Name
Albert John Walker
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
NA
Biography
David Walker, the grandson of Albert informs us that Albert John Walker was born on July 18th 1882 in Pirton and was the son of John Walker (also Albert John).
Parish and census records confirm the birth date and that Albert was born to John and Lucy Walker (née Presland). He would have been thirty-two at the outbreak of war. Baptism records list six children: Florence Ann (b 1879), Albert John (b 1882), James (bapt 1885), Eleanor Rose (b 1888, sometimes recorded as Helena), Daisy (b 1893) and Nellie (b 1897).
David also added that Albert married Florence in 1907 and by 1908 they were living in Conford. Albert was working as a baker and they had a son, Albert Edward.
His research also provided the following information: Albert appears to have joined the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment and according to the Imperial War Museum his regimental number was 8000. However, that would suggest that he was in the army in 1904, which does not appear to be correct. The Bedfordshire Regiment went overseas on August 15th 1914 and fought in the first battle of Mons. At some point he was captured by the Germans and became a prisoner of war, possibly the Albert Walker shown in records as arriving in the POW camp at Schiesspl on March 4th 1915. Albert received the 1914 Mons Star, confirming that he fought in France or Belgium between the outbreak of war in August 1914 and midnight on November 22nd 1914. By the time he was issued with his Victory and war service medals he was an acting Corporal.
After the war, he became a railway policeman and in 1926 he and Florence had another child, Olive (b 1926). Albert died in May 8th 1950, aged sixty-seven and Florence died in 1948.
Additional Information
The photograph is Albert John Walker with his prison guard, surprisingly he looks smarter than his guard. Text from the book ‘The Pride of Pirton’ by Jonty Wild, Tony French & Chris Ryan used with author's permission.
Acknowledgments
Text from the book ‘The Pride of Pirton’ by Jonty Wild, Tony French & Chris Ryan used with author's permission, David Walker
