Crofton | Walter William
Biography
Walter William Crofton (Service No. 14416057) who was known as Sonny was killed in action on 14 October 1944 between Overloon and Venray. He was aged 19 and a Private in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment. He was initially buried at Cemetery Venraysweg in Overloon. He was re-interred on 20 May 1947 in Grave II. C. 14 at the CWGC Cemetery in Overloon. His inscription reads “He was so young, barely a lad our thoughts of him always leave us sad. Mum and Dad.”
Military Career
Sonny initially joined up in the East Surrey Regiment on 26/11/1940 when he would only have been 15. His relative understands that he was sent to Belgium. However, by 18/8/1941 they had found out that he was underage and so he was discharged.
He will have enlisted again, probably when he reached 18 in 1943, though relatives suggest that it was only a few weeks after he had re-enlisted that he died. It seems that this time he was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment.
This Battalion landed in Normandy at Sword Beach on D-Day (6 June 1944). It played its part in the 1st and 2nd Battles for Caen which succeeded on 9 July after which the Battalion had its first rest period since D-Day. It continued the fight in Normandy through mid July and early August and was involved with Operation Goodwood and then in the preparation for the break out from Normandy which succeeded in late August.
From 17 August until 3 September the Battalion had a rest period which also allowed them to take on reinforcements to replace the substantial number of men they had lost. It then moved to Villers en Vexin until 17 September.
By this time, the Allied troops were making a fast advance through France and Belgium to the Escaut canal south of Eindhoven in readiness for Operation Market Garden. On 17 September, airborne troops landed in a corridor from the Belgian/Dutch border via Eindhoven and Nijmegen to Arnhem to secure bridges and allow ground forces to move forward with speed – then to reinforce and strike east into Germany.
The role of the Battalion along with others was to protect the main line of communications northwards along this corridor. It moved on from Villers en Vexin on 18 September and reached Peer on 19 September then Asten on 23 September. They entered Helmond, just east of Eindhoven, on 25 September. It had just been taken by another Battalion and they received an uproarious welcome from the Dutch people.
On 29 September, it moved out of Helmond and on over the River Maas at Grave through Heumen and on to Maldens Vlak. Here they spent time patrolling the area facing the Reichswald Forest in Germany not far to the east. On 9 October the Battalion retraced its steps to Grave, then south to dominate a stretch of the River Maas in the Cuijk area.
However, problems with supply lines had resulted in the failure of the Allies to hold the bridge at Arnhem, so plans changed. The Allies found themselves in a narrow salient through the Netherlands and so it was decided to clear the enemy to the south in Overloon, Venray and Venlo while also securing Antwerp to help with supply issues. American Troops initially attempted to take Overloon, but did not succeed so the British Army took on the task.
On 11 October, the Battalion therefore moved on foot from Cuijk through Haps and St Hubert and on again the next day to Wanroij, St Anthonis and Oploo, arriving north of Overloon on 13 October. At this time, other British Troops were engaged in capturing Overloon, using an artillery barrage which caused heavy damage to the village.
The Battalion spent the night of 13 October in the woods around Overloon. The ground forward of the woods was flat and featureless and about midway between Overloon and Venray ran a stream called the Molen Beek. From its far bank the enemy had a clear view over a distance of 1000 yards of the British Troops leaving the shelter of the woods.
At 0700 hrs on the morning of 14 October, two companies led the attack to the south with support from two troops of Churchill tanks. The advance was a difficult one, as once through the thick woods there was very little cover. Some tanks were hit and others retreated back into the woods, leaving the Infantry without support. The Battalion succeeded in reaching a point about 400 yds short of the Beek that day, though were left in a very exposed position.
John Lincoln’s book “Thank God and the Infantry” includes the following account written by Lt. “Friar” Balsom:
“Between the woods near Overloon and Venray the countryside stretched out as flat as only Holland can be and across this bleak, wet terrain, at right angles to our line of advance, lay a number of drainage ditches called “beeks”. They were of varying widths, but all of them were obstacles to tanks etc. About halfway between Overloon and Venray lay the biggest of them – the Molenbeek.
Dawn broke damp again and with light equipment only we took part in the battalion attack – D company to the left and we in B Company on the right. At 7.00 a.m. on that dull October morning we moved out of the woods. 11 Platoon was leading on the right near the road. We advanced until enemy fire began to become effective. We located one of their positions ahead of us, made our plan and using platoon covering fire moved quickly in to take it. I remember we passed through the remains of a still smoking and smouldering haystack. We raced on until we reached the line of a beek halfway to the Molenbeek – a position we had codenamed “Cartwright”- our first objective.
…..
Our position in that flat terrain was very exposed; 11 Platoon was forward, protected only by the banks of the ditch, and spent a very uncomfortable two days and nights. Slit trenches soon reached down to the water level and still it rained from time to time. There was frequent shelling and mortaring and movement, especially the bringing up of food, tea or ammunition, could only take place with any degree of safety after dark”.
This was the day on which Sonny was killed.
On 11 November 1944 Captain R.W. Hodd of the 1st Bn Royal Norfolks wrote the following letter to his mother, Mrs Crofton, in which he gives further details of Sonny’s death:
“Dear Mrs Crofton,
Your letter has been passed to me since your boy was very close to me when he was killed.
