Canada. A Military Medal To The 24Th Battalion For Action On Vimy Ridge

First War MM Pair, Corporal Frederic Lewis Walker, 101st, 46th and 24th Infantry Battalions, Wounded at Vimy and Arras; Military Medal (701220 Cpl F.L. WALKER. 24/CAN.INF.); and British War Medal (701220 CPL. F.L. WALKER. 24-CAN.INF.). Naming is officially impressed. Court-mounted, replacement ribbons, lacquered, bruised, edge nicks, contact marks, fine. Accompanied by copies of his Index Cards, Attestation Paper, Service Records, Medical Records, Dental Records, Pay Records, Discharge Certificates and Death Notification.

Footnote: Frederic Lewis Walker was born on July 19, 1895 in Ninga, Manitoba. He is documented as having had a case of the measles during his childhood. Walker was a resident of Winnipeg, Manitoba when he signed his Attestation Paper as a Private (701220) with the 101st Infantry Battalion, "Royal Winnipeg Rifles/Winnipeg Light Infantry", on February 24, 1916, in Winnipeg, at the age of 20, naming his next-of-kin as his father, William Henry Walker of Clandyboye, Manitoba, stating that he had no previous military service, that he was not married and that his trade was that of Machinery Agent. His religion was Church of England. The Battalion was raised and mobilized in Winnipeg, Manitoba under the authority of G.O. 151, December 22, 1915. The Battalion sailed June 29, 1916 aboard the S.S. Olympic, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel D. McLean with a strength of 36 officers and 1,025 other ranks, arriving in England on July 6th. In England, the Battalion was absorbed into the 17th Reserve Battalion, with Walker joining them on July 13th. Four weeks after joining the 17th Reserve Battalion, Private Walker complained of a rash, weakness, aching pains and headaches. He was subsequently admitted to Moore Barracks Hospital with a case of German Measles on August 9, 1916 and after two weeks in hospital, he was discharged on the 24th. Two and a half weeks after his discharge from hospital, Private Walker was transferred to the 46th Infantry Battalion "South Saskatchewan Battalion" for service in the French theatre, embarking for France on September 10, 1916 and taken on strength in the field the following day. His time with the 46th Infantry Battalion would prove to be a short one, lasting only four weeks, as he was transferred to the 24th Infantry Battalion "Victoria Rifles" on October 7, 1916, arriving with his new unit the following day. Six months later, Private Walker was with the 24th Infantry Battalion, when he suffered a gun shot (shrapnel) wound to his right shoulder on April 9, 1917 during the Battle of Vimy Ridge. He was admitted to No. 2 Australian General Hospital at Wimereux on April 10th, where his wounds were dressed and healed, however no operation needed to be performed. He was invalided to England aboard the Transport Ship Princess Henriette, admitted to Fulham Military Hospital at Hammersmith on April 23, 1917 and posted to the 1st Quebec Regimental Depot at Bramshott. While here, he complained of a pain in the head, likely due to his broken nose. After two and a half weeks at Fulham Military Hospital, he was transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital at Bromley, Kent on May 11, 1917, a stay that would entail five days, before being discharged on May 16th and declared "Fit" for return to duty. He was placed on command at the 3rd Canadian Corps Depot and marched with his equipment on, which "punished this shoulder considerably". The issues with his nose became more serious, as it was determined that he had a nasal obstruction, due to a deflected spectrum. He was admitted to the Canadian Military Hospital at Eastbourne on July 27, 1917 and after three weeks treatment, he was discharged on August 18th and posted to the 1st Quebec Regimental Depot. He was transferred to the 23rd Reserve Battalion on September 13, 1917, before seeing a transfer to his third major battalion, the 24th Infantry Battalion, on November 24, 1917. He arrived at the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp on November 30th and left for the 24th Infantry Battalion on December 11th, arriving with his new unit in the field the next day. The following Spring of 1918, Private Walker was appointed Lance Corporal on April 15th and promoted to Corporal on June 23rd. Sixteen and a half months would pass since his wounding at Vimy, when Corporal Walker was wounded again, this time during the Second Battle of Arras, on August 28, 1918. He suffered wounds from an enemy shell burst to his right chest, along with gun shot (shrapnel) wounds to his left leg and back. He was admitted to No. 4 Canadian Field Ambulance on the 29th, then transferred to No. 7 Casualty Clearing Station on August 31st, where his wounds were cleaned and dressed. The following day, Corporal Walker was admitted to No. 3 Canadian General Hospital (McGill) at Boulogne on September 1, 1918. It was here that three operations were performed on his chest, in order to remove bone splinters and for empyema (the collection of pus in a cavity in the body, especially in the pleural cavity). The empyema was deemed to be very serious in nature. Five weeks after arriving at No. 3 Canadian General Hospital, he was declared "Seriously Ill" on October 6th, with more operations following, his condition "improved" by the 16th. He was removed from the Seriously Ill List on the 18th and had a total of nine operations while in France. He was invalided to England on November 9, 1918, admitted to the 1st Southern General Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham on November 10th and posted to the 1st Quebec Regimental Depot at Bramshott. No operations were performed here but multiple dressings were applied, with the patient remained in bed nearly four months. Two months after being admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital, he was transferred to Granville Canadian Special Hospital at Buxton, Derbyshire on January 7, 1919, where he would spend the next three months recuperating. While in hospital at Granville Canadian Special Hospital, Corporal Frederic Lewis Walker, 24th Infantry Battalion was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field, without citation, the announcement appearing in the Fourth Supplement to the London Gazette 31227 of Tuesday, March 11, 1919, on Thursday, March 13, 1919, page 3450. After four months recuperation at Granville Canadian Special Hospital, he was transferred to No. 5 Canadian General Hospital at Liverpool on May 8th, where his stay would last seventeen days. Upon his discharge from hospital on May 21st, he was invalided to Canada on May 21st, arriving in Portland, Maine aboard the S.S. Araguya. He was taken on strength and posted to the Hospital Section, No. 10 District Depot, in Winnipeg and was admitted to the Manitoba Military Hospital in Winnipeg on June 2, 1919. An X-ray conducted on June 21st showed that there had been a fracture on the 9th and 10th ribs just above the angle. It was determined that Walker had a deformed nose that could be improved by grafting a piece of rib cartilage, with the operation to correct the issue taking place on August 28th. His overall medical condition was reassessed on September 15th, the attending physician, Major A. Gibson, Canadian Army Medical Corps, noting that Walker's "Wounds (had) healed. Still some swelling in (the) upper part of the nose. This will go down some yet. No further treatment necessary. Recommended for final board." Corporal Frederic Lewis Walker, 24th Infantry Battalion was discharged as being "Medically Unfit" at No. 10 District Depot, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on September 25, 1919, credited with having served in Canada, England and France and entitled to wear the War Service Badges, Class "A", number 74751 and Class "B", number "66148". For his First World War service, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, however the latter is missing from this group. His records indicate that his pay was to be directed to his wife, Olive Frances Walker of Winnipeg, later of Monkstown, Dublin, Ireland. Walker died at Deer Lodge Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on March 3, 1974, at the age of 78.