Walter was born on 23 January 1909 in St Pancras, London to German born parents Salle (Stephen) and Anna. His father worked as a commercial traveller. Walter married Olive Bracher in 1937 in London City and in 1939 they lived in Henry Road, Stoke Newington where Walter worked as a leather goods manufacturer. He enlisted in 1942 the same year that their son Paul was born.

In 1943 Walter suffered a head injury and was hospitalised at St Hughes College Military Hospital. He sadly did not survive and his post mortem revealed that he died from ‘1(a) Subdural abscess, (b) Sinusitis and Bronchial Pneumonia.’