Lieutenant Eric Walker (10 July 1896 – 11 April 1983) was a British

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

credited with six aerial victories.

Military service

Walker was commissioned from cadet to second lieutenant on 19 December 1916, and served in the 4th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) (

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...

), until seconded to the Royal Air Force as an observer officer on 27 May 1918. He then served as an observer/gunner in No. 18 Squadron flying in an

Airco DH.4 The Airco DH.4 is a British two-seat biplane day bomber of the First World War. It was designed by Geoffrey de Havilland (hence "DH") for Airco, and was the first British two-seat light day-bomber capable of defending itself. It was desig ...

. He gained his first victories on 31 May 1918 with pilot Second Lieutenant J. Waugh, driving down out of control two Fokker Dr.I triplanes south of

Armentières Armentières (; , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France. It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. The motto of the town is ''Pauvre mais fi� ...

. On 28 July, with pilot Lieutenant John Gillanders, he destroyed a

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII is a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the '' Fokker-Flugzeugwerke''. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII ...

and another two-seater aircraft over Esquerchin. Finally, on 31 July, he and Gillanders accounted for two Fokker D.VII fighters (one destroyed and one driven down) over Brebières. Walker was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, which was

gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

on 1 November 1918. His citation read: :Second Lieutenant Eric Walker. ::"This officer has taken part in thirty-five bombing raids, ten photographic flights and twenty-one reconnaissances, many at low altitudes. He is a most efficient and keen observer who has rendered as such most valuable service. Moreover, he is a bold and determined fighter when attacked, and has accounted for four enemy machines." He relinquished his commission on ceasing to be employed on 13 March 1919. He was the brother of seafarer Dora Walker and artist Hilda Annetta Walker, and the uncle of the artist Marie Walker Last.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Eric 1896 births 1983 deaths Burials in Dorset British Army personnel of World War I Military personnel from West Yorkshire People from Mirfield Duke of Wellington's Regiment officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War I British World War I flying aces Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Territorial Force officers Royal Air Force officers