Walter Dyer (1873 –1922)

(Colour Sergeant Lancashire Fusiliers Wellington Barracks, Bury Lancashire)

My grandfather, Walter Dyer was born in Alcester, Warwickshire on the 22^nd June, 1873. He was the third eldest of nine siblings. I think he was either fourteen or fifteen years old when he enlisted with the Lancashires because he was very eager to enlist.

I know that he fought in the Boer War and that he used to talk about his service with Kitchener!

It was his great honour to be selected as a model for the Bury War Memorial dedicated to “the glorious memory of Lancashire Fusiliers line militia and volunteer who gave their lives for their sovereign and country in South Africa 1900-2 this monument erected by their comrades of all ranks and by friends of the regiment.”

The watercolour painting of my grandfather was signed by an artist called Colin Tucker, Aldershot, whether this was a preliminary “sitting” before the actual sculpture was moulded, or a totally unrelated event, I cannot ascertain. I have in the past tried to trace the artist but thus far have found no record of his name.

Unfortunately, Walter’s wife Clara, never believed in retaining memorabilia, so the medals that are emblazoned on Walter’s tunic, fell victim to a jumble sale many years ago. Luckily, my grandmother did find a use for what she described as Walter’s army “pass book” and kept it for use as a cover for notepaper. Apparently, Walter’s army wages were originally recorded in it and although it is in now a rather dilapidated condition, I still have it in my possession.

Printed on the cover is his rank, name, ID number (3275) and Corps.

The wording “Soldier’s Small Book” is also partially visible. No doubt, this book travelled the world with him.

He had two daughters, my aunt Gertrude and my mother Ada, born in 1907 and 1911 respectively.

My mother was actually born on 25^th March in Wellington Barracks, Bury. Her birth certificate shows the proof of this event.

When Walter left the Lancashire Fusiliers, about 1914, he moved to Birmingham where he became Chief Inspector of the Parks Police. Unfortunately, his life ended very prematurely at the age of 49 partially due to an unfortunate accident. Apparently, he was leaning out of a window and the sash cord broke with the result that the window frame fell on his head and knocked him out. Several weeks after this, he complained to my grandmother about “hearing the church bells all the time” and was diagnosed as having a brain tumour, from which he died.

My grandmother remarried several years later and whether she never had any original photographs of Walter or whether they went the same way as his medals I will never know, for the only image I have of him is the watercolour and of course the “life size” version of him in Bury and Salford. I did once see a photograph of him, about 36 years ago in the house of his favourite sister, my great aunt Matilda in Alcester, but at that time, I was too polite to ask for it and she died in the 1970’s aged 96, so I do not know what happened to it. I recall the photograph being of Walter in his Parks Police Uniform and an epitaph surrounded the photo, which I imagine was presented at his funeral for his service to Birmingham Parks.

I feel honoured to have had a grandfather that served his country in the Lancashire Fusilier Regiment and who will hopefully eternally wave his busby at generations of people, “lest” they “forget!”

A copy of my mother’s birth certificate displaying Wellington Barracks as her place of birth.

Beatrix Perry