| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Private Walter Hammonds enlisted in Beverley, 15 May 1914, joining the Territorial Army, the 1st/4th East Yorkshire Regiment. He arrived in France on 1 Sep 1915. The Beverley Guardian of 10 Nov 1917 noted that Walter had been “wounded twice and gassed” but does not provide dates or details. It is clear that he received unspecified but serious wounds towards the end of the war for he was discharged from the army on 26 Mar 1919, considered unfit for further service. He was awarded the Silver Badge. He was also awarded the War and Victory Medals as well as the 1914-15 Star.
Walter was born in Woodmansey, 2 Jun 1896. His father George Botham, born 1846, a farm worker married Agnes Annie Biglin, born 1861 near Withernsea, at Beverley Minster in 1880. They had six children, two daughters died and four sons. George died in1893. Agnes had two further sons Walter in 1896 and Harry in 1898, she married Harry Clark in 1906 and to died later in taht year. Her sons were brought up by Harry, living at 3 School Lane, Walkergate. He was a fish merchant and many of the sons would work for him. Walter joined the Post Office and in 1911 was working as a messenger boy, he would later become a postman.
On 27 Jul 1918, whilst still in the army, Walter married Lilian Paxton at Christ Church, Gipsy Hill, Norwood in South London. Lilian was the daughter of a coachman and was in service. The couple moved to Beverley and had three children, Arthur born 1920, Marjorie born 1921, and Betty born 1923. In 1925 the family was living at Ouston Terrace, Morton Lane and by 1939 had moved to 41 Norwood. Walter died in Congleton, Cheshire on 27 Dec 1980 and was buried at Beverley’s Queensgate Cemetery on 20 Jan 1981. Lilian died in 1965.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |