PURKIS, Walter George

Walter was born in Newport in 1876 to George Barnard & Kate (nee WALTER) of ‘Little Dene’ in Sandown. He was married to Minnie KIRK of 21 St. Thomas’ Square, Newport.

Walter served as Company Serjeant Major with the 8th Bn. known as the Isle of Wight Rifles. 900 Rifles landed at Sulva Bay, Gallipoli, on 10th August 1915.

On the 12th August, together with other members of the 163rd Brigade, the Rifles were ordered to advance & occupy a ridge of hills in front of them, & in doing so, cut off the Turkish armies in the area of Anzac beach & cape Helles, in order to dominate the Dardanelles straights.  During the first attack, 8 officers over 300 men of the Rifles were reported killed or missing.

Walter, aged 38, was one of those men missing presumed killed, whose body was never found or identified, & he was listed as such on the 12th August 1915. He is commemorated by the Commission on the Helles Memorial to The Missing at Gallipoli in Turkey together with 20,961 of his First World War comrades.

Walter is also remembered on the County, Newport Borough & IW Rifles War Memorials.