Walter Gerald Messenger (1895-1927), soldier

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DescriptionWalter Gerald Messenger (1895-1927)
Walter lived in Blaketown and attended Grey Main School.
It would have been 110 years since Walter enlisted - two days after his 19th birthday - to serve in World War I. In order to sign up he lied about his age, giving his birth date as April 10, 1895, a year and five days before the actual date.
Walter enlisted while he was working as a shepherd at Molesworth Station, where Robert John Boddington, son of William and Agnes (nee Wallace), was station manager. Robert John Boddington was the older brother of his mother, Emma Louise Messsnger( née Boddington)
During May and early June 1917, Walter helped in laying buried cables as the New Zealanders prepared to play their significant part in the coming Battle of Messines. At zero hour on the morning of June 7, the leading waves of the 1st Canterbury Battalion left the assembly trenches. A specially detailed body of troops, of which our uncle was one, set out for the houses on the northern side of the Gooseberry Farm-Messines Road. Walter and another New Zealand soldier outran the remainder of their company, finding themselves tangled up in barbed wire amid the dust and smoke of bursting shells. They threw away their rifles in an effort to untangle themselves from the wire and spotted a house in front of them. At the entrance Walter secured a dead German officer’s Luger pistol and entered the house. Inside were 17 Germans, who all duly surrendered to Walter. For this bold act Walter was awarded the Military Medal, which was promulgated by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force on June 27, 1917 – 13 days after the battle ended and just 25 days before Walter died, aged 21.
Walter was also awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.Walter is buried in Pont d’Archelles Miltary Cemetery in Nieppe.
His Miltary Medal is displayed at the RSA in Greymouth.ContributorMandy O'Sullivan

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EventWalter Gerald Messenger (1895-1927), soldierWorld War 1Anzac

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Category TagAnzac

From Facebook

Date Created30th April 2025Comments
Joanne Conroy
Thanks Mandy O'Sullivan . So humbled to be able to visit his grave in France a couple of weeks ago.

Mandy O'Sullivan
Author
Joanne Conroy I believe his story should be told.
May be an image of text

Del Godfrey
Lest we forget

Keith Messenger
Nice one Mandy. My father, Walter's youngest brother, born after he was killed, was named Geoffrey Walter Messenger after him.

Gavin Davy
A great West Coast family.

Alan Messenger
Great Mandy, thank you for telling Uncle Walter’s story

Colleen Yee
Thanks for sharing this story about this brave young man.

Jan Warner
Always great to share with the extended family. Thank you.

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Walter Gerald Messenger (1895-1927), soldier

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