Walter Burdett West

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Sun, 23/04/2017 - 12:56

First Name:

Walter

Middle Name:

Burdett

Last Name:

West

Date of Birth:

Sunday, July 23, 1876

Mother's Name:

Julia West nee Burdett

Father's Name:

Walter West

Date Enlisted:

Monday, May 31, 1915

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

20th Battalion

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

1914/1915 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Thursday, August 25, 1949

Place of Death:

Concord Hospital, Sydney

Details:

Walter West (Service No 1785) was born in London, England. On 27th July 1892 he enlisted in the Royal Navy and served until discharged in Sydney on 20th November 1901. He moved to Woonona, N.S.W., and in November 1903 he married Annie Howson.

When Walter enlisted he & Annie had 4 children; Walter was 38 years old and worked as a miner. He embarked from Sydney on HMAT A61 Kanowna with 20th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement on 19th June 1915. After the troops arrived in Egypt Walter was sent on to Gallipoli where he arrived on 16th August 1915, serving until the evacuation.

Walter was then sent to France, arriving on 25th March 1916. He saw service on the Western Front until he was wounded at Passchendaele on 8th October 1917. He was evacuated to hospital in England for treatment of a gun shot wound to his neck.

Walter was deemed unfit for further active service and was repatriated to Australia in May 1918. He was discharged from the AIF, medically unfit with debility, on 5th November 1918.

Walter returned home to Annie and the children and they had 2 more children, but like so many others who had served, Walter had changed. In 1927 Annie sued for divorce due to Walter abandoning the family.

Walter remarried in 1946, to Lily Chenhall at Glebe, in Sydney.

Walter died in Concord Hospital in 1949 and is buried in Botany Cemetery.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, WEST WALTER BURDETT