BORN – Oswestry
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupation / Our Lady and St Oswald’s RC Church, Oswestry
EDUCATION – Oswestry Catholic School
JOB – Solicitor
UNIT – 21 Service Coy Army Ordnance Corps
RANK – Lance Corporal 06562
THEATRE – Calais. 21 Service Coy Army Ordnance Corps. May 1917
DIED – Died of accidental injuries 21 May 1917. Aged 20
BURIED – Calais Southern Cemetery. (CWGC)
Charles Henry Walker was born in 1897 at Oswestry. He was the eldest of 3 brothers and son of Frederick and Bridget Walker, his father was an engineer’s clerk. In 1901 the family lived at 3 Berwyn Villas on Whittington Road, Oswestry and later at Burghill Villas, 5 Stewart Road. Charles was educated at Oswestry Catholic School and before the war worked for Messrs. Bull & Sons, solicitors in Oswestry.
He enlisted at Oswestry in 1914 joining the Army Ordnance Corps. Charles went over to France in July 1915. The Corps was chiefly responsible for the repair and supply of military equipment, particularly weapons, artillery pieces, ammunition and armoured vehicles. Charles was accidentally killed at Calais when hit by a train. He and a comrade had been walking down the railway line on their way from the offices to have their tea when a train suddenly appeared around a corner of a bridge. Both of them jumped out of the way but Charles was hit by one of the trucks, he was killed instantaneously. He is buried at Calais Southern Cemetery. His headstone inscription reads – ‘He died that we might live RIP’. Of very genial disposition the news of his death was received in Oswestry with much regret. Charles is also commemorated on war memorial at Our Lady and St Oswald’s Church, Oswestry
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