William George Walker
Major General William George Walker VC, CB (28 May 1863 – 16 February 1936) was a senior British Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross.
William George Walker | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 May 1863 Nainital, British India |
| Died | 16 February 1936 (aged 72) Seaford, East Sussex |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Indian Army |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | 4th Gurkha Rifles Bikanir Camel Corps (attached) |
| Commands held | 2nd Division 9th Sirhind Brigade |
| Battles/wars | Third Somaliland Expedition First World War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Companion of the Order of the Bath Mentioned in Despatches |
Details
Walker was 39 years old, and a captain in the 4th Gurkha Rifles, Indian Army, attached to the Bikanir Camel Corps during the Third Somaliland Expedition when, on 22 April 1903 after the action at Daratoleh, British Somaliland, the rearguard got considerably behind the rest of the column. 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.[1][2][3]
He later served in the First World War as Commander of 9th Sirhind Brigade from August 1914 and achieved the rank of major general in 1915 as General Officer Commanding 2nd Division.[4] His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum, Chelsea, London.
Walker was cremated at the Woodvale Crematorium in Brighton, East Sussex, and is commemorated there.[5]
Notes
- "No. 27584". The London Gazette. 7 August 1903. p. 4981.
- "No. 27584". The London Gazette. 7 August 1903. p. 4976.
- "No. 27636". The London Gazette. 15 January 1904. p. 331.
- Army Commands Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- "Victoria Cross Holders interred within or cremated at Brighton & Hove City Council's Cemeteries and Crematorium". Brighton and Hove City Council (Woodvale Bereavement Services). 2010. Archived from the original (DOC) on 6 December 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
References
- Location of grave and VC medal(East Sussex)
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Henry Horne |
General Officer Commanding the 2nd Division 1915–1916 |
Succeeded by Cecil Pereira |