Private Walter Williams

 

Walter Williams was born on 5 December 1885 at 14 Lower California Street, Belfast, the fourth of seven children of bricklayer Samuel Williams and his wife Annie (née Erskine). His father died when he was just 14 years old. At the time of the 1901 Census he was living at 57 Peter's Hill, Belfast, with his mother and three younger siblings, and working as a message boy. By 1909 he was living at 24 Woodford Street and working as a lamplighter. On 10 April that year he married Annie Cranston in the Belmont Presbyterian Church, Holywood. The couple had five children over the next eight years.

Williams enlisted in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron on 12 April 1915 (No. UD/254). The squadron, which had been formed as divisional cavalry for the 36th (Ulster) Division, embarked for France on 6 October 1915. A party of at least thirty men of the squadron, including Williams, embarked three days earlier, attached to 36th Division Headquarters – many if not all of them serving as batmen to senior officers.

While in France, however, Williams fell ill. Evacuated to the UK for treatment, on 27 September 1916 he was discharged, 'being no longer physically fit for war service' (paragraph 392(xvi), King's Regulations). He was granted a pension due to 'DAH' (disordered action of the heart), his level of disability assessed at 50 per cent in May 1920 (and 60% in September 1922).

Following his discharge Williams lived with his family at 37 Hornby Street, Belfast, and worked as a labourer. By 1950 he was living at 49 Jonesboro Street. He died in the City Hospital on 6 March that year and was buried in the Dundonald Cemetery.

 

This page last updated 27 July 2023.