Thank you to Patricia Brazier for the following research.
Walter was born in Beddington in 1892. His Parents were Alfred, a civil servant and Annie Caroline. Although Walter was born in Beddington, his father Alfred was born in Tavistock, Devon and his mother Annie Caroline (nee) Weller was born in Lewisham, Kent. They married in Croydon in the September quarter of 1890.
In the 1891 census, Walter’s parents are living at 7 Charlotte Road, Beddington. Living with them are Alfred’s mother Jane, his brother-in-law James Agnew and James’ three children; Isidore aged 16 a tailor’s Apprentice; Ada aged 13 and Alfred aged 12, both at school.
In the 1901 census the family are still in Beddington. Walter is 9 years old and Ada is still living with them.
The 1911 census finds the family at ‘Anderton’ Lonsdale Road, Dorking. Walter is an insurance clerk. Alfred has retired and Ada is still living with them and is a school mistress. No sisters or brothers for Walter.
Walter enlisted into the army in Guildford on 9th February 1916 having passed his medical in November 1915, his occupation was a clerk. His attestation papers show that he was 5 feet 6 and 3 quarter inches tall, he weighed 119 lbs and was in good physical condition. He had a hernia and was fitted with a truss; this was “not considered sufficient to cause rejection”. On 14th April 1916 he was hospitalised with German measles, then on 19th April 1916 with Scarlet Fever, he was discharged from hospital on 31st May 1916.
In the Dorking Advertiser of 28th October he is reported as “missing”. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission gives his date of death as 3rd September 1916. At the time his battalion was in France attempting to capture Givenchy. Walter’s name is on the Theipval Memorial in France. This memorial shows the names of 72,246 British Empire Servicemen who died in the Battles of the Somme who have no known grave.
The Surrey Advertiser reported his death on 28th April 1917.
Walter’s probate records show that he left £366 10s 7d to his father. Walter’s mother died in 1913, before Walter joined the army. His father Albert continued to live in Dorking; he died in 1926 and left his estate in the hands of his Bank Manager and his solicitor.
| Born | Beddington | |
| Lived | Dorking | |
| Son of | Alfred and the late Annie Caroline Willcock | |
| Regiment | 8th Battalion. The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment | |
| Number | G/7534 | |
| Date of Death | 3rd September 1916 | |
| Place of Death | France | |
| Cause of Death | Killed in Action | |
| Age | 25 | |
| Memorial | Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France |
