Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of George Harrison, a general dealer, born in the October quarter of 1839 in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire (son of Isaac Bristow Harrison, 1815-1898 and Maria White, 1816-1898) and his wife Ann Harrison (nee Brewin, married in the April quarter of 1863 in the Blaby, Leicestershire district), born in the October quarter of 1844 in Wigston Magna (daughter of Benjamin Brewin, 1811 and Mary Grant, 1814). Walter, a schoolboy was born in the January quarter of 1887 in Wigston Magna, his siblings, were, John, a rivetter, born in the January quarter of 1869, Flora, a hosiery trade worker, born in the January quarter of 1876, Mary Maria, a hosiery trade worker, born in the October quarter of 1877, Ernest, a schoolboy, born on the 17th September 1879, Laura, a schoolgirl, born in the April quarter of 1882 and George, a schoolboy, born on the 14th February 1884, all his siblings were born in Wigston Magna, in April 1891 the family home was at 104, Leicester Road, Wigston Magna. In March 1901 Walter was employed as a Post Office boy and was residing in the family home at Paddock Street, Wigston Magna, together with his father, a green grocer, his mother and siblings, John, a shoe trade rivetter, Mary a griswold stocking knitter, Ernest, a shoe trade rivetter, Laura, a griswold stocking knitter and George, a griswold stocking knitter. In April 1911 Walter was employed as a salt hawker and was residing in the family home at 63, Long Street, Wigston, together with his mother, a grocery trade packer and his sister Laura, a hosiery trade worker.
Walter married Annie Corbett in the July quarter of 1912 in the Blaby, Leicestershire district. Annie was born on the 10th December 1889 in Goddington, Oxfordshire, Walter and Annie had two children, Walter Isaac Lewis, born on the 11th November 1912 and Douglas Albert, born on the 1st December 1914, both children were born in Wigston.
Walter enlisted/attested into the Territorial Force on the 28th June 1915 in Leicester, and was allotted the regimental service number 5041. He gave his present address as 77, Long Street, Great Wigston, Near Leicester.
His medical inspection record gave his full name as Walter Harrison, his apparent age as 28 years 6 months, his height as 5-foot 7 inches, his chest measurement as 33½ inches to 36 inches, his vision as D6/D6 and his physical development as good.
He was certified as fit for the Territorial Force. Date 28th June 1915. Place Leicester.
He gave his next of kin as his wife, Annie Harrison, 77, Long Street, Great Wigston, Leicestershire.
He gave his religion as Church of England.
The compilation of events that occurred during his period of military service are taken from the following sources: - Casualty Form – Active Service (B.103). Statement of the Services of. Military History Sheet.
Joined. At Leicester. 28/6/15.
Posted. To 3/4th Bn. Leicestershire Regt. Pte. 28/6/15.
Embodied service commenced. 28/6/15.
Posted to “C” Company. 3/4th Bn. Leicestershire Regt, Belton Park, Grantham. 28/6/15.
Medical Board Report. Originated September 18th 1915, Grantham. Appears to have had fits of depression for some time, not result of military service. Permanent. 30/10/15.
Discharged in consequence of being medically unfit (mania). 5/11/15.
Discharged. Under King’s Regulations. Paragraph 392 IIICC. 5/11/15.
Summary of Service.
Home Service. 28/6/15 – 5/11/15. 131 days.
Total Service. 131 days.
His description at the time of discharge recorded his apparent age as 28 years 10 months, height 5-feet 7½ inches, chest measurement of between 33 and 35 inches his complexion was described as fresh, he had light blue eyes and his hair colour was brown. The following distinctive marks were noted, mole on back, scar across throat. His trade was given as salt trade and his intended place of residence was, 77, Long Street, Great Wigston, Leicester. His Military Character in accordance with King’s Regulations was recorded as Fairly Good. He was discharged at Belton Park Grantham on the 5th November 1915.
On the 22nd September 1916, Walter’s widow, Annie Harrison, of 77, Long Street, Wigston, Leicestershire was awarded a weekly Army Dependant’s Pension for herself and two children of eighteen shillings and six pence, commensurate on the 20th December 1915.
