Arthur Chamberlain WALKDEN

‘Burnley Express’ (5 May 1917)

(Kindly supplied by the website: Burnley in the Great War)

A FINE YOUNG OFFICER

Well-Known Local Bank Official

The distressing news was received this week by Mr. and Mrs. Walkden, 42, Ightenhill Park-lane, that their only child, Sec.-Lt. Arthur C. Walkden, of the East Lancashire Regt., was killed in action on Saturday last. To a very large circle of friends in Burnley, Padiham, and Nelson he was exceedingly well known, and few young men were more beloved for their disposition and excellence of character. The Bank of Liverpool have lost in him one of their most promising men. He joined the staff of the Burnley Branch of the Craven Bank (now the Bank of Liverpool) on leaving the Grammar School, and after service at Burnley was promoted to a good position at Padiham, finally being a cashier at the Nelson Branch.

Thirty-three years of age at the time of his death, Sec.-Lieut. A.C. Walkden was gazetted a subaltern of the Territorials on Nov. 15th, 1915. He went out to Egypt in the beginning of the year, but had only been three days there when his unit was transferred to France, where he arrived on March 12 last.

Apart from his connection with the Bank of Liverpool, he was well known in social circles. He was an enthusiastic tennis player, and had been connected with both the Bank Hall and Ightenhill Tennis Clubs. Sec.-Lieut. Walkden was a single young man. The greatest sympathy will be extended to his parents in the loss of their only son. The family are well-known at Accrington-road Wesleyan Church.

‘Burnley Express’ (26 May 1917)

(Kindly supplied by the website: Burnley in the Great War)

HEARD OFFICER’S LAST WORDS

A Burnley Territorial named Pte. Thomas Harker, whose home is in Celia-street, is now in the Second Western General Hospital, Manchester, suffering from wounds for the second time. He enlisted on February 10, 1916, in the Territorials, and after training at Codford, Whitley, and Southport, went to Egypt, being transferred after about five weeks. He is going on nicely.

In a letter home he refers as follows to the death of a well-known Burnley officer, Lieut. A.C. Walkden, killed in action on April 28:– “Perhaps you didn’t notice in the ‘Express’ you sent me the photo of a Burnley officer called Mr. Walkden. Well, I was helping him back to our lines when I was wounded. Sorry to say he died before I left him. The last words he said were: ‘Well, we did our duty, didn’t we?’ and then ‘Good-bye!’ I shall never forget him. He had only just joined us. I was under him both at Codford and Whitley, and he was one of the very best. Sorry to hear about Mottershead’s death.”

He has two brothers out, Gunner James Harker and Driver Miles Harker, who both enlisted on the 6th January, 1915, in the R.F.A. James has been two years on the Headquarters’ Staff in France, and Miles two years in the East, six months in Egypt and the rest in Mesopotamia. Last summer Miles fell ill, and was sent with some more to India, and later to Jubbleport [Jubbulpore], but is now back with the line beyond Bagdad.

HISTORY OF THE EAST LANCASHIRE REGIMENT IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 (Littlebury Bros. Ltd. 1936)

1/5th Bn. East Lancashire Regiment

1917
On April 27th two platoons of ‘A’ Company, under Captain Cockshutt, attempted to occupy and consolidate an elongated belt of trees known as Canal Wood [Canal Wood was close to the Hindenburg Line to which the Germans had retired to after the Battles of the Somme in 1916], and this was an occasion of much individual but unavailing gallantry. An unexpected check was occasioned by a party of the enemy who occupied a small quarry at the north-east end of the wood, and these had to be bombed out. Having cleared the wood of Germans, the party, which comprised 3 officers and 98 rank and file, started to dig in and succeeded in constructing a trench to a depth of about four feet. The attacking platoons, however, did not reach their final objective until about 4.30 a.m. [28th April] and after desultory sniping for an hour or so from various directions, a body estimated at two companies attacked and succeeded in driving the Lancashire men on to the road. Here they were heavily enfiladed by machine-gun and rifle fire from the south. One of the party’s Lewis guns was put out of action almost immediately and retirement to our own outpost line became essential. Captain Cockshutt was wounded and both his junior officers, 2nd Lieutenants Walkden and Edwards were killed. [Arthur Chamberlain Walkden and Harri Willis Edwards were both employed by the Bank of Liverpool and perhaps knew each other before joining the army] Eleven other ranks were killed and 30 wounded; 15 men were reported missing. Particular gallantry was shown in this affair by one of our sergeants, who brought several wounded men into our outpost line under heavy fire.

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966

1917

WALKDEN Arthur Chamberlain of 42 Ightenhill Park-lane Burnley second-lieutenant 1/5th battalion East Lancashire regiment died 28 April 1917 in France killed in action Administration Lancaster 18 July to William Walkden insurance agent. Effects £838 19s. 1d.