PRIVATE J. WALKER, 2ND BATTALION LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS. Five: Distinguished Conduct Medal, George V (officially impressed: 3-2950 PTE. J. WALKER. 2/LANC: FUS) 1914-15 Star (Officially impressed: 2950 PTE. J. WALKER. LAN. FUS.) British War Medal (officially impressed: 2950 PTE. J. WALKER. LAN. FUS,) Victory Medal (officially renamed, in the correct style, impressed in plain block capitals: 2950 PTE. J. WALKER. LAN. FUS.) France, Croix de Guerre, reverse dated 1914-1918. Few minor edge knocks, otherwise Good Very Fine to Almost Extremely Fine.
Group accompanied by 7 pages of copied pre-war Militia service papers and 6 pages of WW1 Service papers, WW1 Medal index card and medal roll.
Joseph Walker was born 1888 in the parish of Pendleton, Salford, Lancashire. He enlisted into the 5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers on 14/8/1906. At the time of enlistment he was 17 years and 3 months old and gave his trade as that of striker (employed Art Metal Works, Pendleton). The 5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers became the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers following the army reforms of 1908. That latter battalion, in which Walker was still serving, was mobilised at Bury following the outbreak of WW11 on 8/8/1914. Walker was posted for service with the 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers 4/12/1914. Medal Index card confirms that Walker first saw service during WW1
in France as 2950 Private with the Lancashire Fusiliers, entering that theatre of operations on 4/12/1914 (the 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers were already in France on that date, having landed at Boulogne as a unit on 20/8/1914). Service papers confirm t alker was gassed at Wimereux on 4/5/1915 and subsequently wounded in action o 1915. Walker was invalided on 19/8/1915 and posted back to the Regimental Depot on 20/8/1915. He was subsequently hospitalised as St Marks College, Chelsea, and transferred from there to the Addington Park War Hospital, East Croydon,,Walker subsequently saw service as 2053 Private with the No. 8 Training Battalion Special Reserve, Royal Army Medical Corps from 31/8/1915 and was discharged to the Class Z Reserve on 7/3/1919.
Walker's Distinguished Conduct Medal, with which he also received a gratuity of £20, was
announced in the London Gazette of 11/1/1916, the citation being published in the Gazette of 11/3/1916: "3/2950 Private J. Walker, 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. For conspicuous gallantry and determination. When all the bomb-throwers had been killed or wounded, he alone repulsed many attacks. Reinforcements were sent to him from time to time, but were all put out of action, and he continued with great bravery to hold back the enemy until wounded himself."
Walker's Croix de Guerre, for Distinguished Service", was announced in the London Gazette of 24/2/1916.
Joseph Walker married Margaret Ann Entwhistle in St Paul's Church, Ramsbottom, Lancashire, on 9/3/1907.
