Regiment: Lancashire Fusiliers.
Died: 06 July 1916 aged 23 in France. Killed in action near Fricourt.
Battle: Battle of the Somme. Cemetery: Thiepval Memorial P 3C, 3D
Son of Rev. T. H. Orpen and Mrs. Amy 0. G. Orpen of 5, Herschel Rd., Cambridge and Mark Ash, Abinger Common, Dorking, b. 1893.
Upper Shell—Lower V.
Selwyn College, Cambridge.
Great War, 2nd Lieutenant N. Staffordshire Regt.; transferred 2nd Bn. attd. 10th Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers.
'At school he was a small, quiet boy, always well behaved and steady, and likely to develop later. This he certainly did.' (Malvernian, Jul 1916).
Times Obituary, 27th July 1916: “Second Lieutenant Walter Selwyn Orpen, North Staffordshire Regiment, who was killed on July 6th aged 23 was the youngest son of the Rev. T. H. and Mrs Orpen of Mark Ash, Abinger, Surrey. He was educated at Malvern, and at Selwyn College, Cambridge where he had completed his second year when war was declared. He was then in the OTC and was gazetted to the North Staffordshire Regiment in September 1914. After 9 months training he went to the Front being attached to the Lancashire Fusiliers. He had recently been made sniping Intelligence Officer to his battalion, and it was in the discharge of this duty that he met his death instantaneously from a snipers bullet. His adjutant writes: During the time he has been with us I grew to like him more and more and to respect his many good qualities. He was always cheerful and brave.”
Biography at Dorking Museum