43048 Pte Owen Rohan Waters, 7th Bn, Norfolk Regt

43048 Private Owen Rohan Waters of the 7th (Service) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, died on Monday 25th December 1916 aged 25 years. I am grateful to Chris Basey of Norfolk for suggesting that I commemorate Private Waters this Christmas Day, and also for providing the following information about him.

Four of the Waters family saw Military service during the First World War. Owen was born on 31st October 1891 the son of James and Fanny Waters of Borderland Farm, Acle in the county of Norfolk. His father was Surveyor to the Blofield Rural District Council and Owen was a Postal Clerk when he enlisted at Norwich on 29th October 1915 at the age of 24.

His medical record shows that he was only five feet in height and weighed 8st 5lbs. However, he was passed fit to serve in the Territorial Force and the 6th Cycle Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment with whom he would have undergone training.

At the time of enlistment he was courting Laura Wilkerson, the daughter of the local blacksmith. They were married at the Registry Office in Bridlington on 5th May 1916. Soon afterwards, on 24th May their son Owen was born.

By the end of July, Owen had arrived in France and, following a period at the Brigade Depot, he was transferred to the 7th Battalion, Norfolks. The Battalion War Diaries (at the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum, Norwich) describe the early days of December 1916 as a ‘quiet time’ whilst they were in and around Arras. After marching the eight miles from Arras to Wanquetin they took up new positions. The Battalion was at Gouy-en-Ternois and on 17th December we read "the enemy has bombarded our lines today with TM’s (trench mortars) and fishtail bombs causing casualties; one killed and four wounded."

One of the last recorded wounded at Hope Street, Arras was Owen Waters. He was taken to 41 CCS (Casualty Clearing Station) in the village of Wanquetin. The following from the unit’s war diary:

12th December: fall of snow this morning. Remaining patients 123.
14th December: RE (Royal Engineers) started putting up electric light
16th December: considerable air activity, one of the Armstrong units hit by a ‘time fuse’
19th December: very cold day – snow in the afternoon
23rd December: ‘The Bluebirds’ (30 Div) gave concert in the evening
25th December: Xmas Day, concert for patients. Admissions 5 inc. 1 officer, 1 wounded. No 43048 Pte Waters O.R. died , sw arm (shrapnel wound arm). Remaining 143.

Owen was buried in Wanquetin Communal Cemetery Extension in France. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission adds the additional information that he was the "son of James Curtis Waters and Fanny Marie Waters, of Acle; husband of Laura Waters, of Old Road, Acle, Norfolk."

In due course, Laura Waters was awarded a weekly separation allowance of 14 shillings and allotment pay of 3/6d which was eventually replaced in July 1917 with a pension of 18/9d per week for herself and one child.

In 1922 Owen Waters (junior) was one of two lads whose fathers had died during the war who unveiled the village memorial.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.