On Monday December 20th, 1915, The Leicester Daily Mercury published the following article on page five, under the heading. – SAD AFFAIR AT NARBOROUGH. – Asylum Inmate’s Death. – A tragedy was enacted on the railway line at Narborough yesterday morning, when an inmate of the County Asylum, named Walter Harrison, who escaped from the institution, was knocked down and killed by a passing train. An inquest has been arranged to be held this afternoon in Narborough.
The body, which was cut in two, was found near Williams’ Crossing, in the parish of Cosby, on the London and North-Western line. Deceased was a married man, and his wife lives at Wigston. He was an ex-soldier, and 27 years of age.
INQUEST AND VERDICT.
At the Narborough Hotel, Narborough, this afternoon, Mr. G. E. Bouskell held an inquest into the circumstances. – Evidence showed that the deceased who was 28 years of age, had escaped from the County Asylum, and evidently wandered on to the line. A verdict of “found dead on the railway” was returned, and the jury added that no blame attached to anyone.
On Tuesday, December 21st, 1915, The Leicester Daily Mercury published the following article on page two, under the heading. – A SOLDIER’S SAD DEATH. – KILLED ON RAILWAY AT COSBY. – ESCAPE FROM THE COUNTY ASYLUM. - A tragedy was enacted on the railway line at Narborough on Sunday morning, when an inmate of the County Asylum, named Walter Harrison, who escaped from the institution, was knocked down and killed by a passing train. The body, which was cut in two, was found near Williams’ Crossing, in the Parish of Cosby, on the London and North-Western line. Deceased was a married man, and his wife lives at Wigston. He was a soldier, and 27 years of age.
The Coroner’s inquiry was held yesterday afternoon at the Narborough Hotel by Mr. G. Bouskell. Dr. Chas. Stewart, the medical superintendent at the asylum, said the deceased was admitted on a military order on November 5th of this year suffering from melancholia. He was in the 3rd/4th Leicestershire Regiment, stationed at Belton Park, Grantham. On admittance he asked witness to give him some poison, but he showed no marked suicidal tendency, and improved wonderfully under treatment. Lately he had been able to do ward work. He was in a ward that contained 57 other inmates. There should have been at least five attendants to look after them, but owing to a reduction of the staff due to enlistment, there were only four. They had received inmates from other asylums used as War Hospitals by the Government. The doctor added that when a patient was actively suicidal, he was never out of sight of an attendant, but in this case the patient was not so.
Alfred Childs, of Croft, gave evidence as to finding the body, which was terribly mangled. One part on the 6ft way and the other on the 4ft way of the up-line. P.C. Chatterton said he could find no clue as to how the deceased came to get on to the line. A Wigston (Midland Railway) station-master had informed him that the up-train would be the Birmingham to Bedford fast goods train. An examination of the engine of that train revealed blood marks. The driver and fireman felt a jolt near the spot where the tragedy occurred, but neither saw or heard anything. Some portions of the deceased’s clothes were found a quarter of a mile from where the body was discovered, and showed having regard to the direction in which the train was travelling that the body was carried that distance.
Describing himself as the charge attendant of the ward in which deceased was, John George Gibb said he did not see the deceased on the morning of the tragedy. Eight of the patients slept on the veranda, and the others in the dormitory. To get into the grounds he would not have to jump at all, and there were two broken windows through which he could easily get. They had been broken together with the framework some days previous, and because of the difficulty in matching the wood had been left for a time. Failing the windows, the deceased could easily have escaped through some shutters. There was a night attendant, and he was succeeded by four day attendants.
Frederick Geo, Hardy, one of the attendants who “came on” at six o’clock on Sunday morning, said he saw the deceased dressing. Witness went away on duty at 6.10, and when he returned, in less than an hour, the deceased was missing. Attendants were there in the meantime.
The Coroner said there was no doubt that deceased was run over and killed instantly, but the point was whether he wandered on to the line or went to commit suicide. One could not assume that the deceased intended suicide because of what he said to the doctor on admission or because he was in a mental institution, and there was no conclusive evidence to support such an assumption. He left the point to the jury.
The jury returned a verdict that the deceased was found dead on the railway, having been run over by a passing train, and that no blame was attributable to anyone.
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