Walter Tilston Cunningham

Walter Tilston Cunningham was born on 1st December 1893 at Cudgewa, Victoria, to Peter Cunningham and Martha Ann, nee Hubbard.

On the 31st August 1914, he enlisted at Sydney, NSW. At the time, he was a single, 20-year-old clerk from Corryong, Victoria. He was allocated Regimental Number 505 and placed in C Company of the 3rd Battalion. Walter gave his next of kin as his mother, Martha Cunningham. After initial training, he embarked on HMAT A14 Euripides at Sydney, NSW, on 20th October 1914.

Walter received his first wound on Gallipoli on 9th July, a shrapnel wound to the head. He was transferred via hospital ship to Malta and then, eventually, to Alexandria. He would rejoin the 3rd Battalion on ANZAC Cove on the 9th September. Walter and his mates were withdrawn from the Gallopili Peninsula on the 29th December. While in Egypt, the AIF expanded, doubling the number of battalions. Walter was transferred on 18th March 1916 to the 1st Machine Gun Company. Ten days later, he disembarked at Marseilles in the south of France.

Back in Australia, Walters' older step-brother, Alexander, enlisted on 31st March 1916.

In early 1917, Walter was hospitalised for 56 days recuperating from a dose of gonorrhoea. On the 28th of April, he was promoted to Lance Corporal. Nine days later, he was wounded for the second time, this time with a shrapnel wound to the left buttock. He was eventually evacuated to England. It took him 6 months for the wound to heal sufficiently for him to rejoin his unit in France.His final stint in hospital would be the result of being gassed on 10th March 1918. He was once again evacuated to England and was admitted to the Norfolk War Hospital. Five months later, he would rejoin his unit in France, three months before the Armistice was declared.

On 4th November 1918, he returned to Australia aboard HT Dasham, with the rank of Sergeant. He was discharged on 21st February 1919, being awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal for his service during the war.

Walter settled in Tallangatta after returning from the war and found employment at Mr B.G. Butler's garage. He married Pansy Myra Butler, his employer's second daughter, on 10th August 1927 at the Presbyterian Church in Tallangatta. While still working at the garage, he studied accountancy and passed all his examinations. Walter and Pansy had just finished building a house in Toorak and were planning to move in after Walter had been discharged from the hospital.

He was admitted to the Tallangatta Hospital in July 1935 for an appendicitis operation. Unfortunately, there were complications, and he passed away on the 23rd July 1935 at Tallangatta, Victoria and was buried in Tallangatta Cemetery, Victoria.