Pooles Waltham (1895–1976) was the eldest son of Richard Waltham (son of Pooles) and Sarah Hallas. He was born in South Yorkshire into a community of coal miners.
Early on in the First World War, he enlisted into the 15th (Service) Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters, which was a bantam battalion. These battalions were set up to recruit men like Pooles, coal miners who were very fit, but were short due to being malnourished in their childhood and who were therefore not tall enough to meet the height requirements of regular Battalions. Coal miners were not conscripts as it was a reserved occupation so Poole was a volunteer.
According to the Wartime Memories Project, the battalion was ordered to Egypt in late 1915, but the order was soon cancelled and they proceeded to France on 1 February 1916. They were in action during the Battles of the Somme at Bazentin Ridge, Arrow Head Copse, Maltz Horn Farm and Falfemont Farm

The division received new drafts of men to replace losses suffered on the Somme, but the commanding officer soon discovered that these new recruits were not of the same physical standard as the original Bantams, being men of small stature from the towns, rather than the miners and farm workers who had joined up in 1915. A medical inspection was carried out and 1439 men were transferred to the Labour Corps.

In 1917 the Battalion was in in action during the pursuit to the Hindenburg Line, at Houthulst Forest and The Second Battle of Passchendaele. It was during this time, in July 1917, that Pooles was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, for particular bravery, as mentioned in the war despatches (see the newspaper cutting below) , when Pooles had the rank of Sergeant.

In 1918 the Sherwood Forresters fought in the First Battle of Bapaume, and the Final Advance in Flanders including The Battle of Courtrai and The action of Tieghem. They crossed the River Scheldt near Berchem on the 9th November and by the time of the Armistice they had entered Grammont. They moved back to Eperlecques and many of the miners were demobilised in December 1918. Pooles survived the war and lived out his life in Nottingham, where he married, had a large family and was working in a cigarette factory by the 1930s.