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Remembered Today:

Rev F.J. Walkey OBE MC


crodgers

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Hi all

I am in the process of researching Rev Frank John Walkey OBE MC and would love to locate any infomation people may have on Frank. I have done the London Gazette serach and have the Medal Roll and was quite excited to find his

MC mention in the Gazette.

"Revd. Frank John Walkey, A./Chapls. Dept. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He was most untiring in his efforts

throughout the day in bringing in the wounded under heavy shell fire, and his courage and perseverance inspired all ranks.

On several previous occasions he has shown the greatest devotion to duty under fire."

From what I gather from the snippetts on the web he served in Palestine.

Dick...... I was searching through the forum and came across an old post by you where you mentioned a book called Northamptonshire and the Great War, 1914-1918", where Fred's name is mentioned. I was hoping that the offer is still on the table as I would love to locate a picture and maybe any info the book has on Fred's wartime exploits .

I know of another book called With the Northampton Territorials in Egypt and Palestine but unfortunately I do not have this one or Northamptonshire and the Great War, 1914-1918 yet.

Any help would be very gratefully received.

Kind Regards

Cam

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Assuming he's an Anglican clergyman, a good place to start is Crockford's Directory which gives details of current and previous posts, when and which dioces ordained, university and the like. Main local reference library should have a set. There's a service record in WO 339/83307 for an F Walkey - officers' records have not been digitised so it would need a trip to The National Archives at Kew to see it. That should give you more if clue as to which units he was attached to during his service, and then you can use their war diaries to see what they were up to

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Hi

The OBE book 1920 states

Walkey, Lt Col Rev Frank John OBE MC

b 10 Nov 1874 s of Thomas Durston Walkey, of Sidmouth, Devonshire.

m Phillis d of the Rev C. Trim Johnson of Southbourne, Hants.

Educ, Osborne House School, Romsay, and Metropolitan Coll, Newington Butts, S.E.

Baptist Minister, now Assistant Principal Chaplain, United Army Board, Egyptian Expid Force.

War Work, Member of Gateshead Voluteer Training Corps, Jan to Jul 1915, Officiating Clergyman, 63rd Div, Aug to Oct 1915.

Commissioned C.F. Oct 1915, served with 63rd Northumbrian Div in England Oct 1915 to April 1916. Appointed United Board Chaplain, 162nd Bde, 54th Div EEF, May1916.

In action with 1 / 4th Northampton Regt at Gaza, Mar, Apr & Nov 1917.

Palestine, Nov to Dec 1917. Senior U.B. Chaplain, Mesopotamia, May 1918.

Assistant Principal Chaplain United Board, Egypt, Nov 1918. Twice Mentioned in Despatches.

Address, Baptist Church House, Southampton Row, W.C. c/o Sir C R McGrigor, Bart & Co, Army Agents London

OBE Mil 3 June 1919

1920 & 1924 Offrs List only list 1 MID 5 Jun 1919

Peter

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The book, "With the Northampton Territorials" was actually a compliation of Rev. Walkey's letters sent to the Northampton Independent from Palestine. Whilst I don't have the book, I do have photos of the pages from which it was compiled.

I also have some information on and a picture of Rev. Walkey (fron Northamptonshire and the Great War) which I will try to compile today, visiting tornadoes, sorry, nephews notwithstanding!

Frank's M.C. was awarded at the 3rd Battle of Gaza.

Steve.

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To be starting on an article on the Rev Walkey from the Northampton Independent of 19-1-1918 and the picture from N&tGW.

post-6536-0-86939000-1312884964.jpg

post-6536-0-65195100-1312885006.jpg

Steve.

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Hi all

Thankyou everybody who has replied...the information you provided was terrific.

David: Thanks for the tip with Crockford's Directory I will chase that up

ForeignGong: Thanks for the info from the OBR Book I didn't have access to it and didn't realise the amount of information that was available

Stebie9173: I really appreciate you taking the time to ditch the tornadoes and scan me the extracts from the Northampton Independent. I do have another question. Do you know if the letters sent to the Northampton Independent are available online anywhere.... ....I would love to locate the extracts from the papers that reprints his letters. I wonder how many letters he sent to the paper???.

Anyway thanks again for all the help. I really appreciate it.

