Walter Arthur Sicklen

[tenterfieldjulie]

Hi Everyone,

I would really appreciate some help for my great nephew with finding out more about Walter Sicklen. I haven't had time to look into him, but the following is what I have been told:

Walter was a soldier in WWII and was a POW, I think in the Middle East. He was with 2/1st Battalion. His Enlistment No. with the Australian Military was NX3921.

Thanks for any help. Julie

[kiterunner]

You probably have this already, Julie:

https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1516441/

He married in Sydney in 1944 and is listed on e rolls up to 1977 with his wife but I will PM you her name in case she is still alive.

[kiterunner]

Never mind, I've found her grave on "Billion Graves" now:
Betty Joan Sicklen buried at Iluka Cemetery, NSW.
The info on Billion Graves website says she was born 17 May 1924 and died 16 Sep 2002 but then there is a pop-up asking me to enter my email address and I can't view any more, so I will leave it to you to look at it. It also lists a Walter Henry Sicklen born 4 Feb 1920 and died 12 Jan 2006 - is that maybe supposed to be Walter Arthur?

The marriage is Walter Arthur Sicklen / Betty Joan Hill 1944 Sydney.
On the 1977 e roll they were in Sylvania.

[kiterunner]

Probate info for Walter Henry Sicklen is on here (use F5 to search for Sicklen):
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/AUS-NEWSPAPER-EXTRACTS/2006-02/1139090992

It says "retired carpenter", and one of the executors has the same name as someone who was with Walter Arthur and Betty Joan on the 1968 e roll at 14 Young Street, Sylvania, so I'm thinking that Walter Arthur is the same person as Walter Henry. Maybe he didn't use his middle name very much and his children got it wrong?

[tenterfieldjulie]

Thanks Kate the bit with the Walter Henry has confused me too but Betty Joan stays the same. It fits with him retiring from Sylvania to Iluka which is a small beach village near Yamba on the north coast of NSW. The other bit of confusion is that on his enlistment he is born in 1918, but on the Million Graves it gives 4/2/1920. In the electoral rolls as Walter Arthur he is a carpenter, so it seems like they are the same as from your last post it says he is a retired carpenter. As Sicklen is not a common name. I think it was probably earlier Von Sicklen.

[tenterfieldjulie]

From the aif ANZAC Freemen of Greece-Turkey. It appears that he was a leader of a Group that escaped from being POW. I would really love to find out more this. Can anyone suggest where to look?

[kiterunner]

If you search for Sicklen on the National Archives of Australia website, this comes up (as well as his service record):
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=466669&isAv=N

[tenterfieldjulie]

Rabbits Your Link timed out Kate. I'll have to look tomorrow. Daylight saving time tonight !! just lost an hour..

[kiterunner]

Sorry, Julie; this is the info:


Item details for: AWM54, 535/4/3 Request copy
Title
[Campaign in Crete - Escapes:] Stories of escapes from Crete. [Censored article 'These men escaped from Crete by "Artilleryman" '] - Statements by: [VX22807 Cpl G V Dallimore, 2/8 Field Coy RAE; VX20154 Spr H Williams, 2/8 Field Coy RAE]; WX2253 Pte H Nicol; NX3921 Pte W A Sicklen 2/1 Battalion; VX11721 Pte H R Horne 2/7 Battalion; Sigman Carrol 2/11 Battalion; J W Walker HQ Company 2/7 Battalion; and C W Gray 2/7 Battalion (Jun 1941)
Contents date range 1941 - 1941
Series number AWM54
Click to see which government agency or person created this item.
Control symbol 535/4/3
Citation Consult Australian War Memorial
Item barcode 466669
Location Australian War Memorial
Access status Open
Date of decision 02 Mar 1978
Physical format PAPER FILES AND DOCUMENTS (allocated at series level)
Date registered 28 Apr 1994

[Shona]

This is from the Blue Mountain Echo from 1922 (from Trove). Could this Walter Arthur Sicklen be Walter Henry Sicklen's father? The report says that Walter Arthur Sicklen left a widow and four children - the youngest being two.

