BAGGOTT, Walter

Walter Baggott was the son of William and Julia Baggott of Dudley and was married to Florence Baggott of 51 Queens Road, Tipton. He was probably working in Herefordshire since he volunteered at Leominster for the Shropshire Light Infantry. He served in the 6th Battalion in the 20th Division which went to the Western Front in July 1915 and were acclimatized to trench warfare in Artois. They moved to Flanders during the Spring of 1916 and were engaged in intermittent combat in the Ypres Salient. Most notably they fought in the battle of Mount Sorrel, a ridge which dominated observation of Ypres and which the enemy was keen to retain. A major attack, together with Canadian forces, commenced on the 1st July but failed to reach the ridge. Another attack on the 3rd June also failed but a third was finally successful on the 13th. Casualties continued during the next month as the British were determined to hold the ridge and Private Walter Baggott was killed on the 1st July. He was 32 years of age and is buried in Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery (II C 18) and is commemorated on the Dudley Memorial.