Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Private

Army Number : 27162

Unit : 6th Bn & A Coy

Biography :

Home address given as Sileby, Leicestershire. Enlisted at Leicester. Served with the 6th Bn during World War One. Killed in action France and Flanders campaign 18.6.1917, age 19. He is buried at Croisilles British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.

From a private source:

Letter to his sister Alice 2 January 1917. Written in the trenches at Auchel, France

Dear Alice, I am pleased to hear that you are well at home and that you had a fairly good time at Xmas. We are having very wet and cold weather and it has been trying to snow. Things seem to be in a bit of a mess at the Post Office. Chaps here get two or three then miss again. Some have parcels a month overdue.... We are in training in a village [Auchel] well away from the trenches. The whole of the Leicester's are here. We shall be here some time yet. I have not seen Billy or Fred yet but I might do some time. I don't think the war will last much longer. Once the weather improves there will be a big smash somewhere on the western front.

Letter from Private Wilfred John Walker 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment written at Houtkerque dated Monday 12 February 1917 to his Father;
"Dear Father. I received the parcel quite safely yesterday afternoon it arrived in good condition. We had quite a good tea with the cake, ham, tongue etc. A parcel like that is worth two or three [unreadable] and does not cost half as much for postage. I haven't seen anything of the tuck box yet. Well I think there is a change in weather now. There has been no frost now for two days which is a pleasant change. We have not had so much snow as you have in England. I saw John Wild the other night he is quite alright and also Jim Shaw's son he is in our battalion]. They have been giving us extra rations of bread and rum while the very cold weather was on.

I have been reading some of the 'news' in the gazette. There is one article on bayonet fighting which says gloves should be worn whilst learning. I don't know why they are wanted but I have only had the skin knocked off my knuckles once and we have had plenty of it just lately. I notice the chap who wrote it had got a good job and evidently had never been out [to the trenches].
I have received the letter with the papers calling me up. It seems to me they don't know who is in the army or out of it. It is time Bottomley's business government got to work. I shall take them to the orderly room when I get time. Well I must close now. With love from Wilfred.

PS I don't suppose I shall be allowed to report at Loughborough"

CWGC:

WALKER, WILFRED JOHN
Rank: Private
Service No: 27162
Date of Death: 18/06/1917
Age: 19
Regiment/Service: Leicestershire Regiment "A" Coy. 6th Bn.
Grave Reference: Sp. Mem. 1.
Cemetery: CROISILLES BRITISH CEMETERY
Additional Information:

Son of Arthur and Florence Walker, of Barrow Rd., Sileby Loughborough.

Place of Birth : & Quorn & Leicestershire

Date of Death : 18.6.1917

Place of Death : & & France

Period of Service : 1910s

Conflicts : WW1

Places Served : & & France