WALTER RICHARD PFEFFER

Walter was born on 28th June 1897, christened Richard Walter Pfeffer, he was a son of Richard George Pfeffer and his wife Louisa. The family home was 21 Waterloo Terrace, Islington, London.

He was a reliable, hard working person, who was spoken of very highly by his school, past employers and the army.

At the outbreak of The First World War, Walter was 17 years old and waited until he was nearly18 before enlisting. He describes his personal war in his own words in a memoir, which is transcribed in a separate chapter. This account outlines the official service records for Walter’s army career.

ENLISTMENT

Walter enlisted 12/4/15 and signed up for 12 years, 7 of which were to be under the colours, and 5 as a reservist, his time beginning on 14/4/15. His initial training was at Winchester, Hampshire, and he was posted into the 5th Battalion (reserve), The Rifle Brigade, with the service No. 5914. The 5th Batt. moved to Sheerness for coastal defence and further training, until March 1916, but Walter was posted to the 1st Batt. The rifle Brigade on 20/7/15, and embarked at Southampton, for France, arriving on 21/7/15. On the 26th Walter was sent to the front and on 29/715 was in the trenches.

1ST BATTALION THE RIFLE BRIGADE

30/8/15 – Walter was awarded 4 days F.P. No.1, for disobedience of orders.
(Field Punishment No.1 consisted of the convicted man being shackled in
irons and secured to a fixed object, often a gun wheel or similar. He could
thus fixed for up to 2 hours in 24, and not for more than 3 days in 4, or
more than 21 days in his sentence).
21/9/15 – Awarded 12 days F.P.No.1 for Insolence to a N.C.O.
3/1/16 – to 12th Field Ambulance with Influenza, transferred to 110th F.A.
15/1/16 – discharged to duty.
20/1/16 – Deprived 7 days pay for damaging public Property
28/1/16 – to hospital I.C.T. (foot) (Inflamed Connective Tissue)
29/1/16 – to 110th F.A.
30/1/16 – to 12th F.A.
5/2/15 – discharged to duty
22/3/16 – to Hospital with Eczema
24/3/16 – to 12th F.A.
29/3/16 – discharged to duty
1/9/16 – attached to 11th Company M.G.C.
2/12/16 – transferred to The Machine Gun Corps, with the new No. 70840

11th Brigade, M.G.Company

14/12/16 – granted leave to U.K.
26/12/16 – returned from leave
22/5/17 – to Hospital, inflamed glands axilla (armpit), 11th F.A.
5/6/17 – rejoined unit from 12th stationary Hospital
15/6/17 – to Hospital, abscess left axilla, 12th F.A.
22/6/17 – abscess right arm, 12th F.A. and dressing station.
24/6/17 – discharge to duty
30/7/17 – rejoined unit from Corps rest station
27/10/17 – granted leave to U.K.
11/11/17 – returned from leave

4th BATTALION M.G.C. (“B” Company)

23/6/18 – to Hospital, P.U.O. (Pyrexia of unknown origin, medical term for trench
fever), 30th Casualty Clearing Station, 11th F.A.
30/6/18 – rejoined unit
20/9/18 – appointed acting Lance Corporal (unpaid)
6/11/18 – granted leave to U.K.
23/11/18 – returned from leave
13/1/19 – to U.K. (Crystal Palace) for duty, time serving soldier, (via Dieppe)
21/1/19 – to rest depot
20/2/19 – reposted for duty after expiration of 1 months furlough
8/4/19 – posted M.G.C., acting L/Cpl. (unpaid). New No. 7809765

8th BATTALION M.G.C. (“A” Company)

12/5/19 – 8th Batt. embarked at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Russian relief force.
Appointed acting L/Cpl. (paid)
26/6/19 – confirmed in rank acting L/Cpl.
27/9/19 – embarked Archangel for U.K.
23/10/19 – posted 8th Batt. M.G.C, as L/Cpl. (Shorncliffe)
27/2/20 – 8th Batt. M.G.C, embarked for India
2/3/20 – loss of Lance stripe, Punishment for (a) not complying with ships orders, i.e.
Gambling, (b) gambling with private soldiers.
24/3/20 – disembarked Bombay (as a Pte)
23/5/21 – Depot Batt. Embarked for U.K.
17/6/21 – Depot Batt. Disembarked at Gravesend and posted
20/7/21 – posted to Royal West Kent Regiment (Buffs)
30/7/21 – transferred to The Buffs
1/8/21 – new trade as fitter
11/4/22 – transferred to reserve list on expiration of his period of Army Service

His time of service was reckoned as follows,
Country From To Years Days
Home 12/4/15 19/7/15 99
France 20/7/15 19/1/19 3 184
Home 20/1/19 11/5/19 112
Russia 12/5/19 26/9/19 138
To UK 27/9/19 22/10/19 26
Home 23/10/19 26/2/20 127
To India 27/2/20 23/3/20 25
India 24/3/20 22/5/21 1 60
To UK 23/5/21 16/6/21 25
Home 17/6/21 11/4/27 5 299 Total 12 years

At the end of his 7 years active service his address is given as,
21 Waterloo Terrace, Islington, London.

On the 25/12/26 Walter marries Clara Alma Annie Rodway (this is entered on his Military history sheet because he is on the reserve list)

Walter was awarded the following medals,

1914-15 Star
British war medal
Victory medal

On transfer to reserve Walter was given the following character reference,

“Exemplary – A clean smart and well conducted man. A willing worker and thoroughly reliable. A total abstainer.”

70840 Lance Corporal Walter Pfeffer-Machine Gun Corps

Walter enlisted in April 1915 as Number 5914 into:

The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consorts Own), which was garrisoned at Colchester, at the outbreak of war in August 1914. The regiment consisted of the 1st Battalion in Colchester with the 11th Brigade, 4th Division. The 2nd Battalion in India, the 3rd in Cork with the 17th Brigade, 6th Division, and the 4th Battalion in India. The 5th (reserve) and 6th (extra reserve) Battalions mobilised at Winchester to train recruits.

Walter was trained in the 5th (reserve Battalion), which was stationed at Sheerness until March 1916.

1st Battalion The Rifle Brigade was at Colchester as part of the 11th Brigade, 4th Division at the outbreak of war. On 18th August the Battalion was at Harrow School, and then disembarked at Le Havre on 23rd August 1914.

Walter disembarked in France on 21st July 1915 and joined the Battalion. He was Involved in the capture of “The International Trench” on 26th July 1915. The 4th Division was not involved in any more major operations during the remainder of 1915. The next major engagement of the enemy was on the 1st July 1916- The Second Battle of The Somme.

Walter took part in The Battle of Albert (1st & 2nd July, and again from 4th- 13th July).

11th Brigade Machine Gun Company was formed on 23rd December 1915, from the machine gun sections of the 1st Battalion The Somerset Light Infantry, 1st Battalion The East Lancashire Regiment, 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment and 1st Battalion The Rifle Brigade. The number of men allocated to the machine gun company proved, with experience, to be far to few. It was common practice for infantrymen to be attached to the company during operations to assist. In late 1916 these men, and others were transferred to The Machine Gun Corps.

Walter was attached to this company on 1st September 1916, and joined the machine Gun Corps on 1st December 1916 and was issued with his new regimental number- 70840.

In 1917 the company took part in The Battles of Arras- First Battle of The Scarpe (9th-14th April) and Third Battle of The Scarpe (3rd-4th May). Then the Third Battle of Ypres, including The Battle of Polygon Wood (23rd August- 3rd September), The Battle of Broodseinde (4th October), The Battle of Poelcappelle (9th October), and the First Battle of Passchendaele (12th October).

4th Battalion Machine Gun Corps was formed on 26th February 1918, from the 10th, 11th, 12th and 234th Machine Gun Companies, which then became “A”, “B”, “C” and “D” Companies respectively. In 1918 the Battalion took part in The First Battle of Arras (28th March), The Battles of Lys- Battle of Hazabrouck (13th-15th April), Battle of Bethune (18th April). Walter also took part in The Advance to Victory; The Second Battles of Arras- Battle of The Scarpe (29th-30th August), and the Battle of Drocourt-Queant Line (2nd-3rd September). Also the Battles of the Hindenburg Line- Battle of the Canal du nord (27th September-1st October), and The Final Advance in Picardy- Battle of the Selle (17th-25th October), Battle of Valenciennes (1st-2nd November). On the 11th November the Division was in reserve and concentrated to the South east of Valenciennes. On the 4th December HM The King visited the division.

8th Battalion Machine Gun Corps was based at Dibgate, Shorncliffe on the 30th March 1919 and was formed into “A” Foreign Service Battalion MGC, from the cadre of the 8th Battalion MGC, from France. Training commenced. Designation of the unit changed to the 8th (special) Battalion MGC, under the command of Lt. Col. W A T B Somerville DSO (Royal Artillery) from 12th April 1919. The Battalion was stationed at Crowborough Camp, Sussex on the 15th April, and on the 7th May was warned for North Russia. On the 12th May, the Battalion entrained for Newcastle upon Tyne, via London. The Battalion boarded HMT Zyarietza the next day, and was given a good send off, all ship yard work ceased temporarily and all steamers on the Tyne blew their hooters. Arrived in Murmansk on 20th May and on the 24th May, sailed with convoy and icebreakers for Archangel. Arrived in Archangel- Smolny Barracks, on 26th May 1919. On the 27th May marched to Sobornaia Wharf. On the 9th June embarked on Ferryboat and proceeded up the Dwina (River).

Walter took part in various actions in North Russia and Siberia until the Allied intervention in North Russia until 27th September 1919. When he embarked for the U.K.

After his return to the U.K. he was sent to India on 27th February 1920, returning to U.K. on 17th June 1921. He was then posted and transferred to the Royal West Kent Regiment (The Buffs) until the end of his service on 11th April 1922, when he was transferred to the reserve list for 5 years.