Name
Sidney Walker
9 Jun 1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/08/1915
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Rifleman
S/6517
Rifle Brigade
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Y FARM MILITARY CEMETERY, BOIS-GRENIER
Row M, Grave 41.
France
Headstone Inscription
R.I.P.
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Watford, Not on the Tring memorials
Pre War
Sidney Walker was born on 9 Jun1893 in Buckland, Bucks., to John Walker, and Sarah (nee Dwight). His parents married 1880 in the Berkhamsted, Herts, district. John died either in 1897 in the Aylesbury, Bucks, district aged 39 or in 1898 in the Wycombe, Bucks, district aged 50; Sarah died 1953 in the St Alban’s, Herts, district aged 94.
On the 1901 Census, aged 7 Sidney lived in Buckland, with his widowed mother, Florence (born 1887), Gilbert James (born 1889), Amy (born 1891), Sidney, May (born 1895), Jessie (born 1896) together with John Tott, boarder.
Sidney attended Victoria School, Watford; then Beechen Grove Board School, Watford, from 8 Jan to 7 Jun 1907.
On the 1911 Census, a shop and house lad aged 17, he lived at 5, Sotheron Road, Watford, with his widowed mother, Gilbert, Amy, May Jessie and nephew Cyril John (born 1906).
Wartime Service
No Service record was found for Sidney, who enlisted in Deptford, Kent as Private S/6517 in the Rifle Brigade, probably soon after the Great War commenced.
He was posted into the 2nd Battalion which had returned to UK from India on 22 Oct 1914. The 2nd Battalion as part of 25 Brigade, 8 Division, went to France landing at Le Havre on 7 Nov 1914. Sidney went to France on 18 May 1915 possibly in a draft of Officers and men. He was killed in action on 1 Aug 1915.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £3 and arears of £2 5s 10d was paid to his mother Sarah.
Unfortunately, Sidney’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing. There is an article about Sidney in the Watford Illustrated dated 2 October 1915. Has a entry in the National Roll of the Great War.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk), Jonty Wild
