Walter Astle Tunnicliffe
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Walter was born in 1895 at Long Eaton and was the son of Arthur a lace manufacturer and Sarah Ann Tunnicliffe (née Astle). His father Arthur was born in 1864 in Derby, his mother Sarah Ann was born in 1862 in Wilne Derbyshire. They were married in the Shardlow Registration district in December 1884 and had the following five children: Hilda Mary b1886, Fred Arthur b1887, Annie Margaret b1890 and Walter Astle b1895. All their children were born in Long Eaton. In 1911 census the family lived at 91 Nottingham Road, Long Eaton, Derbyshire, and shown as Arthur 47 yrs head of the family, a lace manufacturer, his wife Annie 50 yrs and their children Hilda Mary 25 yrs a school teacher, Fred 24 yrs a lace draughtsman, Walter 16 yrs a lace draughtsman and Nellie 15 yrs a scholar. Arthur later lived at Stanhope Street, Long Eaton.
Walter enlisted on a short service attestation on 9th December 1915 at Nottingham. He was a lace draughtsman, 21 yrs and 8 months old, religion Methodist and living at 91 Nottingham Road, Long Eaton. His next of kin was his father Arthur of the same address. The following day, 10th December, he transferred to the Reserves. He was mobilised on 3rd February 1916 and on the 4th was posted to the 2/7th battalion of Sherwood Foresters. Walter served in Dublin with the battalion during the Irish Rebellion of 1916. He was seriously wounded on 26th April 1916 in an attack on 25 Northumberland Road and the Mount Street Bridge, Dublin. Reports stated he was hit in the back by a sniper. Walter died the following day from his wounds and was buried in Portobello Barracks Dublin. However, at his father's request the body was exhumed and repatriated to his family. Walter was buried in his home town of Long Eaton. He was one of the 31 men of the Sherwood Foresters to be killed during the Irish Rebellion 1916.
An article published on 10th May 1916 in the Nottingham Daily Express : - “FUNERAL POSTPONED. “Body of Long Eaton Hero Delayed on Journey from Ireland. “Owing to the fact that the body had not arrived from Ireland the funeral of Private W. A. Tunnicliffe, Sherwood Foresters, who was killed by the rebels on April 26th or 27th, which had been fixed to take place at Long Eaton Cemetery yesterday, [9th May 1916] was postponed until to-day at the same time. A report of the funeral was published in the Nottingham Evening Post. “At yesterday's annual district meeting of the United Methodist Church (Nottingham district), held at Long Eaton, a resolution of sympathy with the relatives was passed on the proposition of the Rev. T. Scowby. “The chairman, the Rev. G. W. Potter, mentioned that the father of the young soldier was for many years a local preacher, and was a member of Zion Church, Long Eaton, where the meetings were being held that day. Had it not been for his bereavement he would have been entertaining a number of the delegates during the conference. “Mr. Potter also mentioned that Private Tunnicliffe was killed as the men were proceeding from the boat to the scene of the trouble.” above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918. Long Eaton Advertiser, 12th May 1916: "He had been shot in the back and thigh and had been buried in Portobello Barracks Dublin but his body was returned to Long Eaton at the request of his parents. He was on Northumberland Road, when he was shot ... It will be remembered that Mr P.S. Cronin of Preston, who was present in Dublin at the time, wrote to the press mentioning that he observed a little girl venturing into the fire swept street to assist wounded Sherwood's as best she might. In one instance she tore off her dress and thrust it down the soldiers trousers to staunch the bleeding from a wound in the thigh. The letter stated the youth concerned was wounded in the small of the back as well as the thigh, the description of the soldiers wounds by Mr Cronin leaves no doubt that the action of the heroic little maid was performed to help Private Tunnicliffe."
