Flindell, Walter Richard

1261 Sergeant Walter Richard Flindell - 32nd Battalion AIF

Walter Richard Flindell was born in Fremantle in 1893 to Henry and Ellen Flindell. He was one of eight children born into the family, with, Francis (1879), Ellen (1880), Charlotte (1881), Henry (1882), Thomas (1883), Albert (1885) and Ethel (1888).

Walter was educated at Fremantle Boys School and after leaving took up work as a commercial clerk for J&W Bateman. The Flindell family lived at 67 Samson Street Fremantle.

On the 14th July 1915 Wally enlisted into the AIF. He was found to be fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 7 & 1/4 inches tall;

Weight - 127lbs;

Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Fair.

Wally spent his first month in the training camp at Blackboy Hill Camp going through the basics of infantry training. He was then assigned to 'D' Company of the 32nd Battalion. The 32nd Battalion was a joint Western Australian and South Australian unit, and the West Aussies of "C" and "D" Companies left Fremantle and went to Adelaide to join up with the South Australian Companies.

After more training in South Australia, the 32nd embarked from Port Adelaide aboard the transport ship Geelong and set sail for Egypt in December 1915.

They arrived in Egypt in January 1916 and Walter wrote;

In company with Will Shalders left Tel-el-Kebir at 7.15am. All along the line the country is very fertile, and large plantations of dates, maize and sugar cane. There is a wonderful system of irrigation by canals. Some are large enough for big boats to sail through. After we had been traveling for an hour we arrived at the old town of Zagazig. This place is very interesting and dates back for centuries. It is a large cotton manufacturing town with a population of about 90,000. After passing Zagazig you come upon large cemeteries with many tombstones. These stones are very peculiar, some being shaped as ships, others houses. About an hour after leaving Zagazig we arrived at Cairo. When we arrived we did not know which way to go at first, for there were trams, streets and vehicles going in all directions. Anyhow we wandered along and came to the Sultan’s Palace. It is built of fine white stone, and is several storeys high. No one is allowed on the footpath, and the traffic is kept about one hundred yards away. Some of the streets are very wide, but most of them are only alleyways. Most of the buildings are very old and have been plastered over a good many times, and look as if a puff of wind would blow them over. The roofs are flat and all the rubbish goes on top. As in other small villages that I have been in, cleanliness is the last thing thought of, and after seeing the dirt and filth that exists, one can quite understand how the people are continually having plague and cholera.

Having a few purchases to make I went to the Egyptian bazaar. Here you can buy silks of all descriptions, and scents, cushions and antiques dating back for centuries. We then had dinner at the “Soldiers Place” for 5 piastres (1 shilling). After dinner we got the services of an Egyptian guide to show us over the mosques and old relics of Cairo. The first mosque we entered was built by the Sultan Hassan some centuries back, and is not used now. On the opposite side of the road is the Blue Mosque. Before entering you have to put on sandals and you are charged a piastre a pair. It is very grand inside. The floor is covered with huge carpets, and large chandeliers hang from the ceiling. They are made of silver and gold, and are a mass of lights. In the centre is the tomb of the Sultan of Reifa who built it. After leaving we hired some donkeys and rode out to the Citadelle. Inside the Citadelle is a large well known as Joseph’s Well. It is 300 feet deep and hewn out of solid rock. It is a most wonderful and interesting piece of work. The water is drawn up the first hundred feet by the bullock system, and there is a wheel, which draws it to the surface. We then entered the mosque which is the finest in Cairo. The floor is covered by beautiful carpets, and is lit up by thousands of lights. In the centre there hangs a large chandelier given by Phillip of Spain, and is valued at L200 000. Inside the mosque is the tomb of the man who built it, and who afterwards had his eyes gouged out. From the windows of the mosque you have a splendid view of Cairo, and in the distance can bee seen the Nile and Pyramids. In the Citadelle Napoleon had one of his forts and you can see the place where he stored his ammunition, which exploded, and shifted tons of earth which still remain undisturbed.

