Walter James Hayward was born in Melton on 19th June 1877. He was the youngest son of Alfred Sharman Hayward and Mary Ann Frost. In 1881, the Hayward family was living on Melton Road and Alfred was working as a journeyman tailor. Alfred died in 1897 and, by 1901, Walter and his mother, Mary, were living at 15 Prospect Place where Walter was working as a house painter.

In 1909, Walter married May Edith Pulham and, two years later, the couple were living in Brook Street, Woodbridge, from where he worked as a maltster. Mary, his mother, lived in the Almshouses on Waterhead Lane in Melton. When war was declared in August 1914, Walter volunteered to join the services and enlisted in the 4th (Territorial) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment in December 1914. He was posted to France on 18th April 1915, having been hurried over with a draft of reinforcements to cover the battalion’s losses at Neuve Chappelle and Ypres. At some point, Walter was transferred to the Labour Corps with whom he spent the rest of the war.

He was demobilised on 15th February 1919 and returned to Suffolk where he resumed his work at the maltings. In 1939, Walter and his wife May Edith were living at 4 Prospect Place, Melton, where he died in 1961.

For his war service, Walter received the 1914-15 Star and the British War and Victory Medals.