Name
Walter Geary
1886
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/06/1915
29
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
8137
Border Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HELLES MEMORIAL
Panel 120 to 126 or 222 and 223.
Turkey (including Gallipoli)
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Northchurch Village Memorial, St Mary’s Church Window, Northchurch, St Francis of Assisi Memorial, Hammerfield, St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor, Not on the Berkhamsted Town Memorial
Pre War
Walter Geary was born in 1886 in Northchurch, Nr Berkhamsted, Herts, the son of William and Annie Geary, and baptised there on 4 April 1886. On the 1891 Census the family were living at Bell Lane, Northchurch, Herts, where his father was working as a Labourer. They remained in Northchurch on the 1901 Census at High Street, his father was working as a Brickmaker and Walter was a labourer at a Chemical Manufacturer.
Walter joined the local Militia, as Private 4940 in "D" Company 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment and on 4 December 1905 enlisted in Berkhamsted into the 1st Border Regiment as Private 8137. He reported to Border Regimental Depot at Carlisle on 8 December and was posted to 1st Battalion on 24 Jan 1906. Qualified as Mounted Infantry 4 Mar 1906.
He had postings to Gibraltar and India (Burma) before returning to UK and transferring to the Army Reserve in May 1912.
His parents and siblings continued to live in Northchurch and were living at Bank Cottages on the 1911 Census.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war he was called back into service with the Border regiment and went to France on 19 Oct 1914 until 10 Feb 1915.
Walter left the UK on 25 May 1915 from Plymouth to join the 1st Battalion on the Gallipoli Peninsula, landing on 25 May 1915. On 28 June 1915 he was wounded in action with a gunshot wound to the chest and neck and treated at 87 Field Ambulance before being transferred to Hospital Ship Somali.
His Unit posted him ‘wounded and missing’ on 28 Jun. Walter died of wounds at sea, on the hospital ship Somali, on 28/29 Sept 1915, with a gunshot wound to the lungs. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli.
Additional Information
Walter's father received a war gratuity of £5 and his mother received his pay owing of £5 18s 4d. Pension records exist and suggest that his mother received a pension in respect of Frederick and his brother Walter although no amount is given.
His brother Frederick also served in 1st Battalion Border Regiment, and was killed in action on 14 May 1915 and is also named on the Helles Memorial
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk/first-world-war-database-hemelatwar.org
