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John Reed Walker

A Private with 8th Bn., John died on 7th of June 1917 at the age of 26. 

John was born at Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, on 31 December 1891, a son of Charles Asquith Walker and Maude Clarke Walker. By 1901 his family were living at 88 Craven Road, Leeds, and in 1911 at 36 Shakespeare Road, Rotherham, and John worked as a chemist. After the First World War his family moved to Lowestoft and lived at of 42 A High Street. See house on LowestoftOldAndNow.org

John was living at 36 Shakespeare Road, Rotherham, and working as a trapeze artist, when he enlisted in the Army at Rotherham on 10 December 1915. Initially he was on the reserve, but he was called up for service on 8 January 1916. He joined the York and Lancaster Regiment and served with the 3rd Battalion before being posted to the 8th Battalion. He embarked for France on 6 April 1916 and joined the Battalion, in the field, on 28 April 1916. 

John would have been with the Battalion when they attacked German positions near Ovillers on 1 July 1916 and sustained heavy losses. 

On 6 June 1917 the 8th Battalion moved into assembly positions at Mount Sorrell and Maple Street in readiness for the attack the next day, which was part of the Battle of Messines Ridge. At zero hour, 3.10 a.m., the attack began and at 6.50 a.m. the 8th Battalion moved off to attack the final objective: positions near Image Crescent. They took their objective along with a strong point on the right and a feature known as the Knoll. There were no counter attacks.

The battalion’s casualties were:
Officer: one killed, two missing believed killed, six wounded
Other ranks: an estimated 300 casualties   

John was presumed to have been killed in action on 7 June.

John's brother Bernard died in 1915 whilst serving with the Royal Engineers. 

Lived at

John Walker
42a
High Street
Lowestoft
United Kingdom

52.4832331, 1.7564845

CountryOfService
United Kingdom
BranchService
Army
Regiment
York and Lancaster Regiment
ServiceNumber
24004
Burial/Memorial
Belgium
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 36.

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