Frank Walker was born on 28th December 1893 in Six Nations Tribe, Brant Ontario, Canada.
The 1901 Census for Canada on Ancestry shows that the Walker family was living in the district of Oxford, Sub -District, Burford, Ontario. The head of the household, Simon Walker was a member of the Mohawk Tribe and was 41 years of age. He was a Farm Labourer. He and his wife Katherine who was 35 and also a member of the Mohawk tribe, had one child, Frank Walker who was 8 years of age in 1901.
I cannot locate the family in 1911.
Frank’s army records tell us that he enlisted into the 114th Over-Seas Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 5th January 1916 at Hagersville, Ontario. He named his father, Simon Walker as his next of kin. Frank’s trade was a Farmer. On his medical form dated 5th Jan 1918 he was described as being 5ft 4ins tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair.
Here we have a mystery because according to comments written on his service papers, Frank appears to have been illegally absent and was not apprehended for some time. He was fined for being absent and although he enlisted in January 1916 he didn’t arrive in England until 25th September 1918. aboard the S.S.Durham Castle.
During the time that he was missing he married Ida Henhawk on 26th October 1916. She is shown to be the Legatee in his will and received his personal effects.
On arrival in England, Frank was posted to Whitby Army Camp to complete training, but as hostilities were coming to a close he was immediately sent to Kinmel Army Camp in Rhyl. Sadly Frank contracted Bronchial Pneumonia, and was admitted to the Canadian General Hospital where he died on 26th October 1918.
(From Library of Canada Archives)
Kinmel Park Camp was a segregation camp used to house Canadian Soldiers awaiting repatriation to Canada after the end of WW1. Unfortunately the conditions at that time were extremely harsh with a lack of every kind of commodity, the camp was overcrowded and the services were poor, there were shortages of clothing, food and blankets. As a result of this situation, a vast number of servicemen and women became ill and many succumbed to the Influenza Epidemic or complications associated with this infection.
He is buried in St. Margaret’s Cemetery, Bodelwyddan.
Frank Walker is commemorated on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
To read about Aboriginal People in the Canadian Forces, please follow the link.
http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/pub/boo-bro/abo-aut/chapter-chapitre-05-eng.asp
