Walter Hundley

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Walter Hundley was a Lance Sergeant in the 16th Battalion, Australian Army. He was born on 1 March 1889 in Trapps Hill, Loughton. He was killed in action on 28 April 1915, aged 26. He is remembered on the Lone Pine Memorial, Turkey. He was the son of Francis Philip and Eliza Anna Charlotte Hundley.
It is unclear how or why Walter was in Australia to join the army there, but it is undisputed that he did.

After initial training in Australia, the battalion was transported to Egypt for further preparation before deployment to the Gallipoli Peninsula. The 16th Battalion landed at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915 as part of the Allied forces seeking to secure a sea route to Russia and ultimately capture Constantinople.

They faced fierce resistance from Ottoman forces during the early landings. The battalion took part in key battles, including at Lone Pine, where they launched attacks on entrenched Ottoman positions.

The Battle of Lone Pine, fought from 6 to 9 August 1915, was part of the broader offensive to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula from the Ottoman Empire. Australian forces faced fierce resistance. The battlefield was characterised by harsh trench warfare, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Australian troops launched an assault on the Turkish positions at Lone Pine, entrenching themselves in a rugged, strategically vital landscape. The battle resulted in approximately 2,277 Australian casualties, including over 400 deaths, while Turkish forces also suffered significant losses, estimated at around 7,000.

As Allied forces faced a stalemate and mounting casualties, they began withdrawing from Gallipoli in late 1915. The 16th Battalion’s experiences significantly contributed to the development of the Australian identity and the ANZAC legend. The Gallipoli Campaign is often remembered for the bravery and sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand forces.

The actions of the 16th Battalion at Gallipoli continue to be commemorated, marking a pivotal moment in Australian military history and honouring the sacrifices made during the First World War.

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The 1891 census shows the family living at “Alpha House”, Trapps Hill, Loughton. The head of the household is Francis Philip, 51, a banker’s clerk, and his wife, Eliza Anne Charlotte, 45. They have four sons: Cyril, 16, Oswald, 10, Gordon, 5, and Walter, 2. They also have two daughters, Beatrice M, 20, and Winnifred, 14. Also staying there was Francis’s sister, Edith, 42. They employed a servant, Julia M Staff, 20.
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The 1901 census shows they were living on Loughton High Road, with Francis Philip Hundley, aged 62, a banker’s clerk, as head of household. His wife, Eliza Anne Charlotte, was 55. They had three sons: Cyril, 26, a banker’s clerk; Gordon, 15; and Walter, 12. They also had two daughters, Winifred, 24, and Dorothy, 18. Additionally, they employed a servant, Lizzie E Hoppit, aged 20. The fourth son, Oswald, is not mentioned on this census.
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States Hundley, Lce. Serjt. Walter, 152 16th
Battalion. Killed in action 28th April, 1915.
Aged 26. Son of Francis Philip and Eliza
Charlotte Hundley, Of Loughton, England.
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Memorial at Lone Pine
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The handwriting is very poor and barely legible, but it can be seen that it states his father is Mr F. P. Hunley and that he lived in Loughton, Essex. He would have been 25 years old.
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His Australian WWI service record shows that he served in the 16th Battalion and signed up on 17 September 1914.
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Young Handley aged six months with his parents

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