coombesy Posted 26 June , 2014 Share Posted 26 June , 2014 I've been researching ancestors who fought in WW1 with my 13 year old daughter who is doing a project after a recent school trip to the battlefields in northern France. We have already identified 4 on my mums side - 2 of whom were killed in action - but we have reached stalemate on 1 from my dad's side. Alfred Walker The name is Alfred Walker and we are trying to establish for certain that the Private Alfred Walker No 41993 Royal Irish Fusiliers who is remembered at Harlebeke and was killed 21st October 1918 at just 19 years old is the same Alfred Walker from my grandma's family as per the 1911 census. Civilian Alfred Walker was born 1900 in Fulham. In 1911 his family were living at 43 Pearscroft Rd, Fulham. Alfreds parents were William Joseph Walker and Annie Walker. A quick check with CWGC and the National Roll shows that Private Walker's parents were William and Annie Walker living at 44 Bulow Rd, Fulham. We still think they could be one and the same because a look at the current Fulham area shows a Bulow Court (not Road) which is located off Pearscroft Road just a short walk from the gas works where William Walker worked and we know that they lived somewhere else in 1901 so think it is quite possible that in the 7 years between the 1911 census and 1918 when Private Walker died that the family had moved again - especially since the addresses are so close together. It would be a huge coincidence if there was another Alfred Walker born 1900 to parents William and Annie living just around the corner! I want to believe they are one and the same but I want to be sure. Is there another source of information that may help me prove for certain that these are the same people? Anything I have not thought of?! Any help or advice would be gratefully received. Thankyou Yvonne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterhastie Posted 26 June , 2014 Share Posted 26 June , 2014 UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 about Alfred Walker Name: Alfred Walker Birth Place: Fulham, S.w., Middx. Residence: Fulham Death Date: 21 Oct 1918 Death Place: France and Flanders Enlistment Place: London Rank: Private Regiment: Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Battalion: 1st Battalion Regimental Number: 41993 Type of Casualty: Killed in action Theatre of War: Western European Theatre British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 about Alfred Walker Name: Alfred Walker Gender: Male Birth Date: abt 1899 Age at Enlistment: 18 Residence Place: 44 Balow Bow, Fulham Document Year: 1917 Regimental Number: 41993 Regiment Name: Training Reserve Battalion Number of Images: 34 Form Title: Short Service Attestation The papers are pretty faded and could have been transcribed wrongly hence the misspelling of the residence. If your not a subscriber to Ancestry your local library should do it for free Landed in France after 31.12.1915 This section of the War Diary should cover his KIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 26 June , 2014 Share Posted 26 June , 2014 Welcome to the forum Yvonne, there are service papers for Pte 41993 Alfred Walker on ancestry albeit the detail scant and very feint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coombesy Posted 27 June , 2014 Author Share Posted 27 June , 2014 UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 about Alfred Walker Name: Alfred Walker Birth Place: Fulham, S.w., Middx. Residence: Fulham Death Date: 21 Oct 1918 Death Place: France and Flanders Enlistment Place: London Rank: Private Regiment: Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Battalion: 1st Battalion Regimental Number: 41993 Type of Casualty: Killed in action Theatre of War: Western European Theatre British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 about Alfred Walker Name: Alfred Walker Gender: Male Birth Date: abt 1899 Age at Enlistment: 18 Residence Place: 44 Balow Bow, Fulham Document Year: 1917 Regimental Number: 41993 Regiment Name: Training Reserve Battalion Number of Images: 34 Form Title: Short Service Attestation The papers are pretty faded and could have been transcribed wrongly hence the misspelling of the residence. If your not a subscriber to Ancestry your local library should do it for free Landed in France after 31.12.1915 This section of the War Diary should cover his KIA Thankyou for this - I will have to try the local library as haven't got ancestry membership at the moment. The War Diary link is something new to me - before I pay the £3.30 to access it though have you any idea what information it will provide? Is it a summary of where his regiment went throughout the war? I only ask because I paid this for the medal index card and there was not very much useful on it! Thank you once again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coombesy Posted 27 June , 2014 Author Share Posted 27 June , 2014 Welcome to the forum Yvonne, there are service papers for Pte 41993 Alfred Walker on ancestry albeit the detail scant and very feint Thankyou very much - I will try the local library see if I can look it up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterhastie Posted 27 June , 2014 Share Posted 27 June , 2014 War Diaries The War Diary has been split up because the Battalion was transferred between Divisions and Brigades, R.I.F. The link i gave you, for the War Diary, only covers the period 1918 Feb. - 1919 Feb which covers Alfreds service with the 1st battalion RIF. From the Service Record he arrived France 5.4.1918. He is unlikely to be mentioned by name in the War Diary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin spof Posted 27 June , 2014 Admin Share Posted 27 June , 2014 There are a few transcripts of war diaries on LLT and as luck would have it, I was on the Royal Horse Artillery page and saw a link to one. This is an example of what you might find: http://www.1914-1918.net/Diaries/wardiary-158BdeRFA.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coombesy Posted 27 June , 2014 Author Share Posted 27 June , 2014 Thanks for all your help - I have found a pensions record on Ancestry which gives William Walker as the next of kin and lo and behold the address given is the Bulow Road one - I am now certain that they are one and the same and it appears that Alfred's dad William served in the 3rd Border Regiment so looks like I have another one to look into. Thanks so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickmetcalfe Posted 4 July , 2014 Share Posted 4 July , 2014 The 1st Battalion had been sustained by Irish reinforcements until 1918, when it received an influx of English reinforcements. The draft that Alfred was part of comprised men of The London Regiment. Posted from 22nd (Reserve) Battalion, a maximum of 147 men were transferred to Princess Victoria’s (Royal Irish Fusiliers) at ‘A’ Infantry Base Depot on 6 April 1918. They were allocated numbers in the batch 41929 to 42075 (137 men have been identified). The majority of these men were 18-years-old conscripts who had been mobilized for training in late-1917. Most joined the 1st Battalion on 8 April 1918. Sadly, the week of 21 October was the last week that the Battalion was in action. Alfred was among the last casualties. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 4 July , 2014 Share Posted 4 July , 2014 It is always nice to have the original source for your research. This is the entry from Soldiers Died in the Great War Part 68. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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