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Walter Richard Barlow
40738, Private, 2nd South Wales Borderers
Killed in action, 16 August 1917, aged 37
Buried at Artillery Wood Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium
CWGC registered (no family details)
Walter Richard Barlow, the son of Richard and Sarah Barlow (née Virgin), was born in Kidderminster in 1880. In 1881, the family lived in Kidderminster, Richard Barlow recorded a factory labourer. Walter had an elder brother John. Ten years later, the family lived at Farndon in Cheshire and Walter was described as a scholar. By 1901, Walter was employed on a farm at Churton by Farndon. Walter moved to Llandudno and on 4 November 1908, he married Elinor Owen at St. George’s Church. Both gave their residence as 2 Bay View Terrace, Great Orme, Llandudno and Walter’s occupation was stated as a groom. The bridegroom and bride gave their ages as 25 and 20 respectively though Walter was actually 28 and Elinor 18. Their son John Richard Barlow was born on 8 June 1910. In 1911, Walter, Elinor and John Richard Barlow lived with Elinor’s mother, Laura at 2 Bay View Terrace, Llandudno – Walter was described as a greengrocer’s assistant. A daughter Eleanor was born in 1912, a son Walter Barlow was born in 1913, and a daughter Lilian was born in 1916. It was locally reported that Walter worked for Mr Thompson, a newsagent in Mostyn Street, before enlisting.
Though Walter Barlow’s army record is missing, it is noted that he enlisted at Llandudno. He probably attested at the end of 1915, joined the Reserve and was mobilised in mid-1916 into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. His regimental number was 43701. He would have trained with one of the training reserve battalions and disembarked in France in circa March 1917, joining an infantry base depot. It was not unusual at this time for soldiers on arriving in France to be transferred to a different regiment or corps and Walter Barlow was transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the South Wales Borderers with a new regimental number of 40738. The 2nd SWB was a regular battalion that at the outbreak of war had been in China. After returning to England, it served at Gallipoli and in Egypt before landing at Marseilles in March 1916.
Walter Richard Barlow was killed in action on 16 August 1917 aged 37. On that day, the 2nd SWB had been involved in an offensive during the Battle of Langemarck, part of the Third Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele. He was buried at Artillery Wood Cemetery.
There is evidence that Elinor Barlow had a daughter Gladys (registered as Gladys I Barlow) in 1921. She married James Wright Duckenfield in early 1922 and their daughter Gwyneth L Duckenfield was born on 8 October 1922. The family lived at 2 Bay View Terrace in 1939. Elinor Duckenfield died in 1954.
Known memorials:
- Llandudno Roll of Honour
- Llandudno War Memorial
- Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
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