Walter Henry Malt

Lance Corporal Walter Henry Malt – Royal Engineers, 318^th Road Construction Company

Early Life

Edward George Malt and Catherine Davies
marriage certificate
St. Paul's church, Kingston Hill, Surrey

Walter Henry Malt was born in 1890 in Blackpill, the son of Edward George Malt and Catherine Davies, who had married in 1883 at St. Paul’s Church, Kingston Hill, Surrey.

Family

1891 Census

The 1891 Census records the family living at 6 Brooklands Terrace, Oystermouth. Edward, aged 34 and born in Lambourn, Berkshire, was employed as a domestic coachman. Catherine, 29, came from Sketty. Their children were Edward George (7), born in Chelsea and attending school; Fanny Maria (5); Catherine Louise (2); and infant Walter Henry (7 months). Also present was a boarder, Henry Dawkins, 22, who also worked as a coachman.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the Malt family remained at 6 Brooklands Terrace. Edward, now 43, worked as a farm labourer, while Catherine was 39. Their children included Edward (17, coachman domestic), Fanny (15), Kate (13), Walter (9), Harriet (8), Harry (5), and Thomas (1 month). Edward died in 1902, leaving Catherine widowed.

1911 Census

The 1911 Census shows the family at 2 Penyrheol, Sketty. Catherine, now 49, was still head of the household. Walter, aged 20, was employed as a haulier carter. His siblings present were Harriet (19, domestic servant), Harry (16, domestic gardener), and Thomas (11, at school).

Military Service

During the First World War, Walter enlisted with the Royal Engineers, 318^th Road Construction Company (RCC). Road Construction Companies were responsible for building and maintaining the roads that kept the army moving, enabling the transport of troops, supplies, and heavy artillery across devastated landscapes. Their work was vital to sustaining operations during battles and offensives, and it often took place under difficult and dangerous conditions close to the front.

The 318^th Road Construction Company appears in official listings of RCCs preserved by The Long, Long Trail. Records show that in May 1918, the company was stationed at Estrée-Cauchy, operating under XVIII Corps, in an area heavily affected by the German Spring Offensive and subsequent Allied counterattacks. Archival notes held by the Royal Engineers Museum confirm that war diaries survive for April–June 1918, though detailed reports of the company’s work are scarce. A note on the Great War Forum further suggests that a summary sheet for the unit exists in the RE Library, covering this same period. These fragments of evidence indicate that the 318th was engaged in intensive roadbuilding and repair work at a critical stage of the war. Given Walter Malt’s death in February 1919, it is likely that the company remained active after the Armistice, focusing on reconstruction, clearance, and the upkeep of vital transport routes in France.

Based on the duties of Road Construction Companies more generally, the 318^th RCC would almost certainly have been involved in repairing roads damaged by shellfire, floods, and heavy traffic; constructing new roads and bypasses; reinforcing road surfaces to bear the weight of artillery and supply wagons; and installing drainage systems and culverts to prevent collapse. They also cleared debris and wreckage, and at times supported bridging or structural works. Operating under the Corps’ Assistant Director of Roads or senior engineer staff, their contribution was essential to maintaining the army’s mobility. Even after the Armistice, such work remained vital for the movement of troops, supplies, and the complex process of demobilisation.

Death

Army Register of Soldiers' Effects

Lance Corporal Walter Henry Malt died on 18^th February 1919, several months after the Armistice of November 1918. Although the fighting had ceased, he was still in uniform at the time of his death.

Burial

Walter Henry Malt
St. Roch Communal Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Walter was buried with honour at St. Roch Communal Cemetery, Valenciennes, France.

Legacy

Walter’s death illustrates how the toll of the Great War extended beyond the Armistice. The Termination of the Present War (Definition) Act 1918 meant that men enlisted “for the duration of the war” could be retained in service until 31^st August 1921, and the CWGC therefore commemorates all those who died in uniform between 4^th August 1914 and 31^st August 1921.

His name is inscribed on St. Paul’s war memorial, a lasting reminder of those whose service and sacrifice continued even after peace was declared, and whose memory endures in the community.