Born during the June quarter 1903 in the
Haslingden R.D. - ref: 8e/88, the son of Seth &
Eliza Jane Sunderland (nee Maskell).

1911 Census - 8 Oak Street, Rawtenstall,
Lancashire.   Son - aged: 8 - born: Rawtenstall.  
Head of household - Seth Sunderland - Married -
aged: 35 - occ: Cotton Weaver - born: Rawtenstall.
  Also Eliza Sunderland - Wife - aged: 36 - occ:
Cotton Weaver - born: Rawtenstall.

Married Doris Martin during the June quarter 1925
in the Bury R.D. - ref: 8c/1159.

1939 National Registration - 86 Scholes Street,
Bury, Lancashire.    Walter Sunderland - Married -
Born on the 20th March 1903 - occ: Shipper Hand.  
 Doris Sunderland Married - Born on the 18th July
1905.   There is one redacted record at this
address.    Gordon Sunderland - Single - Born on
the 28th July 1928 - At School.

Death registered during the January quarter 1943
in the Bury R.D. - ref: 8c/525 - aged: 39.

Gloucestershire Echo dated the 20th December 1942
-  FIREMAN KILLED, 15 INJURED IN EXPLOSION - NFS
Fireman Walter Sunderland of Scholes Street,
Elton, Bury was killed and 15 other s injured,
including 10 NFS men in an explosion at Bury
today.  The building was wrecked and considerable
damage done to other property.  The Parish
Church's windows were blown out.   Several firemen
were blown clean out of the building.   A
Corporation bus was commandeered to take the
injured to Bury Hospital.

Yorkshire Post dated the 30th December 1942 - ONE
KILLED 30  INJURED IN EXPLOSION - AFTER FIRE IN
TOWN CENTRE - As reported above, plus Fire broke
out around 6.00 pm and the explosion followed one
and a half hours later.  Walter was working inside
the building when the explosion occurred.  
Soldiers and members of neighbouring police forces
were brought in to assist and a cordon was thrown
up to prevent sight-seers from being injured
should there be another explosion.

Liverpool Evening Express dated the 30th December
1942 - BLOWN OUT OF BUILDING - As reported above.

Nottingham Journal dated the 31st December 1942 -
BLOWN OUT OF BUILDING - FIREMAN'S ORDEAL IN
EXPLOSION - As reported above.

Manchester Evening News dated the 17th March 1943
- SHUNTER FOUGHT THE BURY FIRE - Two railway
workers told the Bury Coroner how they discovered
the fire at Bury.   william Howarth of Rochdale
LMS Railway Inspector whom was on duty near to the
building when he saw the flames and called for
assistance from the Fire Brigade.   Railway
Shunter Ronald Warwick Bradshaw stated that he saw
flames coming from the kitchen on the ground
floor.   With the firemen, he helped to fight the
fire with a hose pipe from the balcony, but after
about 8 minutes the water supply gave out and was
not resumed for 10 - 15 minutes.   No mention was
made about explosives being stored there.   Police
Superintendent Kay said that the Police had no
knowledge of explosives in the building.

Manchester Evening News dated the 20th April 1943
- SEQUEL TO FIRE TRAGEDY - Lieutenant-Colonel E.A.
North, MBE, MC, DCM, Commanding Officer of the
21st County of Lancaster Battalion Home Guard
attached to the Military College of Science, Bury,
has been sentenced to be severely reprimanded
following a court-martial held at Bury on the
18th/19th March arising out of the fire and
explosion at Bury on the 30th December 1942 in
which he was judged to having failed to ensure
proper storage of ammunition and explosives.

There are a number of other newspaper reports as
above.

CWGC - Fireman, N.F.S. Husband of Doris
Sunderland, of 86 Scholes Street, Elton. Died at
Drill Hall.