13813 Driver Walter Stanley Starley, RFA

Walter Starley first appears in Chailey Parish Magazine in December 1916 where he is noted as: Starley, Sig W S, RFA.  Twelve months later, the additional information that he has been gassed is also noted and this is the only information about him that appears in the parish magazine although it is repeated thereafter, up until July 1919. 

The National Archives fills in a little more information giving his first name as Walter, his rank as Driver and his number as 138183. 

The 1891 census of England and Wales notes a seven month old Walter Stanley Starley, born in Brighton and living at 37 London Street, Brighton with his mother and father (Walter Starley aged 23 and Elizabeth Starley aged 25).  This would place his date of birth to around August or September 1890. 

Ten years later, the 1901 census sees the family living at 11 Park Crescent Terrace, Brighton and there is another son: Alfred Starley (aged eight). The 1911 census shows the family living at the same address with Walter (aged 20) working as a clerk for the National Telephone Company Ltd and Alfred (aged 18) working as a clerk for brewers.

Medal index card courtesy of Ancestry.