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Walter Henry Tennyson Ashbridge was born in Beverley on 19 Feb 1890 and he was baptised at Beverley Minster on 16 May of that year. His parents had married in 1877. Walter’s father, John Edward Needham Ashbridge was an agricultural labourer born in Catwick in 1857 and his mother, Elizabeth Ann (nee Pinching) was born in 1855 in Norfolk. Walter had 6 siblings-Benjamin, Herbert, Charles, Percy, Lavinia and Kate. The family originally lived in Molescroft, later living at 27 Lairgate and Hind’s Yard, Keldgate, Beverley. Herbert’s father died in 1894 and in 1897 his mother married Mathew Henry Baildom, born in 1856 at Great Carlton, Lincolnshire, a shepherd and farm worker. They moved to Harworth, Nottinghamshire and later to Stancil and Bawtry near Doncaster. The family continued to be divided between Beverley and that area. Walter was employed in farming, as a cowman, in 1901 living at 3 Holme Church Lane and working for Alex Hamillton, before he joined up he was a horseman on the Hancock Farm at Newington near Doncaster.
Walter enlisted on 9 Dec 1915 at Grimsby joining the 11th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment as a Private. On 8 Apr 1916 he was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps as a driver. On 27 Mar 1918 at Rosieres on the Somme Walter was taken prisoner; at this time the Germans were advancing westwards and forcing a British retreat. Walter was transferred to Germany and was held at a POW camp at Giessen in central Germany. He was repatriated on 16 Dec 1918 following the Armistice. He left the army in Feb 1919. He was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
Walter returned to Beverley living at 116 Lairgate. On 27 Dec 1919 he married Lucy Boutell at Beverley Minster, they had two children, Leslie born 1920, and Alan born 1930. In 1939 was living at Long Sandal near Doncaster and working as a cowman. Walter died at Oakham, Rutland in 1968 aged 78. Lucy died in 1972.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |