Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: Lieutenant Graham Yuille Laundy Walters, Irish Guards, attached Machine Gun Corps, who died of wounds in the attack at Ginchy on 15 September 1916

1914-15 Star (2 Lieut., Ir. Gds.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut); Memorial Plaque (Graham Yuille Laundy Walters) mounted in a wooden, glass-fronted case, generally extremely fine (4) £600-800

Graham Yuille Laundy Walters was the son of Rowland Percy and Ellinor Margaret Walters of 16 Gledhow Gardens, South Kensington, London. He was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge. On the outbreak of war he obtained a commission in the Irish Guards and entered the France and Flanders theatre of war with the 2nd Battalion on 16 August 1915 and was subsequently attached to the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). He fought at the Battle of Loos, and during the Winter of 1915 at Laventie and Ypres before being moved to the Somme front.

He was first reported ‘wounded and missing’ and then ‘killed’ during the attack on Ginchy on 15 September 1916. His Colonel, with whom he trained in England, wrote, ‘I cannot say how sorry I am for your great loss, which is one that all his brother-officers will feel, for we were all fond of him, and, although so many are gone, he had so much character that he stood out among them. He was always so cheery and so keen.’

A brother officer wrote, ‘’’Bunny”, as we called him, was wounded early in the advance, and his servant stayed behind with him, whilst his men went on and did their work well, as they would do, for “Bunny” had trained them well..... All I can say is that it was a great ending to his life. I am the only Officer left in our Company, and they were such a splendid lot of fellows. I feel I shall never look upon the like of them again, we had always got on so well together. Our Company did awfully well .... and it was due to Officers like your son that the day went so well, even if they themselves had to make the supreme sacrifice.’

Lieutenant Walters was 21 years of age at the time of his death. He was buried in the Guards Cemetery at Lesboeufs, Somme. With forwarding slip for the plaque, held in pouch on back of case; together with copied research including photograph of Lieutenant Walters, m.i.c., and war diary extracts.