Born: 1894, Shipley
Died: 10 August 1915
Buried:
Address: 77 Kirkgate, Shipley
Parents: John William and Mary
Spouse:
Siblings: Frank, William, Cyril
Occupation: Plumber’s apprentice
Organisations/clubs: Oddfellows
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: St Paul’s. Shipley; Ypres, Menin Gate Memorial
Children:
Regiment: 1/6 West Yorkshire
Fred Walker
Fred was second-eldest son of
Shipley carpenter and joiner John
William Walker and his
Herefordshire-born wife Mary.
The 1911 census shows that the
couple had been married 21 years
and four of their six children
survived: Frank, Fred, William and
Cyril. The family lived at 77
Kirkgate, Shipley.
It was to there that Sgt H Clarke,
another Shipley soldier who came
from 25 Clifton Place, Bradford
Road, sent a letter to say: ‘It is
with deep regret that I write to
break the news that your dear son
Frederick was killed this afternoon
just before five o’clock.
‘We had been flooded out and
were cleaning away the water
when a small shell caught us,
wounding one corporal and
killing poor Fred.
‘I express the heartfelt sympathy
of myself and all his comrades in
the company. The only thing I can
say to lighten your sad
bereavement is that he died at his
post, a good soldier and that he
did not suffer as death was
instantaneous.
‘It has cast a gloom over us all
and upset us for the time being,
but we have to go on and do our
duty.
‘Being a Shipley man and his
platoon sergeant, I thought I
would be the first to break the
sad news. Again I give you the
whole-hearted sympathy of all
who were associated with him.’
Fred Walker was 21 years old
and had been in France just
under four months. Before the
war he worked as a plumber’s
apprentice at A Bagnall & Son.
He was a member of the
Oddfellows.
In a separate letter, another
colleague told his parents that
they had laid him to rest and
erected a cross over his grave.
Based on a report in the Shipley
Times & Express 20 August 1915
