7907 Pte Walker Henry, 2nd Bn Royal Inniskilling Fus.
Born in Coleraine on 27 July 1885, Walker's home address is given as being on Taylors Row, Coleraine. He enlisted into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in Omagh as a 19 year old in the spring of 1904, seeing service in Ireland and, after 1910, in England. By August 1914, he was stationed in Dover, Kent and set sail for France on 22 August 1914, arriving at Le Havre the following day.
After taking part in the battles of Le Cateau, the Marne and the Aisne, Walker arrived in the area of Ploegsteert in mid-October. Manning trenches just east of Le Gheer (facing Pont Rouge), the 2nd Inniskillings came under a heavy attack on the morning of 20 October and, again on the 21st when the positions had to be temporarily abandoned. Walker was one of the 34 killed and 41 missing of his battalion in this second attack. His body was never identified and he is now commemorated on the Ploegsteert memorial to the Missing.
21 October 1914
Research by David O'Mara, Croonaert Research Services.
