Spr Walter Heap 438367 1/3 Durham Fd Coy (528) remembered at Giavera Cemetery.

[Heapsy2]

Currently researching Spr Walter Heap 438367 1/3 Durham Fd Coy (528) remembered at Giavera Cemetery. Is there any information regarding the unit's movement during the Italy campaign? Many thanks.

 

[PRC]

Hi @Heapsy2 and welcome to the forum 

War Diaries for units serving in Italy aren't yet digitised and available on line, so unfortunately to see them would require a visit to the National Archive at Kew.

The 528 (1/3rd Durham) Field Company were part of 7th Division. Our parent site, The Long, Long Trail doesn't have much to say about the Division at this stage of the War - "A major change now occurred with 7th Division being one of five British formations selected to be moved to Italy. This was a strategic and political move agreed by the British Government at the request of the Allied Supreme War Council, as an effort to stiffen Italian resistance to enemy attack after a recent disaster at Caporetto. Many diaries at this time, by men who had witnessed slaughter in the floods of Passchendaele, talk of the move and Italy as being “like another world”. Much work was done preparing to move into the mountainous area of the Brenta, but eventually the Division was instead moved to the line along the River Piave, taking up positions in late January 1918. In October 1918 the Division played a central role in crossing the Piave, the Battle of Vittoria Veneto and the eventual defeat of Austria-Hungary." https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/7th-division/

The Divisional History, published in the aftermath of the conflict, is available free to read \ download on Archive Org. The pages covering their time in Italy start here https://archive.org/details/seventh-division/page/433/mode/2up

Some of the units who served in the Division also have Regiment Histories that may give some additional insight. One sourced that is readily available are the transcribed war diaries of the 2nd Battalion Queens, (Royal West Surrey Regiment). They can be found here http://qrrarchive.websds.net/menu3.aspx

Soldiers Died in the Great War, an HMSO publication from the 1920's records Walter as Killed in Action on the 28th October 1918.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission website records him as one of two fatalities the unit suffered on this day - the other, 470829 Sapper George Sherriff, has no known grave and like Walter, also with no known grave, is commemorated on the Giavera Memorial.

Hope that gets you started.

Cheers,
Peter

[Heapsy2]

Many thanks for all the information. I'll be hopefully visiting Kew soon and possibly Italy to visit the area and Walter's memorial. In the meantime I'll start with your recommendations. Once again thank you.

[tomisitt]

On 28/07/2024 at 19:34, Heapsy2 said:

Many thanks for all the information. I'll be hopefully visiting Kew soon and possibly Italy to visit the area and Walter's memorial. In the meantime I'll start with your recommendations. Once again thank you.

I love Giavera…such a beautiful spot.