Corporal 51350 Walter Guy Judge 16th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment attached to 12th Entrenching Battalion - Formerly S/27162 of the Army Service Corps, in which he was serving as a Private at Farnham when the enumerator of the 1911 census came a knocking.

The 1901 census finds him with his grandparents Alfred Judge, a baker and Martha Judge at Maidstone Road, Marden. On the 11th of May 1913 he married Winnie Baker, a widow,at the parish church, Faversham. The ceremony being conducted by J G Grosse. The couple had one child, Joyce Mary born the 14th of June 1914 at Faversham.

Whilst employed as a butcher, Walter enlisted at Chatham into the Army Service Corps on the 20th of November 1908 and joined the following day at Aldershot. His “descriptive marks” were clasped hands and star tattooed on his right fore arm and a scar on the back of his head.

On the 22nd of June 1911 at Battersea Park Camp he was drunk on duty and was punished by the forfeiture of his Good Conduct Badge. He transferred to the Army Reserve on the 19th of November 1911.

He was mobilized at Aldershot on the 7th of August 1914 and went to France on the 11th of August and joined number 2 Field Butchery.

On the 2nd of May 1916 he was admitted to an isolation hospital with measles and discharged back to duty on the 20th.

In July 1917 he was appointed Acting Corporal. On the 24th of September he transferred, still an Acting Corporal, to the 16th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment.

Walter was killed in action 23rd of March 1918 he has no known grave and is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial on the Somme.

The Faversham News for the 18th of May reports upon his death and life. The paper notes his address as 11, Queen’s Road, Faversham “where he was formerly in the employ of Mr F C Wyborn, butcher, West Street and latterly of the Co-Operative Society’s Butchery Department” And that he had only been back a week from his last leave when he was killed by machine gun fire while out on patrol on the night of March 22nd. His officer in a letter to Mrs Judge said that “I found him a most capable and reliable NCO, and I can tell you he is a great loss to me as well as to his platoon. When I heard he had been hit I went out and fetched him in myself. He was hit in the head, and died for his country like a soldier and a hero. Please accept my deepest sympathy”. From the foregoing press report, it might well be assumed that Guy received a burial but that his grave was subsequently lost.

His widow received a pension of 21/8d per week for herself and one child with effect from the 2nd of December 1918. On the 27th of January 1920 Minnie signed for receipt of the 1914 Star; on the 11th of December 1920 she received his memorial plaque and scroll. On the 30th of January 1927 for the Victory Medal.

Minnie had received his personal effects in September 1918 amounting to Army Book 50, ID disc, photos, 1 pipe, 1 pouch, 1 belt, 1 pencil, 1 9ct gold charm, and souvenir book “(damaged)”. 

[Walter's brother, Clarence, served as Private 971 Clarence Frank Judge with the 32nd Battalion Australian Infantry Force was killed in action on the 20th of July 1916 has no known grave and is remembered on V.C Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles, France]