After leaving the Citadelle, we rode out to the tombs of the Mamelukes. It was about half an hour ride and we gave the donkeys plenty of exercise. Things were going okay until the donkey that Will was riding turned a corner and he went on straight ahead. It was not long before they had the laugh of me. We were riding along when my donkey slipped and had me pinned to the ground. It was an afternoon that I will never forget.

The 32nd Battalion spent six months in the Egyptian desert and they spent their time manning the Suez Canal defence line as well as further training. In June the 32nd Battalion left Egypt and headed for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 23rd June 1916. They then took trains north. Walter wrote;

On awakening next morning we found that we were coming into Lyons. It was a glorious morning. The air was crisp and on every side everything looked fresh. Far different from the mornings that we had experienced in the last few months in Egypt. Running through the town was the River Rhone. On every side could be seen the beautiful boulevards. It was indeed a grand sight after being six months in the sand and sun. Lyons is very beautiful. There are many fine buildings and churches, and the people gave us a great reception as we passed through. After an hour’s run we stopped for breakfast. We were now traveling through the best part of France, and through some of the finest scenery in Europe. It was hard indeed to realise that a few hours would bring us into the firing line.

Although there was one thing that you could miss, that was the very few men of military age that were to be seen. Perhaps here in the agricultural part of France, the men were missed more than anywhere else. In the fields no matter whether it was in the early hours of the morning, or in the twilight, the old men, young children and the women were to be seen toiling and doing all the work of the farms that before had been done by the men. In some places only the mothers and the daughters were left home, so it can be seen that though they were not actually in the firing line, they were keeping the home fires burning. They gave all that was dear to them. And as we passed through, they cheered us on our way and tried to pretend that it was glorious. One could never get tired of watching the different sights, the fields of poppies, cornflowers and daisies representing the tricolours of the Republic, and growing along the railway were acres of cherry trees and strawberries. About 2pm we came into the town of Dijon and had dinner. After an hour’s stop we moved on, and along the railway were to be seen German prisoners at work. We stopped at Les Laumes for tea. About 3am in the morning we passed within ten miles of Paris, and in the distance could be seen the Eiffel Tower. We passed through the town of St German at 6am, and after a few hour’s run, we stopped for breakfast at de Pluches. At 12 o’clock we came into Amiens, which up to now was one of the largest towns we had passed through. The country past Amiens although in the north of France, was as green and interesting as the south. Running along the railway were canals covered with water lilies and heaps of hawthorn and roses, and in the tall elm trees could be seen the miseltoe.

The 32nd Battalion did not have much time on the Western Front before they faced a severe trial. On the 19th July 1916 the 32nd Battalion were involved in the ill-fated attack at Fromelles.

 The 32nd Battalion managed to capture their objectives in the assault but with a flank in the air and the Germans pouring in, the survivors had to withdraw through a heavy German fire. Walter wrote that;

At 12 o’clock our artillery commenced a furious bombardment. Our part of the attack was on the left. We were to take three lines of the enemy trenches. On our right was the 14^th and 15^th Brigade also the 61^st Division of Oxfords. There was a battalion on our left who was to cover our advance. Two battalions of the 8^th Brigade were to charge, the 31^st and 32^nd, the remaining battalions acting as reinforcements and fatigues.

We left our billets at 2pm. When we reached the communication trench, each man had to carry ammunition to the supports. After we arrived at the supports, every man was given two grenades and a couple of sandbags, and dumping our rugs, we moved onto the firing line which we reached about 5.30 pm. Things were now starting to get very warm. Our guns were hurling them across as quick and furious as possible, and Fritz was doing the same, paying special attention to our supports and communications trenches. One communication trench was blown completely in, and the men coming from the supports had to walk across the open, causing a large number of casualties. At 5.55 pm the artillery lifted its fire, and the first wave went over the parapet, to the cheering of the rest of the boys. A few minutes later the second wave hopped over. I was in the second wave, and lost no time in clearing our parapet. In No Mans Land, bullets and shells were as thick as rain, playing terrible havoc on our men, and they were falling all around me. I lost no time in reaching the enemy’s first line of trench, and found the first wave, or what was left of it, busy clearing it of Germans. After a minutes spell I moved on to the third line, taking cover in shell holes and craters. When I reached the third line I found my platoon officer who was hit several times, but who kept on working, and all hands started to build up a trench. All along this line was mud and water, most of us standing up to our waists in it. There were a good many wounded lying around, but there were no AMC men available, and they had to be dressed with their field dressing and left until it was possible to get help. On our left was a communication trench, which was being held by part of the 29^th. On this we depended for our ammunition and sandbags.

