Private Walter Lennox Andrews


Service Army Service No. 2643
Rank Private
Regiment:20th Hussars
Date of Birth: 02/04/1888
Born Dawlish
Date of Death: 23/03/1918
Memorial: Dawlish Memorial Inscription ANDREWS W.L. PTE. 20TH HUSRS

Service History

It is not known when Walter Andrews enlisted and became a Private in the Household Cavalry, 20th Hussars.

The Household Cavalry, 20th Hussars regiment was based in Colchester at the start of the First World War and landed in France as part of the 5th Cavalry Brigade in the 2nd Cavalry Division in August 1914. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Mons in August 1914 and both the First Battle of the Marne and the First Battle of the Aisne in September 1914. It went on to fight at the First Battle of Ypres in October 1914, the Battle of Arras in April 1917 and the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917.

It later took part in defending the German Spring Offensive in 1918 when Walter Andrews lost his life.

An extended account of the German Ofensive and extracts from the War Diary of the 20th Hussars appear in the life story - see Documents, below.

Association with Dawlish

Walter Lennox Andrews was the youngest son of William Henry (1847-1896) and Maria (nee Grant) Andrews (1854- ) who, in 1891, lived at 2 Princes Street, Dawlish with nine children from two marriages.

Their father, William Henry Andrews died in early 1896 (GRO ref Newton Abbot, 1896, Jan – Mar, vol 5b, p 86).

In 1901 their mother, Maria Andrews, was working as a laundress at Dawlish Cottage Hospital and the children were in the care of their sister Bessie Florence, now 18, at 24 Chapel Street. Bessie was a general domestic worker and Archibald, 14, was a baker of bread. The younger children, Walter, Lily, Olive and Ethelwyn were still at school.

Walter Andrews became a labourer in the Engineering Dept, Dawlish station. His photo appears in the GWR staff magazine 1918/06/92 and photo in 1918/12/182. He is recorded in the GWR Roll of Honour War Memorial.

Devon Roll of Honour Andrews, Walter Lennox, Pte, 20th Hussars, 23rd Mar 1918, France
Additional Information Commonwealth War Graves Site


Next of Kin: Ethel F Andrews, sister
Last Known Address: 24 Chapel Street, Dawlish


Walter Lennox Andrews

20th Hussars cap badge

German offensive March 1918

Great Western Railway Roll of Honour, Exeter

GWR War Memorial Newton Abbot

Free BMD refs

Wikipedia

Google Maps

refs via subscription website:

20th Hussars War Diary 21-24 March 1918

census records

UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects

Ancestry website family tree – Seaney Family and Sanderson Family

“ Andrews tree