Late W. A. Sicklen
TRAVELLER AND EXPERT.
The deathedsuddenly at his business residence, Katoomba street, Katoomba, on Sunday last, of Mr. Walter Arthur Sickler, dealer in Oriental wares and antiques, at the age of 51. Mr. Sicklen had been ailing many years, the latter few of which he was under the care of Dr. Alex Allan, but he had been able to attend to his business. On Thursday he complained of his illness more than usual and Dr. Allan was summoned. Shortly after midnight on Saturday he suffered a violent attack of haem orrhage from which he did not re cover, and passed away about 9 a.m. Deceased had, had a remarkably adventurous career, in the course of which, he accumulated a wealth of story and anecdote, with the ability to recount them entertainingly. His early youth was spent in the North of Ireland. His ramblings abroad began by enlisting in the famous 5th Royal Irish Lancers, with which regiment he served through tho South African war. When his regiment returned home at the conclusion of the war, Mr. Sicklen remained in South Africa, time expired. Then followed a varied career of adventure, from navvying on the railway to driving on the diamond fields, diversified by several expeditions to the interior, at one time hunting big game; at others trading with the natives. Several of those experiences have, from time to time, been related by Mr. Sicklen's pen in the columns of the 'Echo.' Tiring of Africa, Mr. Sicklen turned his attention to the East, spending some years in China, where he served in some of the big Orien al warehouses trading with London, Sydney and Melbourne. It was in this capacity that he began to take a more serious view of life. He made most of his opportunities of studying the mysteries of Oriental arts and crafts, and, in latter years, he was recognised as an expert in those things as in antiques generally, to aid him in which, he possessed a fine reference library. Travel and exposure in time undermined his health and necessitated a recuperating trip to Australia. Thus it came about that he settled on the Blue Mountains, establishing himself at Hazelbrook, where he and his wife made many friends. On leaving the 'Brook', about a year ago, to open up a central business in Katoomba, Mr. and Mrs. Sicklen were accorded a public send-off in recognition of the practical interest they had always taken in the township's movements, being ever ready (as one speaker said at the time) to put their hands into their pockets when called upon to do so. Mr. Sicklen quickly established, himself in Katoomba, and in addition to his ordinary business dealings, more than once received commissions from the Victorian National. Museum to purchase valuable antiques. The funeral was conducted according to Masonic rights; deceased having boon a Mason of high standing. The cortege left the chapel of Wood, Coffill and Co. (Mr. T. Hart, director) on Monday afternoon, led by many brethren of the Order. As such it was probably , the biggest ever seen in Katoomba. The remains were laid to rest in the Church of England section of the local cemetery. By deceased's special request, the service at the graveside was purely Masonic. W.M. E. Gordon Garrott (Katoomba Lodge) conducted the Craft's 'Service of Sorrow,' remarkable for its bountiful ritual and impressive scenes. A largo number of wreaths sent from all parts were mute testimony of the esteem in which deceased had boon held in life. Deceased leaves a widow and four young children, the oldest of which in ten and the youngest two.

The Walter Arthur Sicklen referred to in the article was born on 29 July 1871 in Draperstown, Co Londonderry. Father was William Swift Sicklen and mother, Francis Matilda Townshend.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Many thanks Kate and Shona. That is very interesting indeed. I found something online on the escape, but it was listed as Greece/Turkey - while that is specifies it as Crete so that is great.
I transcribed the bit on Trove, but I didn't have the info on where father born and his parents. Where did you find that please Shona? Many thanks again. Julie

[Shona]

Ancestry have this:
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=fsirelandbirth&gss=angs-d&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=walter&gsfn_x=1&gsln=sicklen&gsln_x=1&MSAV=1&cp=0&catbucket=rstp&uidh=fpy&pcat=34&fh=1&h=2390352&recoff=&ml_rpos=2

