Walter Stokes
He enlisted in the Royal Marines on 12 January 1898 (register number 10147). In 1911 he was an engineering worker ('boring and filling troughs') in a laundry.
- Family History
- Military history
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Walter Stokes was born in 1879 at Radford Nottingham, he married Annie Spare born 1881 at Nottingham, they were married on 1st December 1902 at St Augustines Church Old Basford, Nottingham they had 3 children, Doris born 13th January 1909, Edna May born 2nd April 1913 and Walter born 1stMarch 1915.
In the 1911 census records it shows that Walter 32 years a boring and trough fillier and his wife, Annie, 30 yrs were living at 3 Gladstone Terrace, Shipstone Street, Hyson Green. They had been married for 8 years and had had two children born living of whom only one, Doris Evelyn (2), survived.
They later moved to 2 Alma Terrace, John Street, Nottingham, and were at that address when John died.
His widow was awarded a pension of 23 shillings a week which commenced on 13th May 1915.
Annie later remarried (Holland) and moved 1 Rob Roy Terrace, John Street, New Basford, Nottingham (CWGC).
(RMR, B1594 Ch.) He initially enlisted in the Royal Marines on 12 January 1898. On re-enlistment he served in the RMLI in HMS Edinburgh, an armed merchant cruiser. Edinburgh Castle sailed from Spithead on 19 September 1914 and was at sea when Walter died from disease (for details of voyage see ship's log at www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-08-HMS_Edinburgh_Castle). He was buried at sea at 0540 on 13 November 1914 at Lat. 18.07S Long. 38.45W. He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
Stokes was one of 'Kitchener's Marines' who were transferred from the Sherwood Foresters to the RMLI. Des Turner notes '600 RMLI transfers came from 2 regiments - 200 from the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) and 400 from the Sherwood Foresters. They were predominantly ex-miners and labourers, fit men wanted for their ability to dig trenches and tunnels. The 200 KOYLI recruits were transferred to Plymouth Division RMLI and were given service numbers PLY/1(S) to PLY200(S). This was also the case for the Sherwood Foresters 200 who were dispatched to Portsmouth where already 30 men were recruited and so they became PO/31(S) to PO/230(S). 200 remaining Foresters went to Chatham and were numbered CH/1 to CH/200(S).'
Nottingham Post notice (abridged), 12 November 1915. 'Stokes. Private Walter Stokes RMLI of HMS Edinburgh Castle, died at sea 12 November 1914. Wife and children.'
Nottingham Post notice (abridged), 21 November 1914: 'Stokes. On November 12th at sea on HMS Edinburgh Castle, Private W Stokes RMLI, 2 Alma Terrace, New Basford, age 34.'
Nottingham Post notice (abridged), 25 November 1914: 'Private W Stokes RMLI, 2 Alma Terrace, New Basford, died at sea on Edinburgh Castle.'
Additional research and informatio Peter Gillings
Photo of Walter Stokes
Chatham Naval Memorial