Walder, Herbert William John
Age: 22
Date of birth: 20th March 1894
Parents: Herbert and Annie Walder
Wife:
Address: 23 Paradise Street
Occupation: Soldier
Herbert Walder was born on 20th March 1894 in Newport on the Isle of Wight and was baptised on 29th April. His father, also Herbert, was a soldier in the Oxfordsire Light Infantry.
Herbert Jnr. was the first of eight children, although one did not survive. He had one sister, Dorothy, and five brothers James, Harold, Harry Patrick, Reginald and Eric.
In 1901 Herbert Snr was in Victoria Barracks at Portsmouth while Annie and the three eldest children, Herbert, James and baby Harold were living at the Cowley Barracks in Oxford.
By 1911 Herbert Jnr had joined the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and was stationed in India. His parents and five youngest siblings were living at 7 Guy’s Terrace, Warwick. Herbert Senior was now an Army Pensioner working as a clerk for the Infantry Record Office in Warwick.
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Private Walder’s parents had no news of their son for over 2 years after he was wounded in November 1915 and were unaware that he had died in 1916 until 18 months later.
Warwick Advertiser 12th January 1918
Military Service
Rank & Number: Private, 9058
Regiment/Service: B Company, 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Brigade/Division: 17th Brigade, 6th Division
Date of death: Friday, June 30, 1916
Cause of death/Battle: Died whilst a Prisoner of War in Turkey
Commemorated/Buried: Basra Memorial, Iraq
Awards: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Commemorated locally at: St Nicholas Church
Herbert would have been captured on 29th April 1916 after the fall of Kut, Iraq and subsequent surrender by British Troops. His register of effects state he went missing at Shergat.
Ian Shuter from South Warwickshire Family History Society writes ‘It is clear that Herbert was captured when the British Army surrendered at Kut on 29th April 1916 along with another 2,592 British and over 10,000 Indian troops and civilians. Of the 2,592 about 1,750 died either on a long 200 mile march or later in camps. On his register of effects, Herbert is said to have gone missing at Shergat. The forced march passed through Shergat sometime between 15th and 23rd May. Please click the link below to read an essay on what is still considered to be a shameful incident in British History, caused by the failure of the General Staff. https://bit.ly/ThePOWsofKut
Contributors
- Unlocking Warwick Research Group
- Warwick Advertiser item courtesy of Warwickshire County Record Office
- Details of the Kut forced march and surrender courtesy of Ian Shuter – South Warwickshire Family History Society
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