Private James Walter WYKES (known as Walter)
Military Police, Northamptonshire Regiment 10587
Royal Berkshire Regiment 37462
Labour Corps, Agricultural Unit 497346
J Walter Wykes 1888 1959
Walter was born in Spratton on 14 May 1888, the son of farm labourer John Wykes and his wife Harriet. The family lived in a cottage in Manor Road and three of the sons, John Francis, William and Walter, all served in the First World War. Walter was a farm labourer working at Broomhill Farm for Sir Mervyn Manningham-Buller.
When he was 20 he joined the Northamptonshire Regiment Special Reserve (June 1908) and as soon as war was declared he joined the Northamptonshire Regiment. He served in the Military Police with the rank of Corporal at the beginning of the war, but this was not a success and when he was sent overseas in October 1916 he was transferred to the Royal Berkshire Regiment as a Private.
He suffered a gunshot wound to his hand in February 1917 and was treated in France at Rouen Hospital. Having been sent home for hospital treatment in Birmingham where one of his fingers was amputated, it was decided he was no longer fit for front-line duty and in December 1917 he was transferred to the Agricultural Unit of the Labour Corps. He worked on farms in this country until he was demobbed in May 1919. (Walter’s discharge documents were addressed to him at ‘Near the Hall, Spratton’. Later papers were sent to him at ‘Near the Hole, Spratton’.) He received financial compensation for his injuries and was awarded the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
After the war, Walter and his wife Winifred lived in Brixworth Road, Spratton, and he served in the Home Guard in the Second World War. He died on 2 March 1959 aged 71 and is buried in the new parish cemetery in Spratton, as is his wife.
EXPLORE SECTIONS
MEN WHO SERVED
- Private Charles Herbert AUSTIN (known as Herbert)
- Corporal Frank AUSTIN
- Lance Corporal James William AUSTIN
- Private John Samuel AUSTIN
- Sergeant William Henry AUSTIN
- Sergeant Bertie Henry BALDERSON
- Corporal Frederick Charles BALDERSON MM
- Lance Corporal Robert Samuel BALDERSON
- Private George William BUCKBY (known as William)
- Private Henry Andrew BUCKBY
- Richard Henry Horne BUCKBY
- Transport Sergeant Thomas BUCKBY MM
- Company Quartermaster Sergeant William Gander BUCKBY
- William Archibald COPSON (known as Archibald)
- Sapper Ebenezer COPSON
- Private Ernest Edward COPSON
- Pioneer Henry Owman COPSON (known as Harry)
- Private James COPSON
- Private John William COPSON
- Private Joseph COPSON
- Private Arthur Sidney GOODEN (known as Sidney)
- Private Hugh Henry GOODEN
- Sergeant Joseph Eric GOODEN (known as Eric)
- Private Arthur Thomas HAYTER
- Driver Frank Leonard HAYTER
- Private Harold Herbert HAYTER
- Lance Corporal John Charles HAYTER DCM (known as Jack)
- Private Walter Ernest HAYTER
- Ordinary Seaman Arthur Charles HORNE
- Private John William HORNE (known as William)
- Lance Corporal Lewis HORNE
- Private Thomas HORNE
- Driver John Henry LEESON
- Corporal Joseph Henry LEESON (known as Harry)
- Thomas Baden Powell LEESON (known as ‘Bard’)
- Private Albert MANNING
- Corporal Amos MANNING
- Private Arthur Cecil MANNING
- Private George MANNING
- Sergeant George William MANNING
- Sapper Henry Stanley MANNING (known as Stanley)
- Private John Thomas MANNING
- Private John William MANNING
- Air Mechanic Nathaniel MANNING
- Driver/Saddler Samuel MANNING
- Gunner George Albert MARTIN
- Private Joseph MARTIN
- Private Thomas Henry MARTIN (known as Harry)
- Private Thomas Walter MARTIN (known as Walter)
- Pioneer Walter Ernest MARTIN
- Sergeant William Higgs MARTIN, DCM
- Private Arthur Walter PAGE
- Private Francis Samuel PAGE (known as Sam)
- Private Frank PAGE
- Private Stephen PAGE
- Lieutenant George REEVE MC MM
- Private Richard Henry REEVE (known as Harry)
- Private Samuel REEVE
- Private Sidney Philip REEVE
- Private Frederick Thomas RICHARDSON
- Private John William RICHARDSON
- Private Percy John Partridge RICHARDSON
- Private Abraham Bert SMITH
- Private Alfred SMITH
- Private Frank SMITH 46648
- Private John Samuel SMITH
- Private John William SMITH (6942)
- Private John William (William John) SMITH (8964)
- Private Charles Walter WADHAMS
- Private John Edward WADHAMS
- Private Thomas Edwin WADHAMS
- Private William WADHAMS