Alfred Levi Walker

Memorial: Thornbury - St Mary's Church

Regiment: Grenadier Guards

Medals: 1914 Star, British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal

Rank and number: Private 14450

Parents: Walter and Sophia Walker

Marital status: Single

Home address: Hacket Lane, Crossways, Thornbury, Bristol

Pre-war occupation: Butcher Army Reserve

Date of birth: 10/03/1889

Place of birth: Thornbury, Bristol

Date of death: 10/11/1914

Buried/Commemorated at: Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 9 and 11.)

Age: 25

Further information:

Bronze Tablet and Wooden Memorial Board

Alfred Levi Walker, known as Levi, was born in Thornbury, his birth being registered in the June quarter of 1889. He was baptised at St Mary’s Church on 8th May, the youngest son of butcher Walter Walker of Easton Hill and his wife Sophia. In 1891 the census recorded the family at ‘Eastland Hill Lane’. Levi had two brothers and two sisters

By 1901 the Walkers were living at Hacket Lane. Levi’s father, Walter, died in 1902. After attending the Council School, Levi became a butcher. He enlisted in the Grenadier Guards on 4th September 1909 and at the time of the 1911 census he was at Wellington Barracks, St James’ Park, Westminster. His mother may have moved to Crossways after 1911

Levi served for three years and was in the Army Reserve when war was declared. He was called up to join 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards, 4th (Guards) Brigade. His medal card notes his qualifying date as 12th September 1914

2nd Battalion Grenadiers took part in many of the actions fought at huge cost during the First Battle of Ypres, between 19th October and 22nd November 1914. On 30th October they were in the wooded area near Klein Zillebeke, south of Hooge. Company commanders were advised that the situation of the Allied Forces was serious and that they must ‘hang on at all costs.’ For three days on 7th to 9th November the Battalion remained in the trenches. Casualties were caused by enemy shellfire that went on ‘with monotonous regularity’ in the daytime, and by snipers at night

On 10th November the German bombardment intensified, with very heavy shelling continuing almost without pause throughout the day. ‘By this time their artillery had the range of our trenches pretty accurately, and obtained a large number of direct hits. Further, the wood, always a trouble, became more and more difficult to hold: trees cut down by the shells fell crashing to the ground, and made communication impossible. About mid-day the bombardment became terrific, and it seemed as if it would be impossible for any one to live under the storm of shells’

Lieutenant-Colonel Wilfrid A. Smith, Commander 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards, wrote to his wife,’ One of the saddest days of my life. I have lost over 300 men in this wood and we have been at it for ten days, day and night’. Lord Cavan, Commanding Officer of 4th (Guards) Brigade, commented, ‘The 2nd Battalion Grenadiers made a wonderful stand to-day against enfilade fire of the worst description. They stuck it out simply magnificently.’ The King telegraphed the Commander in Chief, Sir John French, ‘The splendid pluck, spirit, and endurance shown by my troops in the desperate fighting which has continued for so many days against vastly superior forces fills me with admiration’

Levi was Killed in Action on 10th November. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial. His brother Albert served throughout the war

By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):

Thornbury Roots Website. Thornbury and District Museum Research Group. Forces War Records and the CWGC