The enemy made several small counter attacks which we kept off with our machine guns and grenades. Their artillery was beginning to get our range. I was hit on the face with shrapnel, and a few minutes after got hit on the hip, with a piece from a high explosive shell. I was very lucky as there were men all around me being killed, and others receiving terrible wounds. Towards morning we had difficulty in getting supplies of ammunitions owing to the enemy having blown in the communication trench. Things were now getting very serious, and unless reinforcements could bring up ammunition before daylight, we would be in a hopeless position. We then got word that the enemy were coming in on the right, and he had also managed to get in behind us, and was also coming in on the left. We now had fire on us from the front, sides and rear. The only chance for us was to charge back to our own lines. The order was given to charge through to our lines.

It seemed impossible to live through the machine gun fire and shrapnel, and those who got back have to thank providence. When we got back we found our parapets and dugouts filled with dead and wounded. In one sector, the Germans had blown our ammunition dump up, and also set alight to our parapet with liquid shells, with the result that a number of dead and wounded were burnt. There were some terrible sights and I pray that I will not have to look on too many such sights again. When we arrived back into our own trenches, we hung on until reinforcements arrived, and a few hours later my battalion retired into the supports, and later on to the billets. There were only thirty-three to answer the roll-call of our company, and the division suffered very heavy losses with dead, wounded and missing. It indeed was a sad day for Australia…It was like walking into a butchers shop. The stretcher bearers were carrying on their grim task, and lying in ditches and dugouts were our brave lads who had given all for our country…Such is the fortune of war, but it cannot be called war, it is nothing but murder.

Walter was wounded in the attack, being hit in the cheek and hip. He was evacuated for medical treatment and fortunately the wounds were not severe and he returned to his unit on the 10th August 1916.

The 32nd Battalion spent the next two months in the Fromelles sector while they regained numbers to bring the Battalion back up to strength. In October 1916 the Battalion headed for the Somme where they would hold the recently captured areas.

In November Walter was evacuated to hospital with Trench Feet. The cold conditions were having a negative affect on the troops health. Walter had written that;

Went with a party to Flers. The road is very muddy and the men have to walk knee deep in mud, carrying ammunition to the advanced dump. Working under shellfire but fortunately no casualties. Had a look at Bapaume from Hero Ridge. There is a heavy bombardment still in progress. The men had another day without food. No wonder at times they are downhearted.

Took a working party to High Wood. There are signs everywhere in the wood of hard fighting, and there are still lying about unburied British and German troops. The stench is awful. A few minutes walk over this slaughter field makes one curse the ones who started this war. Rations are still short, and the men are working all day without food. Saw one of the tanks today. They are like a torpedo boat on wheels. There are two tanks disabled in High Wood.

I took out a Corporal to show him the sector in front of our line. We got lost for three hours. We ran into one of his ‘Listening Posts.’ He threw a few bombs at us but they missed. We soon got back but ran into his wire again. He opened his machine-gun on us but only managed to hit the corporal’s hat. We crawled along for a few hundred yards, and managed to strike our own wire. The OC was very relieved when we turned up, as they had a party ready to go and look for us. When they heard the bombing, they thought that we had either been wounded or taken prisoner.

Walter was evacuated back to hospital in England where he would spend the next several months. Walter rejoined the 32nd Battalion in Belgium on the 1st September 1917.

