Walter Pool Terry

Private Walter Pool Terry – Welsh Regiment, 6^th Battalion

Early Life

Walter Pool Terry

Walter Pool Terry was born in 1889 in Burley, Yorkshire, the son of George Pool Terry and Mary Haley, who were married in November 1870 at St. Andrew’s Church, Leeds, Yorkshire.

1891 Census

The 1891 Census records the family living at 6 Harold Terrace, Headingley with Burley, Yorkshire. George, aged 40, was employed as an iron turner, while Mary, also aged 40, managed the household. Their children were Sarah Ann (20), a tailoress; Arthur P. (12), attending school; Ernest P. (4); and Walter (2).

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the family was living at 9 Spring Grove View, Headingley with Burley. George, aged 50, continued to work as an iron turner, and Mary was also 50. Their two youngest sons were still at home — Ernest (14), now employed as a commercial clerk, and Walter (12), still at school.

Marriage and Family

In 1907, Walter married Hilda Debank Ryder in Leeds, Yorkshire. Tragically, Hilda died just two years later, in 1909, at the age of 20.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, Walter had moved to Swansea, where he was living at 11 Bay View Terrace, Overland Road, Mumbles, the home of his brother Arthur. Arthur, aged 32, was an electrical engineer surveyor, and lived with his wife Mary (29) and their three children — George (8), Arthur Preston (6), and Ernest (4). Also present in the household was Walter (22), working as a builder’s clerk, along with a servant, Rubina Margaret Rogers (19). Later that same year, Walter married Rubina Margaret Rogers.

Military Service

At the outbreak of the First World War, Walter enlisted in the Welsh Regiment, 6^th Battalion, a unit closely associated with Swansea and the surrounding Glamorgan area. His home address at the time was 41 Woodville Road, Mumbles.

The 6^th (Glamorgan) Battalion, Welsh Regiment was part of the Territorial Force, made up largely of men from Swansea, Mumbles, and the Gower Peninsula. Often referred to locally as the “Swansea Rifles,” the battalion trained at local drill halls before mobilising for overseas service. It became one of the first Welsh Territorial units to serve on the Western Front, taking part in key operations such as the Battle of Loos (1915), the Somme (1916), Messines (1917), Passchendaele (1917), and the final Allied advances of 1918.

Walter served in France for three years and two months, enduring the severe conditions of trench warfare and the hardships faced by thousands of Welsh soldiers abroad.

Death

discharge documents

In February 1919, Walter was discharged from the Army, and his discharge documents have survived. Sadly, only a few weeks later, on 10^th March 1919, he died — likely from illness or complications resulting from his wartime service, possibly linked to the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic, which continued to take lives even after the Armistice.

Burial

Walter Pool Terry
Oystermouth Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Private Walter Pool Terry was buried at Oystermouth Cemetery, Swansea, where his grave remains a lasting reminder of his service and sacrifice.

Legacy

Though his life was brief, Walter Pool Terry exemplified the courage and dedication of the many local men who served with the Swansea Rifles during the Great War. Having survived years of service on the Western Front, he returned home only to pass away shortly after peace was declared. His grave at Oystermouth Cemetery stands as a tribute not only to his own service but also to the proud tradition of Swansea’s men who gave so much during the conflict.