Walter Sucksmith was born on 7th June 1890 the third son of Willaim Sucksmith and his wife Elizabeth Ann née Pratt. The large family of ten, six boys and four girls, lived in Lightcliffe near Halifax, Yorkshire. Before joining up Walter was employed by Messrs. Thornton, Hannam & Marshall Limited, a dyeworks company in Brookfoot, Brighouse.

In February 1916 he joined the 8th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s Regiment. After training at Clipstone he went out to France in August 1916, just before his brother Private Aaron Sucksmith was killed in action on 4th September 1916. During the conflict Walter sustained a bullet wound to the chest. He was taken to the 33rd Field Ambulance where he died on 8th December 1916. The Brighouse Echo for 22nd December 1916 reported.

SECOND BROTHER KILLED. PTE. WALTER SUCKSMITH, OF LIGHTCLIFFE It is with extreme regret that we have to announce the death of Pte Walter Sucksmith of the West Riding Regt., third son of Mr. and Mrs. William Sucksmith, St Giles Road, Lightlcliffe. The sad news was conveyed in an official communication which was received from the Infantry Record Office, York, last Saturday and which was dated Dec 14th. Only the previous day a letter was received from him saying that he was quite well. ….. It was only on Sept. 4th of this year that his older brother, Pte Aaron Sucksmith, was killed in France. Much sympathy will be extended to the family at their double loss. A younger brother, James, has been serving in Salonica for fourteen months.

Private Walter Sucksmith was buried in the Mesnil communal cemetery extension and is remembered in St. Matthew’s Church, Lightcliffe. By then the Sucksmith family of St.Giles Road, Lightcliffe had lost two sons, had a third serving in Salonica and a fourth son had just signed on with the South Wales Borderers.