30 Days of Remembrance- Day 22 - Walter Harry George Varney

In memory of
Private
Walter Harry George Varney
who died on November 21, 1916 

Military Service:

Service Number: 163162

Age:19

Force: Army

Unit: Canadian Infantry (Quebec Regiment)

Division: 73rd Bn.

Additional Information:

Date and Place of Birth: December 27, 1896

Son of George and Frances Elizabeth Varney, of 10, Pendrith St., Toronto.

Cemetery: WARLOY-BAILLON COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION; Somme, France

Grave Reference: VI. D. 15.

Commemorated on Page 176 of the First World War Book of Remembrance.

Walter Harry George Varney joined the Canadian Forces on Sept 7 1915. According to his attestation papers, Walter Varney was born Dec 27 1896, in St Albans's, Hertfordshire, England. 

 

Walter gave his father George Varney as next of kin, with an address of 10 Pendrith St, Toronto. I couldn't locate the family on the 1911 Canadian census, although there were several other Varney families living on Pendrith St in 1911. A quick look at immigration records located a likely record, with 15 year old Walter Harry Varney arriving at Quebec, accompanied by his parents George and Francis Eliz Varney and 5 siblings, all bound for Toronto in Aug of 1913.

Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935, ancestry.ca

Walter Varney was barely in Toronto for 2 years before joining the Canadian Forces but he obviously made strong ties in his new home, with two separate news articles reporting his death.

 Toronto Evening Telegram,  December 4th, 1916.

 

 

 

Records from  Canada, CEF Commonwealth War Graves Registers, 1914-1919 for W H G Varney confirm his death from multiple wounds.

Walter Harry George Varney died Nov 21, 1916