Private Walter Lindley: My WWI Soldier Ancestor
Private Walter Lindley: A Soldier, Husband, Father, Son, Brother, Brother-in-Law Content Warning: War Death and Disturbing Historical Details Interpreting Walter Lindley's Military Journey Through a Family History Lens The life of Private Walter Lindley was cut short when it abruptly ended in the killing fields of Flanders amidst the ‘Third Battle of Ypres,' now acknowledged as 'Passchendaele,' in 1917. [1] The same year World War One broke out, 1914, he married, his first daughter was born, and his brother died on the Western Front. He was one of more than 330,000 volunteers who served in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) overseas, resulting in over 61,000 deaths. [2] Amongst other reasons, he likely volunteered for the patriotic cause. Some photos and postcards survived, and in addition to his war records, they underpinned his life in the AIF. Walter was born between 1892 and 1894 in Balby, Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, to John Lindley and Adelaide Lewis...