Lieutenant E Walker

This detail from a group photo of the Queen's Bays officers taken in August 1914 shows the officer named as Lieutenant E Walker. In the group he seems considerably shorter than the officers standing next to him. Private William Clarke's memoirs include an entry for 1 Nov 1914 which probably refers to Lieutenant Walker:
'There was a Lieutenant W, a cocky little chap, who always walked around carrying a shepherds crook he'd picked up somewhere. He used it to get himself over the top. When he walked along the top, men in the trench used to baa like sheep. He got fed up with it in the end and threw it away. This Lieutenant W, wasn't a very popular chap. It was at Loos, i remember, and this Lt was due to be relieved that night by our gang. Now at Loos we were practically on top of Jerry's trench and relieving was a dodgy business. It was only some 20/25 yards from them and you couldn't stand up or you would get it in the noddle. Right, we crouch our way to this trench, start to go in, and by the way I have got my load on my back, plus a bag of coke and a huge trench telescope made of sheet steel, I was so loaded I could hardly walk never mind crouch. We get half way up the trench and a message is passed down, 'Lt W refuses to be relieved'. What we heard called him by the men we were due to relieve, I can't repeat here, but after having almost a riot on his hands he gave in.'

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