Walker, John Magreeghan (John)
Private
No. 12451, 8th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, transferred to
No. 19469, 107th Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 36th (Ulster) Division
Killed in action on Saturday 1 July 1916 (aged 31)
Buried:
Serre Road Cemetery No. 2, France (Grave VI. J. 11)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Comber and District War Memorial
BIOGRAPHY
John Walker was born in the townland of Ballyrogan, Newtownards and he was a son of John and Mary Ann Walker (nee Magreeghan, sometimes McGreeghan, sometimes McGreekin) who were married on 26 November 1883 in Newtownards Registrar’s Office. John Walker from Greengraves was a son of John Walker, a labourer. Mary Ann Magreeghan from Greengraves was a daughter of James Magreeghan, a labourer.
The Walker family lived in the townland of Greengraves, Newtownards.
John Walker Senior worked as an agricultural labourer and he and Mary Ann had at least eight children including:
John (born 12 July 1884 in Ballyrogan, Newtownards)
Mary Elizabeth (born 21 April 1886 in Ballyrogan, Newtownards)
Eliza Jane (Lizzie, born 12 July 1888 in Ballycullen, Newtownards)
James (born 13 April 1890 in Greengraves, Newtownards)
Margaret (born 21 September 1892 in Ballyrogan, Newtownards)
Mary Rachel (born 12 July 1894 in Greengraves, Newtownards)
Sarah (born 27 June 1896 in Greengraves, Newtownards)
Prior to the outbreak of the Great War John Walker worked as an agricultural labourer and he and Ellen Shaw were married on 26 June 1904 in Dundonald Presbyterian Church. John Walker was 19 and Ellen Shaw (aged 18) was a daughter of Robert Shaw, a labourer. They lived in the townland of Ballylisbredan, Ballymaglaff and later in Ballyoran, Ballymaglaff and they had at least five children:
Robert John (born 13 August 1905 in Ballylisbredan)
James (born 13 January 1907 in Ballylisbredan)
Mary Ann (born 16 November 1908 in Ballylisbredan)
Bella (born 9 May 1912 in Ballylisbredan)
Thomas (born 29 October 1914 in Ballyoran)
John Walker enlisted in Belfast and served with the 8th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (No. 12451) in 107th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division before being transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (No. 19469).
Private John Walker (No. 19469) was 31 when he was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme and he was buried in Serre Road Cemetery No. 2, France.
Private John Walker (No. 19469) is commemorated on Comber and District War Memorial.