Pte 50286 John Walkden

• Age: 34
• From: Darwen, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• Died Monday 19th November 1917
• Commemorated at: Wimereux Cc
  Panel Ref: I.P.15

John was born on 07th June 1884 at Darwen and was baptised 10th October 1886 at Holy Trinity Church, Darwen. He was the son of John Wlkden and his wife Nancy (nee Leaver) of 16 Harwood Street, Darwen. His parents had married at St Peter's Church, Darwen in 1880.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 16 Harwood Street, Darwen. John is shown as a 16 year old Cotton weaver living with his parents and younger brother. His father, John, is shown as a 48 year old Cotton weaver born in Darwen in 1853, whilst his mother, Nancy, was born in Darwen on 1855. His younger brother William, also born in Darwen is a 14cyear old Cotton weaver  

The 1911 Census shows the family are still living at 16 Harwood Street, Darwen. Both parents are still residing at the home address. They have been married for thirty one years and have two children, John aged 26, a cotton weaver and William aged 24, born 1887 a paper mill mechanic.

John was conscripted into the East Lancashire Regiment in March 1917 as Private 37991.

A small draft of East Lancashire Regiment soldiers who conscripted in March 1917 and "graduated" into the East Lancashire Regiment but did not serve overseas with that unit. The 15 recruits, all of similar background (East Lancashire Regimental numbers, age and geography) appear on an alpha-numeric list created at 30 IBD, Etaples in June 1917 where they received new numbers. Those with surnames A-L (became 50224-50258) and went to 17th Battalion King's (Liverpool Regiment) and those with surnames M-Z (became 50259-50293) and went to 20th Battalion King's (Liverpool Regiment).

John reached France in May 1917  He was assigned to the 20thth Battalion of THe King's Liverpool Regiment in June 1917. Upon joining the 20th Battalion he became Private 50286.

John died of pneumonia on 19th Novemnber 1917 aged 34 and now rests at Wimereux Cemetery in France.

Wimereux was the headquarters of the Queen Mary's Army Auxilliary Corps during the First World War and in 1919 it became the General Headquarters of the British Army. From October 1914 onwards, Boulogne and Wimereux formed an important hospital centre and until June 1918, the medical units at Wimereux used the communal cemetery for burials, the south-eastern half having been set aside for Commonwealth graves, although a few burial were also made among the civilian graves. By June 1918, this half of the cemetery was filled, and subsequent burials from the hospitals at Wimereux were made in the new military cemetery at Terlincthun. During the Second World War, British Rear Headquarters moved from Boulogne to Wimereux for a few days in May 1940, prior to the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk. Thereafter, Wimereux was in German hands and the German Naval Headquarters were situated on the northern side of the town. After D-Day, as Allied forces moved northwards, the town was shelled from Cap Griz-Nez, and was re-taken by the Canadian 1st Army on 22 September 1944. Wimereux Communal Cemetery contains 2,847, Commonwealth burials of the First World War, two of them unidentified. Buried among them is Lt.-Col. John McCrae, author of the poem "In Flanders Fields." There are also five French and a plot of 170 German war graves. The cemetery also contains 14 Second World War burials, six of them unidentified. The Commonwealth section was designed by Charles Holden.

The Darwen News dated 24th November 1917: 

"PRIVATE J. WALKDEN. An official intimation was received by Mr. and Mrs. John Walkden, of 16, Harwood Street, on Wednesday Morning, that their son, Private John Walkden, of the King’s Liverpool Regiment, died of pneumonia in hospital at ----------- on Tuesday. Private Walkden, who was 33 years of age, enlisted in March of this year, and was sent to France in May. Prior to the war he followed the occupation of an overlooker at Woodside Mill, and was a member of the congregation of St. George’s Church, for some years being a member of the football and billiard teams there."

Soldiers Effects and Pension to his parents John and Nancy.

We currently have no further information on John Walkden, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.