Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Walter and Gertrude had one child, a son Frederick Thomas. Walter’s employer, on learning of Walter’s death, reserved a position and subsequently took on Fred as an apprentice typesetter, making him the third generation printer. Fred worked for a period in South Africa but having been a member of the Leicestershire Yeomanry (Territorial Army) was called-up in 1938 and served with distinction with the Lowland Division. He survived the war. Gertrude lived in her matrimonial home she had shared with Walter until late age. She then lived with her son and died at 94. She never remarried. I am Walter’ great-grandson and have visited his grave several times and also where his Battalion was fighting around the time he received his facial wound from which he died after a period of about two weeks at Etaples base hospital. His battalion was fighting alongside the South African Scottish at Chapel Hill, in the south of the Somme sector. Such was the sudden German attack even the battalion headquarters was overrun, pioneers and cooks having to take up arms.

Submitted with photograph by C.A.J. Coaton in August 2021

Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Henry Coaton a printing machine minder, born 1853 in Leicester and his wife Emma Ann, born 1854 in Leicester. Walter Bloxam Coaton was born in 1888 in Leicester, his siblings were, Harry James, born 1879, Arthur William, born 1881 Eliza, born 1882 and Joseph, born 1884, all his siblings were born in Leicester, in April 1891 the family home was at 19, St. Leonards Road, Knighton, Leicester. In March 1901 Walter was employed as an errand boy and was residing in the family home at 41, Outram Street, Leicester, together with his parents and siblings, Arthur, Eliza and Joseph. In April 1911 Walter was employed as a stenotyper labourer and was residing in the family home at 8, Andrews Street, Leicester, together with his parents and siblings, Eliza and Sidney, born 1896 in Leicester. In the October, November, December quarter of 1914, Walter married Gertrude Barsby in the Leicester marriage registration district.