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William Henry “Harry” Walton (1885-1916)


Crook man served with Army Service Corps and died from diabetes aboard ship in Persian Gulf


Born in the last few months of 1885, William Henry was the oldest son of Thomas and Mary Walton. Thomas and Mary married on 3 December 1884 and had five children during their marriage. Records would suggest that their son, Thomas, sadly died as a child.
At the time of the 1901 census, at the age of 15, William was boarding at the North Eastern County School for boys in Barnard Castle. By 1911 William had returned to live at the family home in Crook, joining his father in his successful building trade, along with his younger brother, Frederick.

William attested on 17 January 1916 and was mobilised just under four months later. At the time of attestation he was working as a driver, in addition to the building trade, which presumably explained William joining an Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport (ASC/MT) company. Between his attestation and mobilisation William spent time at Grove Park, an ASC depot in Lewisham, where it is likely he received driver training. Serving as a private, records suggest he served both with the 656th Company and the 23rd Company.

William arrived to serve in Mesopotamia, disembarking at Basra on 31 May 1916. William became ill and was admitted to hospital on 28 July 1916 where he spent just under a month before returning to duty. Around two months later he was again admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of diabetes. William was invalided to India on 18 October on the Hospital Ship Vorsova, but sadly died on 19 October in the Persian Gulf. He was buried at sea, with the cause of death recorded as diabetes (although it is possible to make out the work “dysentery” which has been crossed out on his record). There is no record of diabetes on William’s initial examination form in his service records and a newspaper report describes that it had been ‘contracted’ whilst on active duty.

The family were not informed of William’s death until 1 November. A letter dated 30 October 1916 from William’s father shows the family had been informed that William was seriously ill. The typed letter includes a hand written message from his father stating “Please let me know if will be sent home as the climate is against him.”

William is remembered on the Basra Memorial, several local memorials in Crook and a Roll of Honour at his old school in Barnard Castle. There is also a stained glass window, featuring St George, dedicated to William in St Catherine’s church in Crook. The inscription below the window reads: “To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Henry Walton R.A.S.C. who died while on active service at Basra, 19th Oct. 1916.”

All of William’s siblings also served in the First World War. His brother, Frederick, commanded the 6th Durham Light Infantry and both of his sisters were Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurses. William’s sister, Ellinor, nursed both in the 17th VAD hospital in Etherley and in Etaples, during which time she took a collection of photographs. More information about William’s siblings can be found in the links below.

Civil Parish: Crook and Billy Row

Birth date: 1885

Death date: 19-Oct-1916

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: Commercial Street, Crook (1891 and 1911 Census)
North Eastern County School for boys, Barnard Castle (1901 Census)
The Willows, Crook (Service Record)
Uplands, Crook (Address at time of death)

Education: Barnard Castle School

Religion: Church of England

Organisation membership: Parish Church Choir

Employment: Builder’s Foreman (1911 Census)
Builder / Driver (Attestation Record)

Family: Parents: Thomas Walton, Mary Walton nee Simpson
Siblings: Ellinor Walton, Frederick Walton, Elsie Walton

Military service:

Army Service Corps, Mechanical Transport
23rd, 656th Companies
Private
Service Number M2/167970

Memorial(s): Basra Memorial
ROH Barnard Castle School
Rood and Plaque 1914-18 St Catherine’s, Crook
Cenotaph 1914-18 1939-45 Korea Town Centre, Crook
Stained Glass Window Walton 1916, St Catherine’s, Crook

Gender: Male

Contributed by Fiona Johnson - Durham