Walter Redshaw

Walter Redshaw was born in 1881 the son of Thomas an iron planer and Jane Ann Redshaw (née Brown). His father was born in 1856 at Leeds and his mother in 1858 also at Leeds. Married on 7th July 1877 at St John and St Barnabus Church Holbeck Leeds, they had eleven children, three of whom who died young. Walter’s seven siblings to survive infancy were William b.1880, Ada b.1884, Mary Anne (Polly) b.1886, Nellie b.1890, Mabel b.1893, Annie b.1895 and Edmund b.1898. The family moved to Nottingham around 1884 and lived at 10 Northcote Terrace Meadows in 1901 and 1911. Walter married Ellen Rhodes in 1914 at Nottingham and their daughter Iris was born that year. They lived at 42 Holme Road Meadow Lane Nottingham.

In 1911 Walter was an electric car conductor, Nottingham Tramways.

Enlisted Sheffield

1st Bn East Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of York's Own) Walter Redshaw was killed in action on 18 January 1915. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium (Panel 4). He qualified for the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of the Ploegsteert Memorial (extract): The Memorial is in the Berks Cemetery Extension, 12.5km from Ieper [Ypres] and 'commemorates more than 11,000 servicemen of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in this sector during the First World War and have no known grave. The memorial serves the area from the line Caestre-Dranoutre-Warneton, in Belgium, to the north, to Haverskerque-Estaires-Fournes, in France, to the south, including the towns of Hazebrouck, Merville, Bailleul and Armentieres, the Forest of Nieppe, and Ploegsteert Wood. The original intention had been to erect the memorial in Lille. Most of those commemorated by the memorial did not die in major offensives, such as those which took place around Ypres to the north, or Loos to the south. Most were killed in the course of the day-to-day trench warfare which characterised this part of the line, or in small scale set engagements, usually carried out in support of the major attacks taking place elsewhere.' (www.cwgc.org)

Nottingham Evening Post, 'Roll of Honour', 18th January 1916: “REDSHAW. – In loving memory of Pte. Walter Redshaw, killed in action January 18th, 1915. Not in cruelty, not in wrath, the reaper came that day; 'twas an angel than visited the green earth and took my dear husband away. Sadly missed. R.I.P. – From loving wife and baby. “REDSHAW. – In ever loving memory of our dear Walter, who was killed in action, January 18th, 1915. Never will his memory fade. – From father, mother, brothers, and sisters. “REDSHAW. – In affectionate remembrance of our dear brother, Walter Redshaw, who was killed in action, January 18th, 1915. Ever in our thoughts. – Ada and Harry. “REDSHAW. – In loving memory of our dear Walter, killed in action January 18th, 1915. Never will his memory fade. – From the family. “REDSHAW. – In loving memory of our dear brother Walter, killed in action January 18th, 1915. Ever in our thoughts. – Pollie and Sam (in France). Above courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918 Nottingham Evening Post, 5 February 1915, photograph with caption: 'Pte Walter Redshaw, 1st East Yorkshires, killed in action January 18, late conductor on the Nottingham Tramways. He lived at 42, Holme-street, Meadow-lane.’