Sale, Walter Edward

Walter was the fourth son of John and Elizabeth (nee Sale) Sale of Hinxworth born on 11 November 1883.

Walter enlisted with the Bedfordshire Imperial Yeomanry Territorial Force on 1 April 1903, Regimental Number 390.  He was promoted to Sergeant in May 1908.  He stayed at home on the farm in Hinxworth all the time he was in the Territorial Force, re-enlisting year by year and spending one month per year in military camp.  He was re-engaged with the Bedfordshire Imperial Yeomanry in April 2014 with Regimental Number 72 and was mobilised to France in June 1915.  Walter saw active service in the Western European Theatre of War, France and Flanders.  He survived the war and returned to Hinxworth.

Walter was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Medal, the 1914-15 Star, The British War Medal, the Victory Medal and the Silver War Badge.

Before enlisting he was working as a farmer on the family farm in Hinxworth, Hertfordshire.

Walter married Nellie May Cutress in the 4^th quarter of 1917.  They had three children, Walter John born on 16 August 1918, Kathleen Elizabeth May born on 5 May 1920, and Michael Edward Francis born on 19 September 1926.

The 1939 census shows them living at Hinxworth with Walter ‘a farmer till 1936, since a rabbiter.’

The Ashwell museum holds a suit made for Walter to wear at Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887 when he was about 5 years old.

Walter died at Hinxworth at March 1982.