Walter Boyden

Walter was born in Stamford in July 1899, he lived at first in St Michael’s parish at 12 Cecil Court with mother Matilda, elder brother George, (an apprentice cabinet-maker) and father Arthur who was a newspaper compositor/printer. By 1911 George had left home and Walter, with younger brother Bertie and parents had moved to the Great Northern Hotel, Water Street, St Martin’s, where Arthur was the licensed victualler. Walter became a qualified electrician and as an ‘electric wireman’ was attested at Lincoln in the Royal Engineers in October 1916.

Graded A1 he was 5ft 4ins, weighed 11lbs with chest expansion 36ins. As Pioneer 321679 he was stationed first in Porton and Tregantho Fort, Cornwall, then transferred to BEF Special at Devonport on 20 February 1918 and posted to France. At the battle for Cambrai he was wounded in the left thigh (femur) on 27 Sep 1918, operated on in a Field Hospital then sent to Lichfield Military Hospital, UK until Jan 1919. His wound was said to have healed and although his left knee joint had limited movement he did not qualify for a Disability Pension. Discharged from service on 20 Jan 1919 with two medals, he returned home and in March 1920 he married Victoria Waddington.

They lived in Cliff Road and he was only 58 when he died in Stamford in December 1957.