Name
Walter Richard Sims
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
43
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
265112
3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
UK & Other Memorials
Croxley Green Village Memorial, Croxley Green
All Saints' Church Shrine, Croxley Green
Pre War
Walter Sims was born in Stroud Gloucestershire in 1879.
In 1911 he lived with his wife Martha and their two month old daughter Joan at 24 Hamilton Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill. He worked as a stockbroker’s clerk. He and Martha (nee Quelch) of Yorke Road, Croxley Green, had married on 3 July 1909. They had two children, both born in Harrow, Joan on 7 February 1911 and Pauline on 3 December 1912.
During his war service, the family address was given as Yorke Road, Croxley Green. Martha was baptised at All Saints on 2 May 1886. Her parents were John and Ann Quelch.
Wartime Service
On 25th October 1912, Walter Sims enlisted as a Territorial in the 3rd County of London Yeomanry. He was 33 years and 7 months old.
From 14 April 1915 to 1 May 1916 Private Walter Sims served with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Gallipoli. From 2 May 1916 until 3 June 1917 he joined the Salonika Army and then from 4 June 1917 he was posted to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. He was invalided home with mental illness on 6 December 1918 to the Royal Hospital Netley, near Southampton. Walter Sims was discharged as no longer physically fit for war service on 21 December 1918. His military record states that his disability was ‘general paralysis of the insane, not attributable and not aggravated by military service (constitutional)’.
His death was registered in St. Albans in the fourth quarter of 1922.
Additional Information
Not found in the CWGC records.
Acknowledgments
Brian Thomson, Croxley Green in the First World War’ by Brian Thomson (Rickmansworth Historical Society 2014)
