| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Walter Cross was born in Walkington in 1897 and baptised at All Saints’ Parish Church in the village on 21 November. He was the eldest son of Robert Edward Cross and Emily Cross (nee Staveley). Robert was from Middleton on the Wolds and had been a farm labourer in his early life but by the time of the war he was working as a general labourer at the East Riding Asylum in Walkington. Emily was from Lund and had married Robert in 1895. Walter was one of five children, his brothers, Jack born 1899 and Thomas born 1902, were farm workers. The family home was at East End in the village.
Walter served as a driver in the Royal Field Artillery, possibly with 132 Battery in 29th Division who were involved at the Somme in 1916 and at Ypres and Cambrai in 1917. It also seems that Walter had been a driver in the RFA Territorial Force. The role of driver was to steer the team of horses pulling the howitzer guns. Walter was awarded the War and Victory Medals
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |