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Lt.Col. A. L. Walker RFA - CWGC


badger40

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Hello All,

As this is my first foray onto the forum please forgive me any faux pas that I may make.

I have recently found some medals belonging to my great great uncle who was Lt.Col. A.L. Walker (b 1864 d 1916) and as a result I am trying to find out more about him as no one else in my family seems to be able to help due to the time gap etc.

I have found a reference to him on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website which says that he died on the 27.12.1916 and is commerrated on a memorial in SS Peter and Paul churchyard in Heydon, Norfolk. However, I have also turned up his name on the local death register for Aylsham, Norfolk. I thought that if he appears on the CWGC lists it meant that he died in action but surely that would mean that he wouldn't appear on the local death register? Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

I know that he served in the 21st Brigade, 4th (Quetta) Indian Division and that this formed part of the 28th Division which went to France in January 1915, forming part of V Corps (?) and saw action at the second battle of Ypres and that he was invalided home in 1915 as a result of wounds.

It then gets a bit murky. Possibly posted to 321st Brigade (?), RFA (Territorial) in Forfar February 1916 and was stationed around the Norwich area training March to October 1916. Could he have gone back to France with his new command and died there?

Unfortunately as I live in Wales I have not yet been able to get up to the NA at Kew to do more detailed research into his service record.

Any help or pointers would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Mark

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The criteria was died in service rather than action, so it did not make any difference if he died in france or England he would be on the register. Gareth

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Thanks very much for clearing that up Gareth.

Any thoughts on how I may be able to kind out whether he died in action or through other natural causes without the trip up to Kew?

Regards

Mark

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  • 4 weeks later...

Would anyone be able to do a look up for me on Lt.Col A L Walker?

I have not managed to get much further with any other research and still have not made it up to the PRO.

Thanks very much indeed

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If he is buried in the UK and died in 1916, he could not have been repatriated after death from Europe as this practice was forbidden from mid-1915.

This will mean that he died in the UK from wounds, illness or accidental injuries sustained in the UK or abroad. His death certificate will give the answer.

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He is not shown in the Royal Artillery commemoration book - it is possible that if he was involved in training around Norfolk he could have been killed in an accident ? There are a number of gunners buried in Shoeburyness churchyard for example who were killed in accidents in the former Artillery barracks there. A high proportion of officers service records survive at Kew so might be worth paying a reearcher to get you a copy - relatively inexpensive.

Regards. Simon

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Can you tell us what the A L Stands for?

Steve.

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Mark: Here is what I can tell you about Lt.-Col. A. L. Walker. Dick Flory

Lt.-Col. Alexander Lamond Walker

Born 18 Apr 64, the son of A Walker of Findynate, Aberfeldy

Educated at Trinity College, Glenalmond in 1881 and at the Royal Military College, Woolwich

Commissioned as a Lieutenant, RA on 28 Jul 83

Served in India from Oct 86 to Oct 92 as a Lieutenant in R Battery, 4th Brigade, Field Artillery at Nusserabad, Bombay

Promoted to Captain, RFA on 10 Aug 92

Served in Gibraltar from Oct 92 to Jul 93 as Battery Captain of 3rd Company, Eastern Division, Garrison Artillery at Gibraltar

Served in India from Oct 93 to Sep 99 as Battery Captain in 15th Battery, RA at Campbellpore and Meerut

Took part in the relief of Chitral (India Medal (1895) with clasp Relief of Chitral 1895

Served as an Adjutant of II Brigade, RFA in South African War from Sep 00 to May 00 (Queen’s South Africa Medal with 2 clasps: Elandgslaagte and Defence of Ladysmith)(Mentioned in Despatches)(invalided home in May 00.

Promoted to Major, RFA on 13 Feb 00

From Mar 00 to Dec 01 was Officer Commanding, 114th Battery, XXV Brigade, RFA at Colchester.

Served in India from Jan 02 to Apr 10 as Officer Commanding, 57th Battery, XLIV Brigade, at Bareilly and Hyderabad.

Promoted to Lt.-Col., RFA on 13 Feb 10

Served in India from Jan 11 to Dec 14 as Officer Commanding, III Brigade, R. F. A. at Rawal Pindi, Nowshera and later Jullundur

Acting Commander, Royal Artillery, 28th Division from 17 Dec 14 to 29 Dec 14; in 1915 was Officer Commanding, 21st Brigade, RFA in the 28th Division.

