b. 28/05/1863 Nainital, India. d. 16/02/1936 Seaford, Sussex.
William George Walker (1863-1936) was born at Naintal, India on 29th May 1863, the son of Deputy Surgeon General William Walker, Indian Medical Service. He was educated at Haileybury College, and St John’s, Oxford (achieving a MA), and was gazetted to the Suffolk Regiment on 29th August 1885, becoming Lieutenant, Indian Staff Corps on 28th May 1887. He was promoted to Captain in 1896.
William G Walker VC
He served in the Miranzai (2nd) Expedition in 1891, receiving the Medal and clasp, and in the Waziristan Campaign in 1895 (clasp). In 1903 and 1904 he served in East Africa, taking part in operations in Somaliland. He was present at the actions at Daratoleh and Jidballi; was mentioned in despatches three times, was given the brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel, received the Medal with two clasps, and was recommended for, and awarded the Victoria Cross (London Gazette, 7th August 1903).
On 22nd April 1903, at Daratoleh, Somaliland, Captain Walker and George Murray Rolland, with four other men were with a fellow officer when he fell badly wounded, and while one went for assistance, Captain Walker and the rest stayed with him, endeavouring to keep off the enemy. This they succeeded in doing, and when the officer in command of the column, John Edmund Gough, arrived, they managed to get the wounded man on to a camel. He was, however, hit a second time and died immediately.
He received his VC a month later than the gazetting on 29th September 1903 in Somaliland by Major-General William Manning. He was promoted to Major at the same time, and Lieutenant-Colonel in January 1904. In 1907, he married Alice Elaine Molesworth, daughter of Judge Molesworth in Melbourne, Australia. He and Alice went on to have two children, George Anthony Gilbert in 1909 and Lynette Alice Estree. He then became Commandant of the 1st Battalion, 4th Gurkhas in 1910, and was promoted to Colonel in January 1911.
He served throughout the Great War from 1914 to 1917, being mentioned in despatches three times. He survived the War, and ended his Army career as a Major-General. He retired to Sussex, where on 16th February 1936, aged 72, he died in Seaford. He was cremated at Woodvale Crematorium in Brighton and his ashes were scattered. His medals are held (though not currently displayed) by the National Army Museum, Chelsea.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM, CHELSEA.
BURIAL PLACE: WOODVALE CREMATORIUM, BRIGHTON, SUSSEX.
Acknowledgement:
Paul Deeprose – Image of the Haileybury College Memorial.