William Walker (RAF officer)

Walker died on 21 October 2012, having suffered a stroke three days earlier.

In August 1941, Walker married Claudine Mawby, one of The Mawby Triplets. Together they had seven children, including Tim Walker a columnist for The Daily Telegraph. Two of the children pre-deceased their parents. They had legally separated but were not divorced before Claudine's death on 13 September 2012.

Upon retirement, Walker turned to poetry. He was also a strong supporter of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust. He would attend the annual remembrance held at the Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne, Kent. His poem 'Our Wall' was inscribed on the monument alongside the names of The Few in July 2010 as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations. He was featured in the 2011 documentary "Battle of Great Britain" hosted Ewan and Colin McGregor on the BBC.

On 24 August 1958, he was granted permission to retain the rank of flight lieutenant.

After six months recovering, he was posted to an aircraft ferry unit which would deliver new aircraft from their factories to the operational units. His commission was confirmed on 18 June 1941 and he was promoted to the war substantive rank of flying officer. He later transferred to No. 116 Squadron RAF, an anti-aircraft unit. On 18 June 1942, he was promoted to war substantive flight lieutenant. He was demobilised in September 1945.

As a member of The Few, he was awarded the 1939–45 Star with an additional Battle of Britain clasp.

Walker joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve on 2 September 1938 as an Airman u/t Pilot. He then underwent pilot training at RAF Kidlington, Oxford, flying his first solo on 28 September. He was called up on 1 September 1939, the day World War II broke out. He was posted to 1 Initial Training Wing, Cambridge on 15 November. On 17 February 1940, he was posted to RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire to undergo officer training, where he joined 2 Flight Training School. On 18 June 1940, he was commissioned as a pilot officer on probation. He was given the service number 82662.

Flight Lieutenant William Louis Buchanan Walker, AE (24 August 1913 – 21 October 2012) was, at the time of his death, the oldest surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain. His poem "Our Wall" about the Battle of Britain is inscribed on a special plinth aside the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall of the Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne, Kent.

Walker was born on 24 August 1913 in Hampstead, London. He was educated at Brighton College, an independent school in Brighton, East Sussex. Following schooling, he followed his father into the brewing business. In 1931, he began as a pupil brewer at a brewery in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire to learn the trade. In 1933, he moved to Ind Coope brewery in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire.