More about William Walker

HOPE to DESPAIR

William WALKER,  Petty Officer Clyde 2/104, Killed in Action May 2nd commemorated on the Helles Memorial.

Petty Officer William Walker, 144a Lochee Road, has been a member of the R.N.V.R. for about eight years. He is 33 years of age, and prior to the outbreak of war was a linotype operator with Messers Valentine, printers and publishers, Perth Road.  He is an enthusiastic bandsman, and was a trombone player in the R.N.V.R. Band.  Petty Officer Walker was attached to the Howe Battalion, 2nd Naval Brigade.  He now lies in hospital at Alexandria, Egypt.

Dundee Peoples Journal May 22nd 1915

PETTY OFFICER WOUNDED

In the list of those reported wounded in the Dardanelles operations appears the name of Petty Officer William Walker, son of the late Mr William Walker, umbrella maker, Aberdeen. Petty Officer Walker served his apprenticeship as a litho-writer and draughtsman with John Avery and Co, Limited, Aberdeen.  Early in life he joined the band of the Aberdeen Royal Engineers and allied himself to the Engineer force which went to South Africa in the time of the Boar War.  On his return he settled in Dundee, as a linotype operator, with Messers Valentine, printers and publishers, Perth Road.  Petty Officer Walker is an enthusiastic bandsman, and was a trombone player in the R.N.V.R. Band, and his attached to the Howe Battalion, 2nd Naval Brigade. Petty Officer Walker is 33 years of age, is married to an Aberdeen lady, and has three of a family. Petty Officer Walker lies in hospital at Alexandria, Egypt.

Aberdeen Daily Journal May 26th 1915

DUNDEE PETTY OFFICER KILLED

Mrs Walker, who resides at 144 Lochee Road, Dundee has received intimation that her husband, Petty Officer William Walker, of the Howe Battalion, 2nd Royal Naval Brigade, has been killed in action at the Dardanelles.

P.O. Walker, as a member of the Royal Engineers, saw service in the South African War.  He was 33 years of age, and enlisted in the Naval Brigade on the outbreak of war, being formerly employed by Valentine & Co., Ltd., photographers, Perth Road, as a lithographer.  He was an enthusiastic bandsman, and was a member of the Trades Band.  Deceased was a native of Aberdeen, and came to the city about seven years ago.  He was previously wounded, and was for some time in hospital in Egypt.  Two of his brothers are members of the Cameronians, and both have been wounded.  He leaves a widow and three of a family.

Dundee Courier June 11th 1915

DUNDEE P. O. KILLED AT DARDANELLES.

Official intimation has been received by Mrs Walker, who resides at 144 Lochee Road, Dundee, that her husband, Petty Officer William Walker of the Howe Battalion, 2nd Royal Naval Brigade, has been killed in action at the Dardanelles.

Walker was previously wounded and was for some time in hospital in Egypt.  As a member of the Royal Engineers, he went through the South African War. He was 33 years of age.  He enlisted on the outbreak of war, being formerly employed as a lithographer by Valentine & Co., Ltd., Perth Road. He was an enthusiastic bandsman, having been a member of the Trades Band.  P.O. Walker was a native of Aberdeen, and came to Dundee about seven years ago.  He leaves a widow and three of a family.

Dundee Evening Telegraph June 11th 1915

Intimation has been received in Aberdeen by Mr William Walker, umbrella maker, that his eldest son, Petty Officer William Walker R.N.V.R., was killed in action at the Dardanelles on May 13th (actual date 2nd May).

Aberdeen Weekly Journal Friday June 11th 1915

Family Background:

William`s father, also William, was an umbrella maker in Aberdeen where the family lived at 2 Crown Court and then 23 Huntly Street. William married Jessie on 8^th November 1901 and then moved to Dundee in 1908, living at 144 Lochee Road.

Service History;

William served in the South African War with the Royal Engineers before his marriage. Pre WW1 he was an enthusiastic trombone player with the Unicorn Band. On the outbreak of war he enlisted in the Howe Battalion and was killed in action fighting off a Turkish attack, prior to the Battle of Krithia in the Dardanelles.

William Walker was the eldest son of Mr William Walker, an Umbrella maker in Aberdeen. He was married to Mrs Jessie Walker ( nee Simpson) of 144 Lochee Road, Dundee and he worked as a Lithographer. In 1910 he volunteered to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve onboard HMS Unicorn in Dundee although he had already served for 11 years in the 1st Aberdeenshire Royal Engineers Voluntary Corps. On the outbreak of war in August 1914 William Walker was mobilised and drafted to Betteshanger Park, near Deal in Kent, to train as a Naval Infantryman in C Company of the Howe Battalion of the Royal Naval Division. He was advanced to Leading Seaman at the beginning of October when the Royal Naval Division was sent to Antwerp to help the Belgian Army defend the city from German attack. After two days the RND was ordered to withdraw as it was in danger of being cut off by the German advance. On its return to the UK the Howe Battalion continued training and moved to Blandford Camp in Dorset to train in Battalion, Brigade and Division procedures. At the end of February 1915 the Howe was one of nine Naval and Marine battalions sent to the Eastern Mediterranean and landed in Mudros Harbour on the Greek island of Lemnos. Here, the men trained for a role to support an Allied Naval attempt to force a passage through the Dardanelles to bring Constantinople, now Istanbul, under the guns of the British and French Navies causing Turkey to surrender. The attempt failed and troop landings took place in late April on the Gallipoli Peninsula to capture and destroy the Turkish defences in the Dardanelles. At the beginning of May an assault was carried out by the Allied land forces to seize the village of Krithia and the high ground of Achi Baba behind it. The attack was unsuccessful and the Second Battle of Krithia, as it was later known, claimed the lives of many men including William Walker who had been promoted to Petty Officer at some point earlier. Initially reported as missing his body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the Helles Memorial on Gallipoli, Turkey and on the HMS Unicorn Memorial. He was also a Bandsman.