Frederic John Walker
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- For the English cricketer, see Frederic Walker.
Captain Frederic John Walker, CB, DSO and three Bars, RN (3 June 1896 – 9 July 1944) was an officer of the British Royal Navy noted for his exploits during World War II. Walker was the most successful anti-submarine warfare commander during the Battle of the Atlantic and was known more popularly as Johnnie Walker (after the whisky).
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[edit] Early life and career
Walker was born in Plymouth, the son of Frederic John and Selina Walker. He went to Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, where he excelled. First serving on the battleship Ajax as a midshipman, Walker, as a sub-lieutenant, went on to join the destroyers Mermaid and Sarpedon in 1916 and 1917 respectively. Following the end of the First World War, Walker joined the Queen Elizabeth-class battleship Valiant. He married Jessica Eileen Ryder Stobart, with whom he had three sons and a daughter.
[edit] Interwar Period, 1920s-1930s
During the inter-war period Walker partook in the particularly unglamourous field of anti-submarine warfare. He took a course at the newly founded anti-submarine training school of HMS Osprey, Portland which was established in 1924. Walker would consequently become an expert in this particular type of warfare, and would be appointed to a post specialising in this field, serving on a number of capital ships. In May 1933 he was promoted to commander and took charge of the destroyer Shikari, a warship launched in the First World War. Walker took command in December 1933 of the Shoreham-class sloop Falmouth based on the China Station. In April 1937 Walker became the Experimental Commander at HMS Osprey.
[edit] World War II
When the Second World War began, in 1939, Walker's career seemed at an end. Still a Commander, he had been ignored for promotion to captain and indeed had been scheduled for early retirement. He gained a reprieve, however, due to the commencement of war and in 1940 was appointed as Operations Staff Officer to Vice-Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay. Even so, Walker still had not been given a command, despite expertise in anti-submarine warfare that would no doubt be indispensable in the Battle of the Atlantic. During Walker's time in that role the legendary Dunkirk evacuations took place, in which the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was evacuated from France. The evacuation was an immense success, with over 303,000 British and French troops being taken to the UK.
Walker finally received a command in October 1941, taking control of the 36th Escort Group and flying his flag in the Bittern class sloop Stork. The escort group comprised two sloops (including Stork) and six corvettes and was based in Liverpool, home of Western Approaches Command. Initially his Group was primarily used to escort convoys to and from Gibraltar.
His first chance to test his innovative methods in countering the U-boat menace came in December when his group escorted Convoy HG76 (32 ships). During the course of the convoy's journey five U-boats were sunk (four by Walker's group), including U-574 which was depth-charged and rammed by Walker's own ship on the 19 December. The RN's loss during the Battle for HG76 was one escort carrier (Audacity), one destroyer (Stanley) and two merchant ships. This is sometimes described as the first true Allied convoy victory in the Battle of the Atlantic. Walker's group succeeded in sinking at least a further three U-boats during his tenure as commander of the 36th Group.
In 1942 Walker left the 36th Group and became Captain (D) Liverpool, granting him some respite to recuperate. He finally returned to a ship command when he became commander of the Second Support Group in 1943, consisting of six sloops. Walker flew his flag in Starling, a newly-commissioned Black Swan-class sloop. The group was the first hunter-killer group intended to actively hunt and destroy the U-boats that lurked in the Atlantic rather that be merely restricted to escorting convoys. Such an innovative idea was suggested by Walker to Commander-in-Chief Western Approaches Command Sir Max Horton. Such a combination of an active hunting group and a charismatic, determined and innovative anti-submarine specialist such as Walker would prove to be a potent force. One eccentric aspect of his charismatic nature was the playing of the tune A Hunting We Will Go over the ship's tannoy when returning to their base.
In June 1943 Walker's own ship Starling was personally responsible for the sinking of two U-boats. The first (U 202) meeting its demise by depth charges and gunfire, and the other (U 119) by depth charges and ramming. A further U-boat was sunk by his group on the same day as the latter sinking. One highly successful tactic employed by Walker was for three or more sloops in line to launch depth charges stern to saturate the area with depth charges in a manner similar to a rolling barrage by artillery that precedes an infantry attack. On the 30 July Walker's group encountered a group of three U-boats (two were vital submarine replenishment boats known as "Milk Cows") while in the Bay of Biscay. Walker subsequently signalled the "general chase" to his group and in a most swift manner all three boats were hit ensuring they couldn't dive culminating in all three being dispatched. Two of the submarines, including one "milk cow", had been sunk by Walker's group. The second "milk cow" had met its demise by Australian Short Sunderland aircraft.
Upon his return to Liverpool, Walker was informed that his son, Timothy, had been killed whilst serving aboard the submarine Parthian in the Mediterranean.
On the 6 November Walker's group sunk two further U-boats, these would be Walker's last sinkings in 1943. In early 1944 Walker's group would display their prolific nature in their efforts against the U-boats. On 31 January Walker's group gained their first kill of the year when they sunk U-592. On 9 February his group sunk 3 U-boats and sunk two further U-boats that month. On 20 February 1944 one of Walker's group, Woodpecker, was torpedoed and 7 days later while being towed home was sunk. All of her crew were saved. They returned to their base at Liverpool to the thrilled jubilation of the city's inhabitants and the Admiralty itself, the First Lord of the Admiralty was present to greet Walker and his ships. Walker gained promotion to Captain.
In March, Walker's group provided the escort for the American cruiser USS Milwaukee which was on its way to Russia as part of the lend-lease program which was successfully delivered the Russians. During the journey Walker's group sank two U-boats and another on the return trip. Walker's last duty was protecting the fleet from U-boats during D-Day, the immense Allied invasion of France. This he did so successfully for 2 weeks, no U-boats managing to get past Walker and his vessels, with a significant number of German U-boats being sunk and damaged in the process. During this concerted effort Walker's dedication to his tasks was tremendous, having no respite from his duties that would ultimately be a cause for his death.
[edit] Death and Legacy
Walker suffered a cerebral thrombosis on 7 July 1944 and died two days later at the Naval Hospital at Seaforth, Merseyside aged 48, his death ultimately being attributed to overwork and exhaustion.
His funeral service took place at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral with full naval honours and attended by about 1,000 people. The scene was quite emotional as the naval procession followed, travelling through the streets of Liverpool to the docks where he embarked aboard the destroyer Hesperus (commanded by Captain Donald Macintyre) for his final journey to be buried at sea.
He had sunk more U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic than any other British or Allied commander and was instrumental in the Allied victory of the Battle of the Atlantic, arguably one of the most pivotal campaigns during the war. He had been awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) four times and also became a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). In 1998 a statue of Captain Johnnie Walker in a typical pose was unveiled at the Pier Head in Liverpool by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. The campaign for the statue had been launched by the Captain Walker's Old Boys Association and the sculpture was designed by the Liverpool sculptor Tom Murphy. Members of that organisation converged in Liverpool during the 60th Anniversary of the victory of the Battle of the Atlantic in 2003 to commemorate their comrades.
Johnnie Walker's grandson, Patrick Walker, continues the Walker association with the Royal Navy. He is, ironically, a submariner and has achieved the rank of Captain of the First Submarine Squadron. He is also President of the Captain Walker's Old Boys Association dedicated to Captain Walker and the men that served with him.
[edit] External links
- Walker, RN, BBC People's War
[edit] References
- Robertson, Terence (1956). Walker, RN. London: Evans Brothers Limited.
- Short biographies of Royal Navy (RN) Officers, 1939-1945
