WALKER, William Gordon

War
1st World War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
Exeter, Ontario
Original Unit
161st Huron Battalion
Regimental Number
654598
Rank
Private
Date of Death
Age at Death
23 years 11 months
Cemetery
Fouquescourt British Cemetery - Somme - France
Cenotaph
Exeter Cenotaph
Usborne Township Cenotaph
Biographical Summary


DIVISIONAL UNIT:         4th Canadian Infantry Division
                                             10th Infantry Brigade
                                             47th Battalion - West Ontario
                                             Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO:                   654598
RESIDENCE:                    Centralia – Ontario 
DATE OF BIRTH:            August 24, 1894
                                             Usborne Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:           August 11, 1918                   23 years     11 months
CEMETERY:                     Fouquescourt British Cemetery – Fouquescourt –
                                             Somme – France
                                             II     C     8
PARENTS:                         Mr. James and Mary Walker – Centralia - Ontario
Occupation:                                                                     Religion:     Methodist
Enlistment:                         Exeter – March 21, 1916 – 161st Huron Battalion
Enlistment Age:                 21 years     9 months

Private Walker and the 161st Battalion sailed from Canada bound for England and arrived in Liverpool on November 11, 1916.
On March 8, 1918 he proceeded overseas into the continent and went to the 47th Battalion but did not join his unit in the field until April 2nd.
During the previous day the Battalion had taken Menelars Trench and had consolidated there for the night.
The Battalion remained where they were during the day of August 11th.
They were in the trenches east of Fouquescourt and Menelars Trench. At 09:30 hours they reported they had a post in Tomb Alley and Battalion then ordered them to infiltrate forward and along the trench from Tomb Alley north-east and connect with the 50th Battalion in Tilley Alley.
At 10:00 hours it was reported that the front was receiving heavy enemy artillery fire.
The patrol consisted of an officer and a platoon of men and they were work to their left and make contact with the 50th.
Several enemy encounters took place when the patrol was out and they inflicted heavy casualties upon the enemy. These encounters had now become a trench battle and it was then determined that no further advances could be made without the support of the artillery.
During this day of fighting 7 men were killed.
Private Walker was killed in action while performing his duties in the trenches and was buried by his comrades in a shell hole on the trench side away from the enemy.