From early 1916 to his death he served as a Lt.-Col. attached to 4A Reserve Brigade, RFA at Woolwich

Died at Heydon, Norfolk on 27 Dec 16

The Royal Artillery Institution Library at Woolwich has a large photo of him in their photo collection.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Mark: Here is what I can tell you about Lt.-Col. A. L. Walker. Dick Flory

Lt.-Col. Alexander Lamond Walker

Born 18 Apr 64, the son of A Walker of Findynate, Aberfeldy

Educated at Trinity College, Glenalmond in 1881 and at the Royal Military College, Woolwich

Commissioned as a Lieutenant, RA on 28 Jul 83

Served in India from Oct 86 to Oct 92 as a Lieutenant in R Battery, 4th Brigade, Field Artillery at Nusserabad, Bombay

Promoted to Captain, RFA on 10 Aug 92

Served in Gibraltar from Oct 92 to Jul 93 as Battery Captain of 3rd Company, Eastern Division, Garrison Artillery at Gibraltar

Served in India from Oct 93 to Sep 99 as Battery Captain in 15th Battery, RA at Campbellpore and Meerut

Took part in the relief of Chitral (India Medal (1895) with clasp Relief of Chitral 1895

Served as an Adjutant of II Brigade, RFA in South African War from Sep 00 to May 00 (Queen’s South Africa Medal with 2 clasps: Elandgslaagte and Defence of Ladysmith)(Mentioned in Despatches)(invalided home in May 00.

Promoted to Major, RFA on 13 Feb 00

From Mar 00 to Dec 01 was Officer Commanding, 114th Battery, XXV Brigade, RFA at Colchester.

Served in India from Jan 02 to Apr 10 as Officer Commanding, 57th Battery, XLIV Brigade, at Bareilly and Hyderabad.

Promoted to Lt.-Col., RFA on 13 Feb 10

Served in India from Jan 11 to Dec 14 as Officer Commanding, III Brigade, R. F. A. at Rawal Pindi, Nowshera and later Jullundur

Acting Commander, Royal Artillery, 28th Division from 17 Dec 14 to 29 Dec 14; in 1915 was Officer Commanding, 21st Brigade, RFA in the 28th Division.

From early 1916 to his death he served as a Lt.-Col. attached to 4A Reserve Brigade, RFA at Woolwich

Died at Heydon, Norfolk on 27 Dec 16

The Royal Artillery Institution Library at Woolwich has a large photo of him in their photo collection.

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Dick,

Sorry this reply is a little overdue but I have been away. Wonderful information, thank you so very much.

Mark

Mark: Here is what I can tell you about Lt.-Col. A. L. Walker. Dick Flory

Lt.-Col. Alexander Lamond Walker

Born 18 Apr 64, the son of A Walker of Findynate, Aberfeldy

Educated at Trinity College, Glenalmond in 1881 and at the Royal Military College, Woolwich

Commissioned as a Lieutenant, RA on 28 Jul 83

Served in India from Oct 86 to Oct 92 as a Lieutenant in R Battery, 4th Brigade, Field Artillery at Nusserabad, Bombay

Promoted to Captain, RFA on 10 Aug 92

Served in Gibraltar from Oct 92 to Jul 93 as Battery Captain of 3rd Company, Eastern Division, Garrison Artillery at Gibraltar

Served in India from Oct 93 to Sep 99 as Battery Captain in 15th Battery, RA at Campbellpore and Meerut

Took part in the relief of Chitral (India Medal (1895) with clasp Relief of Chitral 1895

Served as an Adjutant of II Brigade, RFA in South African War from Sep 00 to May 00 (Queen’s South Africa Medal with 2 clasps: Elandgslaagte and Defence of Ladysmith)(Mentioned in Despatches)(invalided home in May 00.

Promoted to Major, RFA on 13 Feb 00

From Mar 00 to Dec 01 was Officer Commanding, 114th Battery, XXV Brigade, RFA at Colchester.

Served in India from Jan 02 to Apr 10 as Officer Commanding, 57th Battery, XLIV Brigade, at Bareilly and Hyderabad.

Promoted to Lt.-Col., RFA on 13 Feb 10

Served in India from Jan 11 to Dec 14 as Officer Commanding, III Brigade, R. F. A. at Rawal Pindi, Nowshera and later Jullundur

Acting Commander, Royal Artillery, 28th Division from 17 Dec 14 to 29 Dec 14; in 1915 was Officer Commanding, 21st Brigade, RFA in the 28th Division.

From early 1916 to his death he served as a Lt.-Col. attached to 4A Reserve Brigade, RFA at Woolwich

Died at Heydon, Norfolk on 27 Dec 16

The Royal Artillery Institution Library at Woolwich has a large photo of him in their photo collection.

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  • 3 months later...

Mark

I am also a gt gt nephew of A.L. Walker's (via his sister Marion Eliza Walker who married Hugh Fraser, ICS). According to family lore he was killed in a shooting accident by his son. I have family information and photographs if of interest.

Mark Fraser

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  • 4 years later...

Firstly apologies - this is outside the 1914-18 time frame (although my Granddad did go on to serve in France and later Italy in the 35th Battery).

I am a bit late to join in on this thread - well five years, but I have only just found it.

My interest is the 57th Battery in India. My Granddad was with them from Dec 1902 to Jan 1908

I was wondering if anyone who had any interest had any photos of the battery at that time

It is a long shot but one never knows

Many thanks

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