Lt. Walter Henry Pfeffer was born on 22nd December, 1890, in Tara, Ontario; a village in Bruce County Ontario.


Moving to neighbouring Grey County with his family, Walter was working as a hardware clerk in Owen Sound when hostilities broke out. Initially enlisting with the 147th Battalion, Walter would be discharged three months later but remain on strength with the 31st Regiment, the local militia unit.


Walter would re-enlist with the Canadian Expeditionary Force on December 1st, 1916, soon after the 248th Battalion C.E.F. was authorized.


Sailing with the unit in May of 1917, he was taken on strength of the 4th C.M.R. on November 9th, 1917, as part of a reinforcement draft, after the Battle of Passchendaele. Serving with the unit through the German spring offensive of 1918, Walter saw action at Amiens and the 2nd Battle of Arras. In an engagement that saw a casualty count of 14 all ranks being killed in action and 152 wounded, Walter would be counted in the latter as he was wounded in the foot on August 28th, 1918.


On account of his wound, Lieutenant Pfeffer would be struck off strength on September 4th, 1918. Walter Henry Pfeffer died on January 6th, 1961, at 70 years of age. He lies at rest in Greenwood Cemetery, Owen Sound, Ontario.






Biography details credit: George Auer