Walter Kissack's Story.
Birkenhead News 08 December 1917BIRKENHEAD PARENTS’ SAD BEREAVEMENT.
Mr. and Mrs. James Looney, of 22, Cleveland Street, Birkenhead, have received the sorrowful intelligence from Captain Crutch B Co., South Wales Borderers, that their only son, Pte. W. K. Looney, “fell gallantly in action” – to quote the Captain’s letter – on Nov. 10th.
Born in the Isle of Man, the deceased soldier, who would have been 34 years of age on Nov. 26th, was educated at the Ramsey Grammar School, and entered the Manx Bank at Ramsey. Later he joined the staff of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank at Douglas. His parents came to live in Birkenhead ten years ago, Mr Looney joining the service of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. Their son was transferred to the offices of the Bank last mentioned in South John Street, Liverpool, and in March, 1915, he joined the Royal Engineers, but was afterwards drafted into the South Wales Borderers.
He went to France in January last, and was purposing to seek a commission. A sad circumstance in connection with Pte. Looney’s death is that only the night before being apprised of the event in Capt. Crutch’s letter Mr. and Mrs. Looney had received a very cheery letter from him.
The newspaper article reproduced above reports Walter’s date of death as 10th November 1917, however, military records record his date of death as the 9th November.