Web site created by David Webb with support from my sisters Anne, Geraldine and Julia.
Eldest son William George Frederick Walsh
Born Sheppey Kent 12th November 1879
Died May 6th 1915 aged 35 Flanders World War 1
William George Frederick Walsh was born on Sheppey on November 12th 1879.
We next find him recorded in the 1881 census as I year old where he is living with his mother, father and his aunt on his mothers side, Margaret Gittins.
They are at this time living at 76, Winstanley road, Sheppey.
Next record is in the 1891 census where aged 11 he shows up as living at home at 97, Alma road Sheppey.
He does not show up in the 1901 census so one can surmise he may have been abroad, it is believed at this point he has joined the military, probably the Navy.
William married Florence Lillian Hemsworth somewhere between April, May and June in 1908.
Sometime after this he emigrated to live in Moose Jaw Canada, his younger brother having already left the previous year in 1907 and his father Maurice following later around 1911 / 1912 and brother Maurice in June 1911.
He died in Flanders, under the Canadian flag for Princess Patricia’s Canadian light infantry during WW1. It states on the war grave commission web site he leaves a widow living in Herts. His name is engraved on the Menin gate memorial in Ypres, Belgium, the memorial contains the names of 54,896 officers and men from all the overseas British and Commonwealth forces who fell in the Ypres Salient before 16th August 1917. Every night at 8pm the reveille and then last post are played by a local volunteer fire brigade group, this has been done every night since the end of the WW1 and was only stopped by the Germans during the occupation of Belgium in WW2.
