No. 77059, Lance Corporal, Walter ABRA
Aged 38
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Born in Bury St Edmunds in November 1882, at 1,Broadway, Bury St Edmunds, (Bury St Edmunds qtr 1 1883 4a:655) son of George and Mary Ann ABRA (née
GOOCH) . Baptised at St James, Bury St Edmuds on 14th August 1884. 1891 census...Aged 8, he was at 11 Eastgate Street, Bury St.Edmunds with his father George [43] coach painter; his mother Mary Ann [42]; sisters Mary Ann [17] domestic servant, Elizabeth [13] gen. servant; Ada [20] scholar and Jane [3]; brothers George [16] errand boy, Harry [7] and Willie [5]. All were born in Bury St Edmunds 1901 census...Aged 18, a painters labourer, he was at 92 Eastgate wth his parents, sisters Ada [20] and Jane [13]; brothers Harry [16] general labourer and William [15] waiter at Country Club. He married Agnes Anne Parker [14-2-1880] on 24th Dec.1908 at Horringer Parish Church 1911 census...Aged 28, a carriage painter, he was at 3 Old Heath Colchester with his wife Agnes [30] and son Walter [1]. br> The pension card places his widow at 204 Old Heath, Colchester. Walter and Agnes had 3 children, Walter [6-10-1909], Edna Mary [24-2-1914] and Sabina [30-8-1916] His father was at 105 Eastgate, Bury St Edmunds at the time of his death. |
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On the Bury St Edmunds Roll of Honour he is placed in the Royal Engineers. He attested on 6 February 1902 i Bury St Edmnds,gicvng his age as 20 years 3 months, occupation-coach painter, unmarried.He was 5ft 10 inches tall, weighed 133 lbs chest 36" to 37.5", hazel eyes, dark brown hair, Church of England.
He was placed in the Royal Engineers,#10528. On 8/4/1904, in Gibraltar, he extended his service to complete 8 years with the colours, and 5/21910 was transferred to the reserves on completion of that 8 years. On 5/2/1914 he was discharged from the reserves havng completed his 12 years service.
He was registered on 8-12-1915 in Colchester, then at Chatham on 4th August 1916 he was mobilised in the Royal Engineers #159404, givng his address as 24 Old Heath, Colchester, age 34. On 14th March 1917 he was transferred to the Durham Lght Infantry, 7th Battalion, posted to the 11th Bn and the BEF on 17th September, and on 21st Sept. 1917 posted back to the 7th Bn. Killed in Action on 11th April 1918. On the 11th, the 7th Battalion (Pioneers) of the Durham Light Infantry were working on the road from Estaires to Neuf Berquin, in front of Merville. C Coy were digging a line of posts on either side of the road, and B Coy as line of posts in front of Merville. As the day proressed te enemy pushed on his attack ad all Coys were in close touch with the enemy. Towards nightfall the line fell back NW of Neuf Berquin. The German Kaiserschlacht attack had yet to grind to a halt and everywhere the Allies were being forced back |
photo Rodney Gibson
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