Walter Beale

Story:
Walter Beale was born in East Knoyle, Wiltshire, during 1887 the son of Henry Beale, an Estate Woodman, and Edna Kate Beale (nee Merchant).  He lived all his life apart from Military Service in East Knoyle.  He had enlisted in the Somerset Light Infantry as a Private (Service No. 28332).  He served with the 8th Battalion in France and Flanders and was eventually discharged on 18 Oct 1919 and awarded the Victory and British War Medals  He returned to East Knoyle and the 1921 Census shows him living with his widowed father, his mother having died in 1911, in Milton, East Knoyle, described as formerly a General Labourer but now incapacitated and on an army pension. He regrettably died in the latter part of 1921 which event was registered at Mere, Wiltshire. His brother, Frederick Beale, also served in the conflict but had been discharged in 1917 due to wounds suffered.  He too died early in 1924.