A Good Spirit
Private John William Walker Lincolnshire Regiment
The Man John Walker enlisted into the 1/5 Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment as a Private, service number 3995 at some time before the outbreak of World War I.
He was mobilised and disembarked in France on 27th October 1915, possibly as a part of the Hohenzollern Redoubt campaign the 1/5 Lincs were heavily involved in.
In 1917 he was transferred to the newly formed Labour Corps with a new service number of 439771 and at the end of the war disembodied on 16th May 1919, reverting to normal peace time duties.
John was awarded the 1914-15 Star, 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal.
He was mobilised and disembarked in France on 27th October 1915, possibly as a part of the Hohenzollern Redoubt campaign the 1/5 Lincs were heavily involved in.
In 1917 he was transferred to the newly formed Labour Corps with a new service number of 439771 and at the end of the war disembodied on 16th May 1919, reverting to normal peace time duties.
John was awarded the 1914-15 Star, 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The Story The Victory Medal awarded to John Walker was purchased in 1980 at Solihull Arms and Militaria Fair for 50p.
Despite the temptation to sell or exchange it over the years, the single medal was retained because of links to the County of Lincolnshire. Some 30 odd years later Ancestry.UK provided a medal index card confirming entitlement to the 1914-18 British War and Victory Medals and the recipients first name John. Because of the common name no further research was possible.
Remarkably, in July 2023, 43 years after the Victory Medal’s acquisition, whilst sitting in a café in Thailand, E-bay was routinely checked using the search ‘medal’. One newly listed item that stood out was a 1914-15 Star - described as ‘WW1 Lincolnshire Regiment 1914-15 Star No.3995 Pte John W Walker’. It was of interest because of the VM already held to John Walker.
A cross check quickly revealed it to be the same man with the matching service number, but the Star showing his middle name of William. After a further definitive cross check of details, negotiations with the seller secured the Star following an offer made. The vendor advised the Star had been bought from an antique dealer in Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire on 17th September 1985 a Mr. van Heflin.
A further check on Ancestry.UK now revealed the 1914-15 Star Medal Index Roll and a separate specific Index Card, both showing the middle name of William. It’s clear that as John’s middle name did not appear on the BWM and VM roll the link across to his 14-15 Star was not initially made by clerks at the time, although later rectified.
A very satisfying result and having been separated for at least 43 years, two of John Walker’s hard-earned awards are now reunited and his middle name revealed.
Sadly, despite the additional information there are still too many John William Walker’s born in Lincolnshire in about 1896 to make a definitive link, thus there is still little additional biographical detail.
John’s British War Medal is still missing and an erased medal acquired to make his group complete.
Despite the temptation to sell or exchange it over the years, the single medal was retained because of links to the County of Lincolnshire. Some 30 odd years later Ancestry.UK provided a medal index card confirming entitlement to the 1914-18 British War and Victory Medals and the recipients first name John. Because of the common name no further research was possible.
Remarkably, in July 2023, 43 years after the Victory Medal’s acquisition, whilst sitting in a café in Thailand, E-bay was routinely checked using the search ‘medal’. One newly listed item that stood out was a 1914-15 Star - described as ‘WW1 Lincolnshire Regiment 1914-15 Star No.3995 Pte John W Walker’. It was of interest because of the VM already held to John Walker.
A cross check quickly revealed it to be the same man with the matching service number, but the Star showing his middle name of William. After a further definitive cross check of details, negotiations with the seller secured the Star following an offer made. The vendor advised the Star had been bought from an antique dealer in Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire on 17th September 1985 a Mr. van Heflin.
A further check on Ancestry.UK now revealed the 1914-15 Star Medal Index Roll and a separate specific Index Card, both showing the middle name of William. It’s clear that as John’s middle name did not appear on the BWM and VM roll the link across to his 14-15 Star was not initially made by clerks at the time, although later rectified.
A very satisfying result and having been separated for at least 43 years, two of John Walker’s hard-earned awards are now reunited and his middle name revealed.
Sadly, despite the additional information there are still too many John William Walker’s born in Lincolnshire in about 1896 to make a definitive link, thus there is still little additional biographical detail.
John’s British War Medal is still missing and an erased medal acquired to make his group complete.
John William Walker's World War I Medal Index Cards
John William Walker's 1914-15 Star obverse and reverse
Medal Details:
- 1914-15 Star: 3995. PTE.J.W.WALKER. LINC.R.
- 1914-18 British War Medal: Erased.
- Victory Medal: 3995 PTE.J.WALKER. LINC.R.
This page last updated 24 Aug 23