living in Druid-street, Hinckley, of Private W. G. ATTENBOROUGH, of the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, who was killed in action on Sept. 25th. The deceased, who was 26 years of age, was, prior to the outbreak of war, engaged as a hairdresser’s assistant in the town, and was well known and respected. The Vicar of Holy Trinity has secured photographs of the twelve fallen soldiers connected with his parish, and has had them framed in two light oak frames, and these are now hung up in the porch of Holy Trinity Church. The relatives of the fallen soldiers have expressed their high appreciation of the vicar’s kindly forethought.