We were advancing at the time but had been halted by enemy shell fire. We dug slit trenches and took shelter in them. There were two men in each slit trench and these were dug in such a way that it was possible for the men to lay flat in them.
Your son shared his slit chance trench with a member of the Pioneer Platoon.
The enemy shelling in our area was heavy and continuous. One of a salvo of shells landed on your son’s slit trench and he and the Pioneer were killed instantly.
They were buried side by side in separate graves and our Padre read the burial service over them.
Around the graves is a small fence so that they will not be disturbed, and at the head of each grave is a white cross with a name on it.
These are the facts, Mrs Crofton. As for my feelings – I find them hard to express. This is not the first letter I have written to the next of kin of men of my company who have been killed in action. These things happen in war, I know, and after a while one is supposed to become callous. But this is not so. For each of my men who has been killed I feel a personal grief. Above that I feel for those they have left behind.
Your son was a fine lad, Mrs Crofton. He was in trouble but there are few of us who go through life without becoming involved in one trouble or another.
I offer you my very deepest sympathy. Nothing can replace your son on earth, but I know that you will meet him again one day.
He died with many soldiers that day. And they all died that the world might be a better place.
Your sincerely,
Captain RW Hodd”
It is thought that the man he died alongside may have been Private Charles Kenyon (Service No. 3865475) – but this is by no means certain.
By 18 October Venray had been taken. Between 13 and 18 October, the Battalion incurred 43 fatal casualties and about 200 wounded.
Family Background
Sonny was the son of Walter Charles Crofton and Florence Annie Ford who had married on 8 June 1924 in Shoreditch in London.
Walter Charles Crofton was born on 21/1/1894 in Plumstead in Kent. He was the son of Peter John Crofton and Elizabeth Cotton who had married in Woolwich in 1893. Peter had been born in Agra in India on 18/10/1868 and Elizabeth in London in 1868. They had children as follows, with all but Walter born in Woolwich: Walter Charles 21/1/1894, Harriet Susannah 9/2/1896, William John 1898, Robert Rundle 7/8/1900 (Randle in Baptism), Alice Elizabeth 29/11/1904, Peter John 1904, Benjamin Thomas 27/2/1906. Sadly, William and Peter both died in infancy.
In 1901 Peter and Elizabeth were living at 8, James Street, Woolwich with their first three surviving children, including Walter. Peter was a Soldier in the Royal Reserve.
By 1911 they were living at 2 Benfleet Place, Shoreditch with all five surviving children. Peter was working as a Labourer and Walter as a Milkman. Harriet, now calling herself Susannah, was working as an assistant.
By 1921 they were living at 13, Clarissa Street, Haggerston, Shoreditch with all their children except Robert. At that time, Robert was at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Meerut, India, serving as a Gunner with the 21st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Peter was now a Storeman’s Labourer at Woolwich Arsenal. Walter was still a Milkman, working for Arthur Terry, 66 Steam Street, Haggerston; Harriet was a Packer (General Goods) for Sutton’s Ltd of Golden Lane; Alice was a Confectionery (Packer) for Devonport Ltd of Stoke Newington and Benjamin was a Light Porter at Sutton’s Ltd, of Golden Lane.
Peter John Crofton died in 1927 and Elizabeth Crofton in 1933, both in Shoreditch.
Florence Annie Ford was the daughter of William Ford and Harriet Lewis who had married in Bethnal Green in 1893. They had children as follows: Harriet Lilian 16/12/1895, Florence Annie 17/8/1900, Maud Susannah 10/1/1902, Violet May 10/10/1906, Ivy 26/5/1908, William G 1913. All were born in Shoreditch.
William Ford was a Gas Stove Fitter born in 1866/8 in Kentish Town, London, while Harriet was born in 1873/4 in Spitalfields, London.
In 1901 William and Harriet Ford were living at 70, Mansfield Street, Haggerston, Shoreditch with Harriet (called Lilian ) and Florence. This was also their address at Florence’s birth. The following year, when Maud was born, they were living at 103 Marion Street, Kingsland Road.
In 1911 William and Harriet Ford were living at 109 Maria Street, Shoreditch with all five of their children born by then. Harriet (Jnr.) was working as an Errand Girl.
By June 1921, William and Harriet Ford were living at 122, Laburnum Street, Haggerston, Shoreditch. All their children except Harriet (Jnr.) were there. Florence was working as a Hosier and Rope Maker. Maud was described as “unemployed since left school”. Violet was a Printer’s Labourer for Printers and Stationers, Welt and Crays. Harriet had previously married Charles Dawkins in 1917.
William Ford died in 1924 and his wife Harriet in 1932, both in Shoreditch.
At the time of their marriage in 1924, Walter Charles Crofton and Florence Annie Ford both gave their address as 122 Laburnum Street, Shoreditch – which is where Florence was living in 1921.
Sonny was their only child, born on 30/4/1925 at that address.
In September 1939, Walter and Florence were living at 2 Dunston House, Kingsland, Hackney, Shoreditch. There was one undisclosed record, presumably Sonny. Walter (Snr) was working as a Mail Porter for the General Post Office and Florence was working as a Morning Restaurant Cleaner.
Sadly, Sonny was killed in action on 14/10/1944.
Walter Charles Crofton died in 1955 in Shoreditch. For around 25 years until her death in Merton, Surrey in 1991, Florence Annie Crofton lived with her sister and treated her grandchildren as her own.
