Walter's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Walter Warhurst was born in Tytherington, Macclesfield in 1890, the son of Amelia (née Stubbs) and Thomas Warhurst, a silk weaver. In 1891, when just a year old, Walter was living at Blue Bell Lane, Tytherington, with his parents and older brothers Thomas (13), John (11), James (8), and Joseph (4); the family was all still living in Blue Bell Lane in 1901.
By 1911 only John, Joseph and Walter remained at home with their parents. Their father Thomas was still a silk weaver but John was a farm labourer, Joseph was a railway engine stoker for the Great Central Railway and Walter was a cotton operative for a spinning company. Walter later found employment as a porter for the Great Central Railway.
WW1 SERVICE
Walter enlisted soon after the start of the war, joining the local 7th Cheshire Regiment with initial service number 2230 which was later changed to 290458. After training, he was drafted to Gallipoli, landing on 8 August 1915, according to his medal index card. About a month later, on 7 September 1915, he was evacuated to the 19th General Hospital on Cyprus for 19 days, suffering from dysentry; the hospital records state that he was then part of "C" Company.
The battalion left Gallipoli in December 1915, moving to Egypt where they fought in the Middle East until they were transferred to the Western Front in June 1918.
The battalion progressed to the Ypres Salient and in October 1918 were involved in action with the 4th Battalion Cheshire Regiment who on the 24th October were in attack in the area south of Courtrai, just east of the Courtrai-Bossuyt Canal. The 4th Battalion cleared the whole front of the Canal from Knocke southwards and gained the final objectives on the Sheldt by dusk the same evening. During the night previous to this attack, the 7th Battalion cleared the park of Bossuyt Chateau, and made two very gallant but unsuccessful attempts to cross the Canal at locks 3 and 4. They eventually succeeded in doing so in the afternoon of the 25th October, joining hands with the companies of the 4th battalion which had moved to the S.E. face of Moen village.
Walter was killed in action on the following day, 26 October 1918, aged 28 years. His death was reported in the Macclesfield Times on 8 November 1918:
PTE WALTER WARHURST, Ches Regt, son of Mr and Mrs T Warhurst, Blue Bell Lane, Tytherington, was kileld in France on October 26th. Pte Warhurst was 28 years of ager, enlisted in the Territorials shortly after the outbreak of war and served in the Dardanelles, Egypt, Palestine and France. While in Gallipoli he had an attack of dysentry. He was educated at Beech Lane and Duke Street schools and before enlistment was employed as porter on the Great Central Railway. Deceased attended Beech Lane Primitive Methodist Sunday School. Pte Warhurst was home on leave eight weeks ago. A brother, Gunner James Warhurst, RFA is in France.
Harry Worrall was killed on the same day and stated to have been killed at the same time as a comrade from Macclesfield; this comrade may have been Walter Warhurst.
COMMEMORATION
Private Walter Warhurst is buried at grave ref. V.C.7. in Tournai Communal Cemetery Allied Extension, Hainaut, Belgium. Harry's parents asked for the inscription "LOVED BY ALL" to be added to his headstone. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission holds casualty details for Walter Warhurst.
In Macclesfield, Private Walter Warhurst is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall, St Michael's Church and Prestbury St Peter's Church war memorials.
Elsewhere, he is probably the W Warhurst named on the Great Central Railway war memorial. This was erected at the company's headquarters at Victoria Station, Sheffield and is now located in the grounds of the former Victoria Station Railway Hotel, now the Royal Victoria Holiday Inn, Sheffield, very close to its original location.
NOTES
Brother of James Warhurst, who served as Gunner 248897 with the Royal Field Artillery.
SOURCES
GRO (England & Wales) Index: Births
Census (England & Wales): 1891, 1901, 1911
First World War Soldiers' Medical Records, MH 106/1224 (Find My Past)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Macclesfield Times: 8 November 1918
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.
Research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.