Walter Arthur Sicklen

Gender:
Male

Birth Date:
29 Jul 1871

Birth Place:
Draperstown, Derry, Ireland

Baptism Place:
Draperstown, Derry, Ireland

Father's name:
William Swift Sicklen

Mother's name:
Francis Matilda Townshend

They also have:
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=fsirelandbirth&gss=angs-d&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=walter&gsfn_x=1&gsln=sicklen&gsln_x=1&MSAV=1&cp=0&catbucket=rstp&uidh=fpy&pcat=34&fh=0&h=1657491&recoff=&ml_rpos=1

Walter Arthur Sicklen

Gender:
Male

Birth Date:
29 Jul 1871

Birth Place:
Londonderry, Ireland

Father's name:
William Swift Sicklen

Mother's name:
Francis Matilda Townshend

FHL Film Number:
255825

This fits the chap in the Trove obit who died in 1922 aged 51 and the statement he spent his early youth in the 'North of Ireland'.

The obit says he left a widow and four children - the youngest being two. The Sicklen who served in WW1 was born in 1920 - the info you have from Million Graves (it gives 4/2/1920).

Circumstantial evidence, I appreciate, but given the unusual name, it seems likely there is a connection.

There used to be a barracks in Draperstown, so I wondered if Mr Sicklen snr was in or associated with the forces.

When I was looking at the family of the man in the obit, they weren't Irish. Must see what I have done with the notes I made.

[Shona]

Mr Sicklen senior says he was English on this record. A Walter A Sicklen, 35 years, arrived in Southampton from Durban in South Africa on 11 August 1906. Occupation: platelayer. From Ancestry: http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/1518/30807_A000278-00263/16748771?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.u k%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dbt26%26so%3d2%26pcat%3dROOT_C ATEGORY%26gss%3dangs-g%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gsfn%3dwalter%2 6gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dsicklen%26gsln_x%3d1%26MSAV%3 d1%26cp%3d0%26catbucket%3drstp%26uidh%3dfpy&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

[Shona]

William Swift Sicklen married Frances Matilda Townshend in London in 1863:
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=freebmdmarriage&gss=angs-d&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=william&gsfn_x=1&gsln=sicklen&gsln_x=1&MSAV=1&cp=0&catbucket=rstp&uidh=fpy&pcat=34&fh=3&h=26069844&recoff=7+9&ml_rpos=4

Can't find the image on the London marriages on Ancestry, though.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Thanks Shona. That ties the family all together. I thought it an unusual name .. there are VanSicklen and VonSicklen families (Dutch and German I think) but then it could easily be a derivation of an English name too.

[anne fraser]

https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1516441/ It seems he was mentioned in dispatches.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Thanks Anne. I think the mention in dispatches is probably to do with leading an escape group from Crete. Not sure if it is freely available anywhere though. Julie

[Cakemum]

Hi Everyone,

I would really appreciate some help for my great nephew with finding out more about Walter Sicklen. I haven't had time to look into him, but the following is what I have been told:

Walter was a soldier in WWII and was a POW, I think in the Middle East. He was with 2/1st Battalion. His Enlistment No. with the Australian Military was NX3921.

Thanks for any help. Julie
Hi Julie,
Walter Sicklen was my grandfather, he was born Walter Henry Sicklen but changed his name to Walter Arthur Sicklen to get into the Army so he could falsify his date of birth as he was too young to enlist, my dad Robert is one of Walter and Betty's sons, pop always told us he had his records changed as he was only 15-16 at the time.
I am actually doing our family tree atm on ancestry and have found it hard to track some of his family information down due to the name and age change. I have a story he wrote, that we found amongst his belongings when he past about when he was captured in the war and how he escaped but watched from a distance to gather intell, when he finally made it to safety he passed on these details then went back into battle.
Pop passed away with esophageal cancer at Camden hospital nsw, after my parents moved him in with them to look after him in his final years. He is now in the wall with nan in Iluka where they spent their retired years.
I'm happy to discuss further information with you or your great nephew, or I have photos, and his story that I re-typed so as to preserve the original, I can email them through to you if you like. My email address is [email protected]
Looking forward to hearing from you!