Kind Regards

Cam

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I think that there were only two "letters" - each several pages on the actions of the battalion, the former at the 1st and 2nd Battles of Gaza, and the latter about 3rd Gaza - and I will attempt to find them should I manage to find time any time before the witching hour!

I suspect that Frank Walkey may not be in Crockfords as he was Non-Conformist (Baptist Minister), though I will stand corrected if the Non-Conformists are also listed in Crockfords.

May I ask what your interest in Frank Walkey is, please?

Steve.

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G'day Steve, I recently acquired a pair of binoculars that were owned by Frank. They are etched with his name and all the places he served during the war....Attached are some photos.

My hobby is collecting and researching military items that are named in some way. My wife can't see why I enjoy this. But I tell her I could have worse hobbies.

Can I ask how you came to have all this info on Frank?

Kind Regards

Cam

KGrHqYOKjYE4DgkS2qeBOGfzLTdC_12.jpg

KGrHqQOKkE3v6Mu14BOGf0BQmqw_12.jpg

KGrHqQOKpEE3uRTcLLBOGfyMVo_12.jpg

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I research the Northamptonshire Regiment - all of it - during the Great War period. Rev. Frank Walkey is one of the men I have done a little research on before in the "general scheme of things".

If you send me a PM with your e-mail address I will attempt to send you copies of the pages.

Steve.

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Hi Peter,

Yes I discovered this fact when I went looking for the Crockford's Directory online.

Thanks

Cam

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Ancestry also mentions him on the Gateshead Roll of Honour under "F J Walkey"

Steve.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All,

Below is a writeup of the career of Reverend John Walkey, O.B.E., M.C. who was in the Army Chaplain's Department during the Great War

All credit for this write up goes to Stebie9173 who took the time to draft this bio for me and it makes for and execellent read. Thankyou Steve.

Hopefully you will all find this as informative as I did.

Cam

Reverend John Walkey, O.B.E., M.C.

Temporary Chaplain to the Forces – 4th, 3rd and 2nd Classes

Chaplain to 1/4th (T.F.) Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment

Frank John Walkey was born on 10 November 1874 at Totton, Hampshire, the younger son of Mr Thomas Dunston Walkey (1848-1920), and Mrs Mary Jane Walkey (1847-1921). Thomas Walkey, born at St Columb in Cornwall, and Mary Jane Finnimore, who was originally from Pinhoe near Exeter in Devon, had been married at Axbridge, Somerset in 1871. Thomas and Mary had four children – Thomas Payne was the oldest, born at Southampton in 1872, with Frank and Edith Mary (born 1877), both being born at Totton in the New Forest. By 1881, when their youngest daughter, Florence Maud, was born the family had settled in Romsey, Hampshire.

Whilst living in Romsey, Thomas Dunston Walkey worked as a brewery accountant and manager (almost certainly for Strong's Brewery of Romsey – which brewed under the name of Strong's from 1858 through to 1969). Thomas, Mary Jane and their family lived in Romsey for at least 20 years, originally at "Horsefair" (next to the Brewery) and then at Winchester Street.

The Walkey's did not move on from Romsey until the mid-1900s, by which time all but Florence had married and moved away. By 1911, Thomas Senior and Mary Jane had moved back to Exeter where Mary had grown up and the two of them were living at 6 Peasland Road, Sidmouth, Honiton, Florence having been married at Exeter in 1908.

Frank Walkey was educated at Osborne House School, Romsey and then trained as a Baptist Minister at the Metropolitan College, Newington Butts between 1896 and 1899. Upon being appointed as a Baptist Minister

he was appointed as pastor of the Baptist Church at Blackhorse Road, Walthamstow in June 1899. Shortly after beginning his vocation as a minister, Frank Walkey was married to Hephzibah Johnson (1874-1954) on

3rd September 1900, who was apparently known as "Phillis". Phillis Johnson was the daughter of Charles Trim Johnson (also a Baptist Minister) and Mrs Elizabeth Annie Johnson (nee Phillips, m. 1869), of Southbourne, Portsmouth.

