Name
George Henry Watson Walker
1879
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
08/05/1918
39
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
S/10801
Seaforth Highlanders
3rd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
SAWBRIDGEWORTH (GREAT ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD
62.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
In Loving Memory
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, Central Methodist Church Memorial, Letchworth, Not on the Sawbridgeworth Memorial
Pre War
George Henry Watson Walker was born in 1879 to Frederick Walker, bricklayer, and Mary Ann (nee Winn).
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, Sarah E (born 1880), George, Albert (born 1884), Florence (born 1886), Ada L (born 1889), Fred L (born 1891) were living at Eastcroft Road, Crowle, Thorne, Lincs.
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Sarah E, Albert (born 1884), Florence, Ada L, Fred L (born 1891) were living at Pinfold Road, Crowle, Thorne, Lincs.
On the 1911 Census the family of parents, Florence & Alma born (1896), were both farm labourers, Elsie (born 1900), Beatrice (born 1903) and Melitta (born 1906) were living at Common Side, Crowle, Thorne. It is difficult to be sure, but is seems that George was a gardener and a boarder at 39 Commercial Road, Bedford in 1911 and at some time he lived at 2 Station Road, Soham, Ely, Cambridgeshire.
On 29 Aug 1911, George married Louisa Bradley at St Annes, Brondesbury, Brent, in London. They settled in Letchworth and had one son John W who was born in August 1913. They were Methodists and regularly attended church where they lived.
Enlisted in Hitchin
Wartime Service
George enlisted in Hitchin as Private S/10881 in the Seaforth Highlanders and was posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion. No Service Record was found for George, his medal records card shows no other regiment and there is no record of him serving abroad, but his award of Medals suggests otherwise.
Newspaper Account of Inquest: 'Dr. Collins held an inquest at Sawbridgeworth on Lance-Corporal George Henry Watson Walker, Seaforth Highlanders, aged 41, twice wounded and suffering from shell-shock, who was run over by a train at Spelbrook. P.c. Eames produced a note found on the body, saying, "Dear Biddy, I have destroyed everything. This is the end. Good-bye. Think as well as you can of me. It is all for the best, at least I hope so. George." - Susan Louisa Biddlecombe, of Takeley, said she was a nurse-masseuse in a war hospital. She had known deceased since February, 1917, when he was a patient under her in Ireland. They had since corresponded. She last had a conversation with him a month ago at Northampton, and since then she had received a note from him posted at Hitchin. From what he said she imagined he was a deserter. Last Monday night at 11 o'clock she heard pebbles at her window and his voice call "Susie." She was frightened and ran downstairs to her mother, who opened a window and told him to go. They thought he went, but found afterwards that he slept in an outhouse. She saw him from a window in the yard on Tuesday morning, and heard her father tell him to take his things and go. She had been home ill for three weeks, and returned to her duties on Wednesday. The deceased sometimes called her "Biddy." "I have destroyed everything" she believed to refer to her letters and photographs. - P.C. Johnson said "Good-bye, Louie; good-bye John." at the end of the note referred to the deceased's wife and child. Verdict, Suicide during temporary insanity.
And from Hertfordshire Mercury 18th May 1918:
'He had been wounded twice in this war (1914-18) and also twice in the South African war. He had also suffered from shell-shock and was very nervous. He could not rest anywhere, and was strange in his manner. The witness knew that he had deserted his Regiment. His wife had returned to live at Letchworth last Monday. The witness wished the Coroner to know that since the deceased received shell-shock in France in July 1916, he had gradually become worse. On that occasion, he had lain for 36 hours before being picked up.'
George Walker died 8 May 1918 (hospital, Bishop Stortford and was buried in Great St. Mary’s churchyard, Sawbridgeworth.
Additional Information
He was inadmissable for a War Gratuity but arrears of 19s 2d was paid to his widow.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Dan Hill, Janet Capstick, Jonty Wild, Douglas Coe
