Player #203 for Aston Villa, Walter John Kimberley, played as a forward for the club.

Walter played for Villa in 1907-08 and 1908-09.

Walter was born in Aston, less than a mile from Villa Park, on 28 September 1884 and made his debut for the club at the age of 23 on the 8th February 1908.

Villa had signed Walter from Aston Manor.

Over his 2 seasons Walter made 7 appearances for Villa in the league helping Villa to a 2nd and a 7th place finish.

Walter played his final game for Villa on 10th April 1909 aged 24 after which he moved on to Coventry City in August 1912.

Walter played under the George Ramsay led Management Committee.

Walter died from tubercolosis after being wounded during the Battle of Marne in WWI.

From AVFC.co.uk 11th November 2018:

“He may not have served us with as much distinction as Charlie Aitken or amazed the crowds like Paul McGrath but it was only fitting that we honoured the memory of Walter Kimberley.

Today is poignant as Remembrance Day marks 100 years since the end of World War I. Millions lost their lives in the Great War of 1914-18 and, despite barely surviving the bloody conflict, Aston-born Kimberley, ‘one of our own’ who played in the claret and blue, died as a result of the injuries sustained as a Prisoner of War.

Kimberley, who played for us seven times in total – with a debut in 1908 against Arsenal – was in a fragile state as he was sent back to Birmingham “no longer physically fit for war service”. No surprise given what he had to go through after being taken prisoner in September 1914 at Maubeuge.

Shortly after on the march to Mons, the men, including Kimberley, were continually hit with sticks, apples, stones and bricks by the German soldiers and they had little or no food as well as sleeping in the open fields.The food was terrible, too, as half a loaf of bread a day dwindled to a fifth. There was coffee in the morning and soup mid-morning, which in Walter’s words “was not fit for pigs”, being simply dirty water with a few potatoes in it.

With the conditions in the camp, it was hardly surprising that in December 1914 Kimberley was admitted to the Robeck Hospital where he was treated for tonsillitis, which turned out to be laryngitis and bronchitis. He remained there until May 1915. Kimberley was eventually repatriated as part of a prisoner exchange programme and returned to London in August 1916, where he was admitted to the Alexandra Military Hospital, Millbank.

Eventually his condition was described as “total incapacity” in April 1917 and three months later, the Lance Corporal of the 1st Battalion of the Coldstream Guards died from tuberculosis at his home on Clifton Road at the tender age of 32. To demonstrate the class of the club at the time, Kimberley was the subject of a benefit match, played at Villa Park in order to help Walter and his young family.

As the Sports Argus commented at the time – “never in our memory has football been put to better use”.

They added that “a former playing favourite and broken soldier hero has been saved from a pauper’s grave – and his little son will be given the opportunity of starting life properly equipped”.

And today we followed the example of our forefathers by heading to Witton Cemetery to lay a wreath at his grave in his memory. Kimberley is the only one of our serving Villans, who fought for us in World War I, to be buried in the UK. RIP Walter – and thanks for your service to both club and country. You will never be forgotten.”