The Keech family lived in Alvaston in Derbyshire before moving to Leicester. Arthur William Keech was born in London, he married Gertrude Adelaide Nugent on 21st October 1896, who was originally from Lancashire and the couple married in Nottingham. They had their four surviving children while living at Alvaston. Walter was the oldest, he was born in 1897, Charles was born in 1900, Gertrude born in 1902 and finally Arthur born in 1909.
The 1911 Census shows the family were living at 27 Fleetwood Road in Clarendon Park. Arthur was working as a Telegraph Wireman for the Railways. As well as the four children, Arthur’s mother Eliza was also living with them, she was a widow and was working as a Laundress.
Walter’s younger brother Charles died at the age of 14, he was buried at St Mary Magdalen Church in Knighton on 3rd February 1915. The following year Walter was Killed in Action on 17th July 1916 aged 18. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France, which is the largest Commonwealth memorial to the missing in the world. Every year on the 1st July it holds a special ceremony to mark the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
His mother Gertrude was still living at 29 Fleetwood Road in 1939 but was now a Widow living on her own, his father having died in 1933, he is buried at St Mary Magdalen Church in Knighton.