After nearly three years at Blackhorse Road, the Reverend Walkey moved parishes to Leytonstone Road, also in Walthamstow, in March 1902. Both of Frank and Phillis' children – Frank Johnson Walkey (1903) and

Phyllis Joyce Walkey (1908) where born whilst the Walkeys were at Walthamstow. Frank Walkey remained as pastor at Walthamstow until 1910, when he moved north to Gateshead-upon-Tyne to take up the position of pastor at Durham Road Baptist Church. Whilst in Gateshead, the family lived at 4 Fountain Road. Frank technically continued as pastor of Durham Road Baptist church until 1919, though during the war years the parish was under the care of the Reverend Ernest Edward Welton, and it appears that Frank and his family did not return to Gateshead after the war – at least not to resume his ministry at Durham Road Baptist

Church.

Frank Walkey did not immediately enlist into the Army Chaplains Department upon the outbreak of war, but did join the Gateshead Volunteer Training Corps as their Chaplain in January 1915. By mid-1915, Reverend

Walkey applied for a Commission with the Army Chaplains Department and was appointed as a Temporary Chaplain to the Forces, 4th Class (the Army equivalent rank of Captain) on 26th October 1915. His first

appointment was to a home service Division – the 63rd (Northumbrian) Division. Reverend Walkey served with the 63rd Division from October 1915 until April 1916, firstly at Newcastle on Coastal defence duties and

then at Retford. In May 1916, the Reverend Walkey was posted for overseas duty in the Middle East. Sailing from England in late May 1916 (possibly from Devonport aboard the S.S. "Kalyan" on 31st May 1916)

Frank Walkey arrived in Egypt on 10th June 1916. He joined the 162nd Brigade of 54th Division at Suez soon thereafter.

The Suez Canal had been attacked by the Turks in 1915 and, though the attack had been repulsed and the Turks had withdrawn across the Sinai desert, a garrison of British and Colonial troops had been sent to Suez

to guard the canal. As 1916 passed the British pushed their forward posts away from the canal along a line between Kantara and Gaza eventually bringing the "front line" to the southern reaches of Palestine. The 54th

Division did not take part in the advance across the Sinai during 1916, and instead remained in the area of Suez throughout the year. The main problem during the summer of 1916 was the intense heat of the Sinai

desert which virtually all of the British troops would have found a totally alien environment. Heatstroke and the insect borne diseases were the primary problems that faced the medically minded members of the

battalion – including the Chaplain who would often support the battalion Medical Officers in their duties.

Reverend Frank Walkey does not appear on the nominal roll of officers of the 1/4th Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment until January 1917, the same month in which he joined the battalion according

to a letter home in May 1917. He probably fulfilled the role of Non-Conformist ("United Board") Chaplain to 162nd Infantry Brigade between June 1916 and January 1917, though the nominal rolls of the 162nd Brigade do

not list him as a 162nd Brigade Chaplain – instead listing the Rev. Charles Ivo Sinclair Hood (until 22nd September 1916) and the Rev. Herbert Crawford Dixon-Spain (22nd September 1916 to 30th January 1917),

who were both Anglican Chaplains. At the 30th January 1917 each of the four battalions of the 162nd Infantry Brigade were allocated a battalion Chaplain – Rev. Herbert Crawford Dixon-Spain from 162nd Brigade

Chaplain to the 1/11th London Regiment (Finsbury Rifles); Rev Harold Arthur Floud (Anglican) to the 1/10th Londons (Hackney Rifles); M C McVeigh (Roman Catholic Padre) to the 1/5th Bedfords; and Rev. Frank John

Walkey to the 1/4th Northamptons – presumably direct from his post as United Board Chaplain.

At the start of 1917 the bulk of the British troops in Egypt joined the march forward away from the Suez Canal across the Sinai desert and moved to positions south of the Turkish held line between Gaza and Beersheba in Southern Palestine. The 1/4th Northamptons were present at both the 1st and 2nd Battles of Gaza, but only played a peripheral role in the failed 1st Battle of Gaza on 26th March 1917. At the 2nd Battle of Gaza they

were used for a follow up attack on positions east of Gaza on 19th April 1917 after the initial attack on 17th April 1917 had been repulsed.

The casualties of the battalion on the 19th April 1917 were very heavy – 19 officers (out of 21 in battle) and 366 men were killed, missing or wounded – of which the killed in action amounted to eight officers and 130 men.

Over two hundred men passed through the battalion's medical support which included the Reverend Walkey who would have provided both spiritual and medical assistance to the men.

