Born: 1891, Bradford
Died: 9 July 1916, Somme
Buried: Le Treport Military Cemetery
Address: 129 Victoria Terrace, Fagley
Parents: Thomas, Mary Alice, nee Fishwick
Spouse: Beatrice Drake, nee Heron
Siblings: Two brothers, three step-sisters
Occupation: Clerk, Aire & Calder Navigation
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Eccleshill, Park and St Luke’s
Children: Beatrice
Regiment: West Yorkshire
Walter Smith
Walter Smithwas born in 1891 in
Bradford the son of Thomas and
Mary Alice, nee Fishwick.
Thomas had been married before
and had two daughters by his first
wife, Louisa.
Before her marriage to Thomas,
Mary Alice Fishwick had a history
of being imprisoned for being
drunk and disorderly.
After her marriage to Thomas she
and her daughter Annie Fishwick
went to live with Thomas and his
family at 19 Planetrees Road where
Walter were born.
By 1901 the family were living at
15 Planetrees Road. Upon his
enlistment Walter was a clerk at the
offices of the Aire and Calder
Navigation Company on Canal
Road.
Walter enlisted in
September 1914 as
Private 16/451 in the
16th Battalion of the
Prince of Wales Own
(West Yorkshire
Regiment).
On the 1st of May 1915
on home leave from
Raikswood Camp at
Skipton Walter married
Beatrice Drake Heron at
St Luke’s Church, Eccleshill.
Walter was 23 years of age and
described himself as a private in the
ranks. Beatrice was 23 years of age
living at 129 Victoria Terrace,
Eccleshill and the daughter of John
Heron deceased, a tapster. Their
daughter Beatrice was born later
that year.
On the 17th December
1915 his regiment set
sail for Alexandria in
Egypt arriving on the
22nd. In March 1916
they left Port Said
aboard HMT Briton
bound for Marseilles in
France.
They travelled by train
to Pont Remy, a few
miles south east of
Abbeville and marched to
Bertrancourt arriving on 29 March
1916 in readiness for the
forthcoming battle of the Somme.
His unit were in the front line and
went over the top on the 1st July
1916 on the first day of the battle.
He wrote home from hospital to say
that he had been wounded in the
right shoulder but then died a week
later on the 9th of July from his
wounds. He was 25 years of age.
He is buried in the Le Treport
Military Cemetery, Dieppe. Le
Treport was an important hospital
centre with several hospitals
containing nearly 10,000 beds.
His widow Beatrice received his
effects of £3.0.5d on the 13th
November 1916 and a War Gratuity
of £8.0.0d on the 18th September
1919.
A year after his death Beatrice
placed a Memorial in the Bradford
Argus as follows: “It may be a
soldier’s honour to die at his
country’s call but it is hard to
remember that when I lost my one
and all.”
Researched and written by Jean
Britteon, to whom many thanks
