Len and Alex Walker

Walker, Alec and Len. Brothers George James Alexander (Alec) Walker and William Leonard (Len) Walker served in WWI. Len was killed in France in 1918. Alec was invalided home with wounds to the arm and leg in 1917. He was born in 1894, and worked at the family business, the Imperial laundry, Pittwater Road. He was married to Ruby, and they had five children. He later had an orchard at Glenorie. He died in 1955 at Palm Beach.[1]

The Evening News, 30 April 1915 p2, carried a story about Len attempting to enlist aged 16, with his side drum tucked under his arm; he was told to come back when he was older. The Evening News, 7 October 1918 p2, also carried an obituary with photograph following Len’s death in action. It stated that Len had been a member of the Public Instruction Band since 1912, and had been a popular member of Manly Band, with whom he had played as recently as May 1917. He played for recruiting marches, and accompanied a ‘Coo-ee’ march at Blackheath.See article in Manly Daily 4 October 2014.

[1] Information from descendant Val Allen, September 2014.