A resident of Wokingham, apparently from the age of six weeks, Walter Fullbrook was well-known and very popular in local circles. He was a collector for the Oxford Road branch of the Pearl Assurance Company, for which he had worked since 1918, and had an excellent business record in the Ordinary Branch Department.
Walter was a pupil of the Palmer School and later became one of its managers. One of the school houses was named after him. In 1903 he enlisted in the Royal Berkshire Regiment and returned to civilian life three years later. After business associations with local companies, he started his own business in 1915 at Brighton.
In 1914 he rejoined the forces as a reservist and was one of the first contingent of the Royal Berkshire Regiment to leave Brock Barracks for Rouen. He was in the retreat from Mons and in the first battle of Ypres. After being severely wounded he was discharged on the 23rd December 1915.
Politically Walter was an independent. His policy was to serve all ratepayers irrespective of their political interests. His first aim was to press for permanent and temporary houses plus light industry to reduce unemployment.
One of the original members of the Wokingham Ratepayers’ Association, Walter was the second member of the organisation to hold the office of Mayor, Councillor Cheeseman being the other.
Among his many local activities outside the Council, Walter was a member of the Wokingham Club; member of the Committee of the Howard Palmer Club and chairman of its Billiard Committee; member of the British Legion and member of the Canadian Legion which he joined in 1961 while visiting one of his sons in Vancouver.
For a number of years Walter resided at 87 Oxford Road later moving to Gorrick Square. He died in the Royal Berkshire Hospital in June 1962 at the age of 75 where he had had been seriously ill for several weeks. Fullbrook Close was named in his memory.
Wokingham Town Museum Unique Identifier: WTH0152