Death of young Walter

While Walter was stationed in India, his namesake and first-born Walter Aubrey died of meningitis in the summer of 1920. He was 3 1/2 years old. May, who had delivered her second son Douglas in January 1920, was left to cope with the loss by herself.

Walter (big Walter) doesn't say much about his first son's death in his letters to me. I think the photograph at left speaks volumes - young mother at the grave of her son, holding her other child. May must've been a sturdy soul, but this was nothing out of the ordinary for the age. More loss was to come.