G's Story.
Private G Walker 5768 of the 1st Kings Liverpool Regiment died on 7th April 1900, aboard the hospital ship SS Orcana. He is buried in the Durban Military Cemetery on Wyatt Street.
From newspaper list of casualties (Daily News, London Tuesday 10 April 1900)
What do we know about Private Walker?
Private G Walker was 33 when he died, making his year of birth around 1867. What is his link to Northwich? He is not the George Henry Walker, son of John and Sarah, who was born in Northwich on 15th June 1866 and died in 1950, nor is he George Edwin Walker, son of Edwin and Hannah, born in Moulton, near Northwich in 1866, who died in 1932.
His regimental number (5768) suggests that he enlisted into the army in March 1897, when he would have been thirty. The 1st Battalion the (King's) Liverpool Regiment was sent to South Africa in 1897, and was already in Ladysmith when war was declared in 1899. They fought at the battle of Rietfontein on 24th October 1899 and then withdrew into Ladysmith where they remained throughout the siege. During the siege, which lasted 118 days, the Liverpools were located on the north side of the town, and were not in the fighting when the attack was made upon the southern defences on 6th January 1900.
During the recuperation period following the relief of Ladysmith on 28th February 1900, Private Walker fell ill with typhoid (enteric fever) and was evacuated to Durban where he died on board the hospital ship HMHS Orcana on 6th or 7th April 1900, aged 33 years.
Hospital ship SS Orcana
Burial record of Private G Walker, aged 33.
His burial record shows that he died on 6th April, but all newspaper reports give the date as 7th April 1900.
Private Walker is remembered on a plaque at St Helen's Church, Witton, Northwich, one of 15 men from the local area who died in South Africa.
He is listed as appearing on the Kings Liverpool Regiment Memorial, unveiled in 1905, but it seems that the wording is now illegible.
A memorial sculpted by William Goscombe John to commemorate the regiment's service in Afghanistan, Burma, and South Africa was erected in St John's Gardens, Liverpool and unveiled by Field Marshal Sir George White on 9 September 1905.
Inscription:
THE KINGS LIVERPOOL REGIMENT
THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY THE OFFICERS, NON COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE REGIMENT AND BY THE GRATEFUL CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF LIVERPOOL IN MEMORY OF THEIR COMRADES AND FELLOW CITIZENS WHO IED DURING THE CAMPAIGN IN AFGHANISTAN 1878-80 BURMA 1885-1887 AND SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902
SOME FELL ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE SOME DIED OF WOUNDS AND SOME OF DISEASE BUT ALL GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THE HONOUR OF THE REGIMENT, THEIR CITY AND THEIR COUNTY
AFGHANISTAN 1878-80. BURMA 1885-7 SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902
PRO PATRIA NEC ASPERA TERRENT
(BLENHEIM. RAMILLIES. OUDENARDE. MALPLAQUET. DETTINGEN. DEFENCE OF MARTINIQUE. NIAGARA. DELHI. LUCKNOW. PEIWOR - KOTAL LADYSMITH)
Research by S. Lewington (July 2025)
From newspaper list of casualties (Daily News, London Tuesday 10 April 1900)
What do we know about Private Walker?
Private G Walker was 33 when he died, making his year of birth around 1867. What is his link to Northwich? He is not the George Henry Walker, son of John and Sarah, who was born in Northwich on 15th June 1866 and died in 1950, nor is he George Edwin Walker, son of Edwin and Hannah, born in Moulton, near Northwich in 1866, who died in 1932.
His regimental number (5768) suggests that he enlisted into the army in March 1897, when he would have been thirty. The 1st Battalion the (King's) Liverpool Regiment was sent to South Africa in 1897, and was already in Ladysmith when war was declared in 1899. They fought at the battle of Rietfontein on 24th October 1899 and then withdrew into Ladysmith where they remained throughout the siege. During the siege, which lasted 118 days, the Liverpools were located on the north side of the town, and were not in the fighting when the attack was made upon the southern defences on 6th January 1900.
During the recuperation period following the relief of Ladysmith on 28th February 1900, Private Walker fell ill with typhoid (enteric fever) and was evacuated to Durban where he died on board the hospital ship HMHS Orcana on 6th or 7th April 1900, aged 33 years.
Hospital ship SS Orcana
Burial record of Private G Walker, aged 33.
His burial record shows that he died on 6th April, but all newspaper reports give the date as 7th April 1900.
Private Walker is remembered on a plaque at St Helen's Church, Witton, Northwich, one of 15 men from the local area who died in South Africa.
He is listed as appearing on the Kings Liverpool Regiment Memorial, unveiled in 1905, but it seems that the wording is now illegible.
A memorial sculpted by William Goscombe John to commemorate the regiment's service in Afghanistan, Burma, and South Africa was erected in St John's Gardens, Liverpool and unveiled by Field Marshal Sir George White on 9 September 1905.
Inscription:
THE KINGS LIVERPOOL REGIMENT
THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED BY THE OFFICERS, NON COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE REGIMENT AND BY THE GRATEFUL CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF LIVERPOOL IN MEMORY OF THEIR COMRADES AND FELLOW CITIZENS WHO IED DURING THE CAMPAIGN IN AFGHANISTAN 1878-80 BURMA 1885-1887 AND SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902
SOME FELL ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE SOME DIED OF WOUNDS AND SOME OF DISEASE BUT ALL GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THE HONOUR OF THE REGIMENT, THEIR CITY AND THEIR COUNTY
AFGHANISTAN 1878-80. BURMA 1885-7 SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902
PRO PATRIA NEC ASPERA TERRENT
(BLENHEIM. RAMILLIES. OUDENARDE. MALPLAQUET. DETTINGEN. DEFENCE OF MARTINIQUE. NIAGARA. DELHI. LUCKNOW. PEIWOR - KOTAL LADYSMITH)
Research by S. Lewington (July 2025)