Individual Details

Death

Obituary
Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Francis Templer, C.B.E., D.L.
     We regret to announce the death of Lieutenant-Colonel W. F. Templer at the Manor House, Loughgall, on 18th December 1942.
     Born on the 28th August 1865, he was the second son of the late R. B. Templer, of Cloven Eden, near Loughgall.  He was educated at Charterhouse and Cambridge.  At the end of 1886 he passed into the Royal Military College, whence he was gazetted to the Royal Irish Fusiliers on 11th February 1888.
     He was posted to the 1st Battalion, then stationed at Peshawar.  His promotion to Lieutenant took place in 18th December 1889.  A year later he was posted for a tour of duty at the Regimental Depot, Armagh, on completion of which he joined the 2nd Battalion at Kilkenny.
     In 1894 he was re-posted to the 1st Battalion in Allahabad, but on promotion to Captain on 6th July 1897, he was again posted to the 2nd Battalion.
     In January, 1899, Captain Templer transferred to the Army Pay Corps, with which he served until his retirement on 1st April 1921.  His promotion to Major took place on 11th February 1909, and to Lieutenant-Colonel on 26th October 1915.  During the twenty-two years he served with the Royal Army Pay Corps he held many important appointments, where his administrative ability and organising powers earned the recognition they deserved, and he was appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire on 12th December 1919.
     As a sportsman, Lieutenant-Colonel Templer was above the average. He represented Pembroke College, Cambridge, and the Royal Military College at Association football, was a good horseman, and a fine shot with both rifle and gun.  He also represented his college at Cambridge at lawn tennis, which he continued to play until quite recent years. At the time of his death he was President of the Armagh Lawn Tennis Club.
     During the South African War Lieutenant-Colonel Templer administered the Comforts Fund of the Regiment, and with the surplus of this fund, which he had great difficulty in bringing back to the United Kingdom, was formed the first beginnings of the Old Comrades' Association.  In this he was always intensely interested, so when it was decided to remove the administration of the fund from the Depot he took over the accounts and organisation in January 1925, and for ten years spared no pains to make the Association an outstanding feature of the Regiment.
     The formation of a regimental Museum was not only his suggestion, but came into existence through his untiring seal and energy.  When the Depot was moved from Armagh, Lieutenant-Colonel Templer arranged for the removal of the Museum complete to Loughgall Manor to await the return of the Regimental Depot to its old home.  He was an authority on the uniforms, medals, and prints of the Regiment, and many of the unique articles now in the Museum were his discoveries.
     He took an active part in public affairs in County Armagh, and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the County in 1939.
     His kindly nature and friendliness with all were such that he never had an enemy.
     He married on 7th November 1895, in Cawnpore, Mabel Eileen, daughter of the late Major Robert Johnstone, and had one son, now Lieutenant-General G. W. R. Templer, D.S.O.  To them, on behalf of the Regiment, we offer our deepest sympathy on their great loss.