Person

During the presentation evening reported in the Chester-le-Street, 19 Jan 1919, William Walker only gets a quick mention:

“Pte W Walker was then presented with a gold albert, his having previously been presented with a gold watch for his bravery in escaping from the German internment camp.”

Tantalisingly, the International Red Cross has an index card for a William Walker of the 8 Battalion Durham Light Infantry but the number on the card does not seem to correspond to an entry in the volume it links to.

http://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/5259106/3/2/

The Sacriston Heritage Group have uncovered the following account in The National Archives (WO 161/100/309) that William gave of his time as a prisoner:

“We were captured on 27 May at Craonne. We carried wounded to Corbeny, and were then made to work on carrying sleepers until 11 o’clock at night. We had no food at all the time, and after being allowed to lie down for a few hours were marched about 3 am to Ramecourt [30 km behind the lines]. We were put in a cage where there were about 1,000 British, but the village was full of French and British prisoners, about 6,000 in all. Our billets were old, broken-down houses, with no bunks for sleeping; they were in a filthy condition. We had no soap and towels, but there was water. The food was very bad. Our work was on the railway and loading shells. The sentries in the cage were all right, but those on the work parties were rough. I saw several men struck. They were pioneers who were in charge of us. They never fixed their bayonets, even when on duty in the camp. The last week we were there everyone was getting in a very bad condition, owing to the insufficient food. Heavy work and very bad accommodation; every day several men collapsed at work and had to be helped back to camp. We were turned out at 3am, and, after a slice of bread and a cup of barley coffee, we marched [often 5 or 6 km] to work. We had to work eight hours, however far we had marched. The medical officer was an American, who had been captured. He could give us medicine and duty, and keep us at a small sick bay or send men to hospital. If given medicine and duty the Germans stopped the bread ration the first day, and second cut off soup as well, consequently only men who were very bad reported sick. On 23rd June we were given a card to write home. It said “Prisoner of war”, “quite well”, “do not write to Limburg”; no address was given. Some Russians arrived about this time.

I escaped on 25th June.”

Civil Parish: Witton Gilbert

Birth date: 1897

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 7 Charlaw Terrace, Sacriston (1911 census)

Employment: Coal miner, Landing Boy (1911 census)

Family: Parents: Joseph Walker, Sarah Jane Walker
Sister: Catherine Johnson Walker (1911 census)

Military service:

8 Battalion Durham Light Infantry

Medal(s): Military Medal with Bar

Gender: Male

Contributed by Sacriston Heritage Group | Durham County Record Office