The summer of 1917 was spent plotting the capture of Gaza while the battalions in the trenches held the front line. The Northamptons position was for most of the time adjacent to the beach on the edge of the

Mediterranean Sea. The sea air would have meant that the climate would have been less oppressive than that at Suez. However, the Rev. Walkey did fall sick whilst the battalion held the line in the summer of 1917 and

left the battalion between 28th August and 19th September 1917 to be admitted to hospital.

Returning to the 1/4th Northamptons Frank Walkey was in time to take part in the 3rd Battle of Gaza. The Northamptons part in the battle took place on 2nd November 1917 when the battalion was used as the second

wave of attack to the west of Gaza, though they did take casualties when Turkish reserves counter-attacked the battalion. The Reverend Walkey was in the thick of the battle and was awarded the Military Cross for his

work tending the wounded. His award was promulgated in the London Gazette of 26-3-18 with a Citation published on 24-8-18:

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He was most untiring in his efforts throughout the day in bringing in the wounded under heavy shell fire, and his courage and perseverance

inspired all ranks. On several previous occasions he has shown the greatest devotion to duty under fire."

Soon after the 3rd Battle of Gaza, once the British line had moved north towards Jerusalem, the Northamptons were involved in the defence against a major counter-attack by Turkish infantry at the

German colony of Wilhelma. The battalion resisted the attack and repulsed the Turks with their own counter attack. After the battle at Wilhelma, the Northamptons stayed in positions west of Jerusalem, which came

into British control in December 1917. Whilst stationed in the vicinity of Jerusalem the Reverend Walkey made regular trips into the Holy City.

By the new year of 1918, Frank Walkey's time with the battalion was drawing to a close. In January 1918, he was granted leave to England, probably the first since he embarked to join the battalion in May 1916. He left

the 1/4th Northamptons to proceed to England on a month's Leave (excluding travel time) on 18th January 1918. Frank spent his leave Gateshead apart from two short trips – one in mid-February, when he and his wife

visited Northampton; and an appointment on 9th March 1918 at Buckingham Palace where he received his Military Cross from King George V. Returning to Egypt in March 1918, he rejoined the 1/4th Battalion on 4th

April 1918. He only remained with them for about a month, leaving the battalion in mid-May 1918, his appointment as Chaplain of the 1/4th Northamptons being taken over by Rev. J Hodgson on 20th May 1918.

His departure was to take up a new appointment in Mesopotamia, where he was appointed as Senior United Board Chaplain of a Division – possibly the 13th (Western) Division – by the end of May 1918. He maintained

his rank of Chaplain, 4th Class whilst holding that appointment. He was later appointed as temporary Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class (graded as a Major) whilst acting as a Deputy Assistant Principal Chaplain to

the M.E.F. (Senior Baptist & Congregationalist Chaplain in an Army Corps) from 21st October 1918. He was Mentioned in Despatches - for distinguished services during the period from 1st October 1918 and 31st

December 1918 - as temporary Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class on 5th June 1919.

Frank Walkey's work in Mesopotamia was further rewarded with the award of the O.B.E. as temporary Chaplain to the Forces, 3rd Class, in the King's Birthday Honours list published on 3rd June 1919. Further

promotion within the Headquarters Staff in Mesopotamia came in early 1919 when he was appointed as temporary Chaplain to the Forces, 2nd Class (graded as Lt. Colonel) whilst acting as Assistant Principal

Chaplain to the M.E.F. (i.e. Baptist Chaplain at M.E.F. H.Q. at Baghdad, second only to the Principal Chaplain, M.E.F.). He held that appointment from 24th January 1919 to 31st December 1920, afterwards

reverting to Chaplain, 4th Class. Though probably demobilised some time earlier, Reverend Walkey relinquished his commission on 1st September 1921, and was granted the rank of Honorary Chaplain to the

Forces, 2nd Class. His status was altered upon reorganisation of the Territorial Reserve, being appointed as Chaplain to the Forces 2nd Class in the T.F. Reserve on 22nd September 1923. Frank Walkey finally retired as a Chaplain to the Forces upon attaining the age limit for recall – 60 years – on 10th November 1934.

After the war – probably in early 1921 – Frank Walkey moved to Northampton where he spent over ten years as Area Superintendent for the Baptist Union. Frank and his family lived at 47 Hazelwood Road, Central

Northampton in the early 1920s, and then at "Matzar", 15 Woodland Avenue, Abington, Northampton during the later 1920s and early 1930s. Whilst at Northampton, he was Co-Author of the book "Methods in Youth

Work", published in 1931. In about 1934 the Walkeys moved to "San Michele", Lowndes Avenue, Chesham where Frank also worked as Baptist Union Area Manager. They lived at Chesham until Frank Walkey's death

in 1949. Hephzibah/Phillis Walkey outlived her husband by five years, and died in 1954.

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Any grammar error in the above are mine. Any typesetting is Cam's!

If there are any factual errors - it was the gremlins, wot did it... As with all these things they are limited by the information, but I hope I have not taken too many liberties in the bits "between the lines".

Apologies for the lack of sourcing, but the visiting nephews have restricted my time. And the beer festival that starts here tomorrow means that sources won't be added any time soon! (That's real beer Cam, not any of that "Amber Necktie" stuff... :D )

Steve.

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  • 1 year later...

Hi

Just seen this many months after the original posting. Frank John Walkey was a student of the College where I have worked as Librarian and Archivist for the past 28 years. This college is Spurgeon's College but often referred to in Revd Walkey's time as the Metropolitan College as it operated then from a building behind the Metropolitan Tabernacle Church, Newington Butts, London - this area is more popularly known as the Elephant and Castle. The College was founded by the Victorian Baptist preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, in 1856 and over the years has trained many people for Baptist ministry and other forms of Christian leadership. The College is now on South Norwood Hill, a few miles south of its original site.

Throughout his life Frank Walkey remained in touch with the College and, indeed, was Chairman of the College Council from 1947-1949. We have various photographs of Frank in the archive.

In 2001 we were presented with his military medals (his Military Cross and other WW1 medals) by his family and they are now in our archive, together with 2 documents relating to the awarding of the MC. The College's website is www.spurgeons.ac.uk

Interesting to see that Frank's binoculars ended up on the other side of the world. Fascinating!

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Jpowles,

Thanks for taking the time to reply to me. and thankyou for the extra bit of information...it all helps to build the story of the man. I would imagine being the Librarian of your College is a tad more interesting than being the librarian for a law firm (that's what I do).

Would the college allow scans of the photos as I would love a couple of extra photos plus any other information you might have, I am more than willing to pay any cost etc.

Kind Regards

Cam

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest Jpowles

Hello Cam

Sorry for long delay in replying (mind you not as long as between your first posting in 2011 and mine in 2013!). I will see what I can do in the way of photos. I just need to go up to the archive with my trusty camera. Will be in touch soon(ish) and hopefully before another 2 years go by. And yes, being the Librarian here is amazing - which is why I have been on the staff for so long! Never a dull moment.

All the best

Judy P.

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  • 2 years later...
Guest Phantomjasmine

Hi there

I have been researching the history of my house in Walthamstow and have discovered that in 1901 the Rev. Walkey and his wife lived there.

He appears to be a very interesting man, and I have read with interest the above posts.

He seems to have been a very powerful minister as when Pastor of Harrow Green Baptist Church in 1903 the attendance exceeded 500.

Regards

Heather

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Hi Heather

Sorry for the delay in replying. Nice bit of history to have regarding your house.

I have some PDF's of letters he wrote from the battlefield to a newspaper in the UK if you are interested.

Here is a link to my Picassa Album with all I have collected.

https://picasaweb.google.com/113587708939927485540/WorldWarOneBinocularsToLtColRevFrankJohnWalkey

Cam

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Guest Phantomjasmine

Thanks Cam, I'm going to write up an article for the Walthamstow Historical Society newsletter, I hope you don't mind if I pilfer your article for the military history.

The PDFs will be great, as is your album, it's a shame the local archive/museum doesn't have any photos of the Churches in Walthamstow and Leytonstone (one was a "Tin Tabernacle" and was replaced by the present building, the other was gutted during WW2) where he preached, in fact, they knew nothing about him at all, when I showed them the biography you'd put on here with the newspaper cutting, they immediately opened a file on him!

The Rev. Walkey is in the 1900 Kelly's street directory at 26 Rectory Road, Walthamstow, the house was newly built, he and his wife were present for the census, then in 1902 he moved to 68 Davies Lane, Leyton and in 1907 the family are at 77 Bushwood, Leytonstone, (also from Kelly's)

Regards

Heather

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Hi Heather,

Not at all...I would love a copy when you are done to add to the collection

Kind Regards

Cam

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