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Walter Harrison Pte Documents Found

Phil Harborne

proper brummie kid
Hi All,



I was hoping someone could help. Upon doing some work in my house (in Sheldon Birmingham) i found hidden deep inside the walls some WW1 documents and was trying to see if i could find any family members to give them too.

They consist of 1 death letter, dated 5th Feby 1917 from the 14th Royal Warks Reg. H Clement, 2nd Lt.

1, picture of a grave labelled up as Pte W.E Harrison 1637

and 1 hand written letter home from France i believe to be from June 1916.

Doing some research i believe his full name is Walter Edward Harrison and his death to be on 4th Feb 1917. All the letters are in good condition considering their age.

I would love to find his family if he had any or find out some more information from him. If not to do something nice with these letters as they are a bit of history.
 
Welcome Phil. What a find ! I'm sure our members will help if they can. And it would be excellent if the documents could be returned to their families. Viv.
 
I tried looking on the "register of soldiers effects" to see who the next of kin was but I am not sure what it says apart from Harriet. However, a search on CWGC shows her to be his Mother. Son of Walter and Harriet of 159 Heneage Street. 1911 census shows another child George Frank H Harrison who died in 1970 as far as I can tell. A George F H married in 1938 to Dora Collett.
 

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A bit more digging shows a "tree" on Ancestry which lists both George and Walter (named as a half brother) and a girl Hilda who died in 2005. She is listed as a spinster and there are no children listed for George either. In the 1955 e roll (the last year online) George and Dora are listed at a Sheldon address (I am not putting it as it is probably the address of the poster from #1).
 
Thanks for that, thats some great Info. Though looks like it might be end of the line family wise.
I have an elderly neighbour who has owned the house for a while so those names might ring a bell with him.

I have also contacted the royal Warks museum who could not find more info solider wise but would be happy to take the documents to add to the museum, so worse case at least they can go to a good home.
 
I can't tell from Ancestry how the owner of the "tree" is linked to Walter or George. Living people details cannot be seen.
 
Phil
He was a member of the 1st Birmingham Pals service battalion. I will have a look the weekend to see if I have any information on him. He has a very low number so may have gone out with the original Birmingham Pals or may have been from the reserve. If you are interested in the history I did a thread on the Birmingham pals a few years ago as most of my collection relates to them.
Steve R
 
Hi Phil, How interesting, I'd love to find something like that!
There is a Valerie Harrison, mother Collett, born Dec 1941 in Birmingham. As George and Dora married in 1938 this could be their daughter.
 
Could be -the tree I found had no children listed and I haven't had time to search further.
 
Found this in Birmingham Post Friday February 16th 1917
 

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hello phil this is a find most of us dream about....and of course it would be fantastic if any remaining family of walters could be traced (however distant) and the documents handed over to them especially as this years sees the 100th anniversary of the end of ww1 dont give up just yet as more research is needed...phil i am sending you a private message(inbox top right of the main page)

lyn
 
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im not subbed to ancestry at the min but does anyone know if walters war records survived and do we have an image of his medal card

lyn
 
thanks viv...any chance you could put the medal card on please as it could be useful for any members of walters family that we may find...may have an update later on today...

lyn
 
Transcript below Lyn. Nothing in addition to what we already know. I've also 'remembered' him on the IWM's Lives of the First World War site and given a link to this thread. You never know, someone might pick up on it.

If PhilHarborne agrees it might be an idea to change the heading to "Walter Harrison Pte documents found" Viv.
 

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thanks viv....just one thing...where did walter die...i must get subbed to ancestry next week

lyn
 
He's buried in France, he has a cross on his grave inscribed "Live in Peace". Documentation about the grave is attached. On the listing, he's at the bottom - same for the second page, he's at the bottom. Viv.
 

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