Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Air Commodore F W Walker

Frederic William             b: 12 Feb 1893                r: 30 Oct 1945                     d: 14 Nov 1970

DSC - 1 Oct 1917, AFC - 2 Nov 1918.

(RND/RNAS):- OSig: 13 Oct 1913, AB: 1 May 1915, (T) Flt Sub-Lt (P): 21 Jun 1915, (T) Flt Lt: 31 Dec 1916, Flt Cdr: 31 Dec 1917.

(RAF):- (T) Capt: 1 Apr 1918, Flt Lt: 1 Aug 1919, Sqn Ldr: 12 Dec 1928, Wg Cdr: 1 Jul 1935, Gp Capt: 1 Jan 1939, Act A/Cdre: 26 Nov 1940, (T) A/Cdre: 1 Mar 1941, A/Cdre: Retained. 

13 Oct 1913:          Signaller, Royal Naval Brigade

22 Jun 1915:           U/T Pilot, Crystal Palace Depot

xx xxx xxxx:            U/T Pilot, Naval Flying School, Eastbourne.

xx xxx 1916:           Pilot, RNAS Yarmouth/Burgh Castle

1918                       Flight Commander, SD Flight?, RAF Seaton Carew.

24 Mar 1919:          Staff Officer 3rd Class, Directorate of Operations and Intelligence.  

 1 Aug 1919:         Awarded Permanent Commission as a Captain (Staff Officer)

15 Sep 1919:          Staff, School of Naval Co-operation.

15 Apr 1920:          Pilot, No 210 Sqn.

30 Jan 1922:           Staff, School of Naval Co-operation.

15 Aug 1922:           Attended Course of Instruction, Seaplane Training School.

15 Feb 1923:           Flight Commander?, No 205 Sqn.

 1 Apr 1923:           Officer Commanding, No 440 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flight FAA.

18 Aug 1925:          Officer i/c 'C' (Reconnaissance) Training Flight, RAF Base, Leuchars.

 4 Oct 1926:           Flight Commander, RAF Base Leuchars

 1 Jan 1927:            Staff, HQ No 10 Group.

19 Sep 1927:          Attended RAF Staff College.

17 Dec 1928:          Supernumerary, RAF Staff College.

29 Jan 1929:           Air Staff - Intelligence, HQ RAF Middle East.

17 Jul 1931:            Staff, HQ Transjordan and Palestine.

?

17 Oct 1932:          Staff, HQ No 1 Air Defence Group.

 1 Jan 1933:            Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

16 Jan 1933:           Attended RN Staff College, Greenwich.

 6 - 13 Jan 1934:    Placed on half pay list, scale A

15 Jul 1935:            Staff Officer, Directorate of  Organisation.

10 Feb 1939:          SASO, HQ British Forces in Iraq.

xx xxx 1940:           

26 Nov 1940:         SASO, HQ British Forces in Iraq.

xx Aug 1941:          ?

xx xxx 1942:            Commander, Combined Operations Air Staff, Inveraray

 6 Jun 1943:            AOC, No 43 Base (Driffield, Leconfield, Lissett)

He was educated at Tollington and gained  RAeC Certificate No 2928 on 17 May 1916.

Whilst at Great Yarmouth, he developed a system which involved using a boxkite to carry the aerial wire aloft from an alighted aircraft so that it could stay in contact with its base.  He used it for the first time on 16 February 1918 having been forced to alight when both engines failed due to a clogged petrol feed from the fuel tank.

This page was last updated on 25/10/23^©

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