Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Alfred Walker was born on 12 December 1891 at Fairlie, the second son of James and Sarah (née Bodley) Walker. He was educated at Fairlie and Pleasant Point schools. Alfred’s mother died suddenly in 1904 at their residence in Timaru. His father, who was in Dunedin in 1916, died at the Timaru Hospital in 1921.

Alfred named his cousin as next-of-kin – Miss M. Dockrill, Charles Street, Timaru. This was Mabel, whose mother was a sister of Alfred’s mother. He gave his address as care of Mrs J. Dockrill, Cahrles Street, Timaru – his aunt Alice Dockrill. His last employer was H. Bodley, Te Pohue – his uncle, Henry Bodly. Lfred Walker was invalided to New Zealand per the “Maunganui”, leaving from Devonport on 17 March 1917. He was discharged on 10 June 1917, being no longer physically fit for War Service on acvcount of pre-enlistment disability aggravated by Active Service. Private Alfred John Walker, of the 8th Reinforcements, died on 15 September 1924 at the Christchurch Hospital, and was interred in the Timaru Cemetery. He was in Christchurch to undergo an operation for a bad leg, having come from the Chatham Islands, and, while awaiting admission, had called at the Heathcote bowling club where a working bee was underway. There he jokingly lifted a gallon jar to his lips, accidentally swallowing some of the mixture – a mixture which was, in fact, weed-killer. Taken to Christchurch Hospital in a bad state, he died a few days later. Before dying he was able to state that “he alone was to blame for what had happened.” It was said that his wife was in Timaru at the time. His wife, Elizabeth Hazel, later lived for some years in Dunedin. His youngest brother, Joseph Walker (8/2168), was killed in action in 1916 at the Somme, France. Two cousins lost their lives in World War I – Daniel Bodley who was killed in action in 1916 in France and Andrew Henry Robinson who died of wounds in 1918 in France. Additionally, three more cousins served - Edward James Carr (with the Australians), James Robert Bodley and William Moreland. Alfred’s younger brother, Walter James Walker, was called up. Walter, a woollen mill worker, lived in Timaru with his widowed aunt, Alice Dockrill. Walter died in 1932 and was buried with his brother Alfred.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [07 May 2020]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [07 May 2020]; School Admission records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [07 May 2020]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [17 May 2020]; Timaru Cemetery records (Timaru District Council) [17 May 2020]; Timaru Herald, 6 August 1904, 23 & 24 September 1921, 16 & 18 September 1924, Ashburton Guardian, 16 September 1924, Press, 16 September 1924 [x 2] (Papers Past) [17 May 2020]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• WALKER Alfred - newspaper clippings (pdf, 118.8 KB updated 02-Jun-2020)

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC brnach NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.