Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

Born in West Hartlepool on 8th December 1882, Walter was the youngest child of Henry Scaling, who moved to the USA in 1890, and his wife Jane Ann. His oldest sister Emily was born in 1869, the year after his parents’ marriage, and he had three brothers, Henry, Edward and William, and two other sisters, Elizabeth and Eleanor, all born in Hartlepool.

In October 1901 aged 18 Walter enlisted in the Coldstream Guards in Hartlepool, but absconded on his way to Newcastle-upon-Tyne and when he was apprehended seven months later was transferred to complete his service in the Northumberland Fusiliers, where he served for three years and then in the Reserves for a further nine. In 1909, he was granted permission to lead a sea faring life for one year, which was extended to three, and in 1912 he was granted permission to reside in Canada. He was discharged from the British Army on 25th May 1914.

Once in Canada, he settled in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and found work, according to the 1916 census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, as a carpenter; when he had enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force two months previously his occupation was listed as a cook. Five weeks after enlisting Walter married an English girl Helen in Vancouver, to whom he left everything according to his paybook will.

On his enlistment he named his mother in Hartlepool as his next of kin, mentioned his five years in the Fusiliers, including 18 months as a Corporal, and with a tattoo of Baden Powell on his arm, became Private 1009941 of the 229th (South Saskatchewan) Battalion. Walter remained in Moose Jaw until sailing to England on the SS Northland the following April when the battalion was absorbed on arrival into the 19th Reserve Battalion at Bramshott, which itself was absorbed into the 15th Battalion the following October. In March 1918 Private 1009941 was transferred to 1st Battalion Canadian Mounted Rifles, by this date dismounted and converted to an infantry battalion, and posted to France where he joined his new unit in Brigade Support near Arleux. After just four days Walter went AWOL for five days for which he suffered twenty-eight days punishment, and two months later the same thing occurred.

On 17th September 1918 Walter was wounded in the leg whilst the battalion was holding the line at Sauchey-Gancey, according to the Circumstances of Casualty report “he was immediately attended to and evacuated to 33 Casualty Clearing Station, where after amputation he succumbed to his wounds”.

Walter Scaling is remembered in West Hartlepool on W111.54 and W111.86 page 35

He is also remembered in Canada on their Virtual War Memorial and in their Book of Remembrance

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
The CWGC entry for Private Scaling