Northumberland Fusiliers, 25th Battalion, Service no. 23091
Born: 28th February 1888. Died: 8th April 1918
Story
Walter was born in Hunslet, Leeds, the third eldest son of Richard and Annie Harrison. Walter had three younger sisters as well as his two older brothers. In the 1901 census the family was living at 86 Jowett Place, Hunslet. Walter, then 13, was occupied as an errand boy. At the age of 20, and then living at 20 Garnet Place, Walter was married, on 20th June 1908, at the Parish Church of St. Peter, Hunslet Moor, to Lillian Chatten, aged 19. Walter’s sister Beatrice signed the wedding certificate, as did Lillian’s father, Sam. In 1911 the couple were living at 6 Lucy Street, Hunslet, and Walter was employed as a packer. The couple had two daughters, Emily in 1908 and Annie in 1911.
Walter is thought to have served in the same battalion as Thomas Bryan V.C. and Frederick Robinson Barber, from 1914 to 8th April 1918. It is possible that he was in the regular army before that, and his family believe that he worked with horses. On one occasion, Walter came home on leave when his daughter Emily was seven, and was not himself. It is thought that he may have been suffering from shell shock. He was listed as officially missing in action on 8th April 1918 and his body was never found. His name is recorded on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Panel 2. Hainuat, Belgium
The Ploegsteert Memorial (above) lists the 11,367 missing soldiers from the following battles fought in the area around Ploegsteert: Armentieres,Aubers,Ridge,Loos,Fromelles,Estaires,Hazebrouck,Scherpenbergand Outtersteene Ridge.
Walter was Grandfather to the Gittins family of Kippax. The family have his Death Penny Medal. Walter’s widow re-married Henry Eddison in Hunslet on 6th May 1923, and had two sons: Kenneth and Dennis.
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