838737 Pte. Walter Samuel Doran was born on September 15th, 1894, in the small community of Woodford, located halfway between Owen Sound and Meaford, Ontario. The eldest son born to Samuel and Emma Doran, Walter left the family farm to enlist in the C.E.F.

Attesting into the 147th Battalion on January 31st, 1916, Walter was assigned to "C" Company under the command of Capt. John Dobie.

Billeted locally over the winter the 147th Battalion mobilized in Owen Sound in the spring of 1916 and left for training at Camp Niagara. As the conditions in the Camp were wanting the unit moved to the new training facility of Camp Borden in late June. In September the unit received their orders to proceed overseas, but due to an outbreak of diphtheria they were detained in Amherst, Nova Scotia, for over a month. The unit finally sailed for Great Britain, on November 14th 1916.

On January 1st, 1917, the 147th Battalion ceased to exist when it became the nucleus for the 8th Reserve Battalion, whose task it was to supply reinforcements to the 58th Battalion and the 4th C.M.R. On March 7th, 1917, Walter was taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. in the build up for the Battle of Arras, which included the storming of Vimy Ridge by the Canadian Corps.

Walter saw service with the 4th C.M.R. through the summer of 1917. It was on October 26th, during the opening attack by the Canadians during the Battle of Passchendaele, that Walter was wounded by machine gun bullets in both legs. Walter was evacuated to No. 3 Canadian General Hospital but succumbed to his wounds on November 1st, 1917.

Private Walter Samuel Doran is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.

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Thanks and credit for this biography and the image go to George Auer.