However he became ill soon after arrival and was evacuated to hospital, only rejoining the 32nd Battalion on the 1st November 1917.

The 32nd Battalion continued to hold the front line positions near Messines in Belgium. On the 1st December 1917 Walter was in a post with 1211 Sgt John Baird (from Cottesloe), 1374 Cpl Robert Stokes (from Greenough) and 3230 Private Harry Paul (from Kalgoorlie) when a German shell fell killing Baird, Paul and Stokes and severely wounding Walter. He suffered severe wounds to his legs and arms. He was evacuated back to Hospital in England but his right leg and right arm had to be amputated. He was then staying at Bishops Knoll Hospital in Bristol.

A good friend of his from the 32nd Battalion who was also from Fremantle, William Rawlinson went and visited Wally in hospital. He wrote back home that;

I promised Walter {Flindell} to write you a few lines to let you know how he was faring. I went to see him after we came out from the trenches, and he looked bright and cheery. He had his right arm and leg amputated a few days previous, and looked little the worse for what he had gone through. It was marvelous how he escaped with his life. There were four of them sitting down having breakfast about nine in the morning, and a minenwerfer shell landed right in amongst them. The other three were killed outright. I was further along the trench at the time, and didn’t get a chance of seeing him till we came out. The nurses all speak well of him, and said he had a great heart. I have just finished fourteen days furlough in England and am waiting here for a boat to take me back to France. I don’t think the war can go on much longer. Something must give way sooner or later. Our battalion went through a great deal of fighting this past three months, and suffered severely. I was very fortunate and never got a scratch.

Another Fremantle friend of Walter, Arthur Hale wrote when he heard of Walter's wounding;

Many other boy pals & friends too have crossed to the Great Beyond, others have been sadly maimed. Only yesterday I received news of poor old Walter Flindells awful wounds. His right arm and leg have been amputated! God! Tis cruel.

It all tends to make me skeptical and the past twelve months spent in France and Belgium have been a gamble from beginning to end. Every day an experience, every day an adventure. Sometimes humorous, sometimes sad, but chiefly cruel and relentless.

Walter would be spending several months in hospital recovering form the double amputation. In 1918 he met up with three other wounded friends from Fremantle to have a photograph taken.

Walter (standing back left) in photo below is positioned as to the amputations not being seen. Standing next to him is Ernie Mainstone, also of the 32nd Battalion and in the front row is Vernon Bateman and Albert Bateman.

Walter remained in England into the first few months of 1919. After his hospital stay he was given a period of furlough.

Walter made the newspaper in Bristol which was reprinted in the Swan Express in Midland;

On the 26th March 1919 at Liverpool Walter boarded a transport ship Czar for Egypt. Once in Alexandria, Walter went aboard the Hospital Ship Dongala for the final leg of the journey home to Fremantle.

Walter reached Fremantle on the 7th May 1919. He was taken to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace for a full medical and a check on the amputations. The doctor found that Walter was able to wear an artificial right leg but that Walter had been unable to wear an artificial arm as the arm had been amputated near the shoulder joint and as of yet any replacement artificial arm hadn't worked.

Walter was discharged from the AIF on the 24th January 1920. He resumed employment with J&W Bateman. The Bateman's were very proud of their staff who served in the war and had the picture below made up which included a picture of Walter.

Walter hadn't forgot his mates who were killed when he was severely wounded. On 1st December 1919 an in memoriam notice paid tribute 'to my pals' Baird, Pal and Stokes.

This notice was also put in the newspaper on December 1st in the following years

In Beaconsfield in November 1920 Walter married Olive May Smith. The Fremantle Herald printed that; 

Wally Flindell gets married on Saturday. May his shadow never grow less

Walter and Olive had a daughter Joyce born in 1921 and Betty in 1924. The family lived at 89 South Street Fremantle.

Walter Richard Flindell died in Melville on the 5th February 1968 aged 74. He was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery - Memorial Niche Wall B0039