Current Information:

Age-26

Born-Bethnal Green

52, Bells Garden Road, Peckham

Ypres Town Cemetery

The exact circumstances of the death of Walter Rex who died from wounds on 2nd March, 1915 are not known but artillery men faced many dangers and during the course of the war nearly 50,000 of them were killed. Their gun batteries were targeted by the enemy’s guns which accounted for many of their casualties. Others were sent forward to act as ‘spotters’ which meant going forward to the front line and signalling back to the guns necessary changes in target and other vital information. Keeping the batteries supplied with ammunition was a dangerous task as the enemy guns would target the known supply routes, especially at night. Brigade Diaries rarely shine any light on casualties sustained, unless of course they were officers and even then information is sparse. 

31 Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery was a unit of Britain’s pre-war regular army and went to France in January, 1915 as part of 28th Division which was holding the line just to the south of Ypres in early 1915.