William Walker: An Obituary
Updated: 3:32pm UK, Tuesday 23 October 2012
By Chloe Culpan, Sky News Online
Flight Lieutenant William Walker, who was the oldest surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain and a published poet, has died peacefully, surrounded by family, aged 99.
Born on August 24, 1913, William said one of his earliest memories was lying in his pram and looking up to see a German Zeppelin airship caught in search lights.
He lived the first few years of his life during World War One and went on to fight for his country during the Battle of Britain, a turning point of World War Two.
William developed a love for flying early on and so when, a few years later, the opportunity arose to join the RAF, he was excited to get involved.
In the 1930s he spotted a sign at Croydon Airport offering flights for five shillings and persuaded a friend to go and try it. He said seeing the ground below blew him away and from then on he was "totally hooked".
William joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve at Oxford in September 1938 and was called up when WWII broke out in 1939. He said he was "obsessed" with qualifying for the RAF and getting his wings.
Not even a serious crash during a night flight deterred him. After the incident he returned to his base, where his superior said they thought he was dead and asked if he would like to go on leave. Without a second thought he said "no", and he praised the day he did for the rest of his life.
During the battle in 1940, he was shot down by a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter while trying to intercept the enemy near Dover. He received a bullet to his leg and the plane was so badly damaged he had to bail out at 20,000ft. He survived because he was wearing his 'Mae West' life jacket and was eventually brought ashore to Ramsgate, having been rescued by a fishing boat.
Crowds cheered as he was brought in and despite suffering from hypothermia at the time, he remembers a woman congratulating him and handing him a packet of Players cigarettes.
The ambulance to an RAF hospital took a while and got lost many times because all the road signs had been altered to confuse the Germans. When he finally arrived and was operated on, the doctor told him the bullet - which he kept - flew out of his leg and hit the ceiling.
After the war he went back to his job in the brewery trade. He started at the bottom of Ind Coope Breweries as an apprentice and steadily worked his way up through the ranks to management, eventually becoming chairman of the company.
He said that having done every job in the business, he fully understood how the company and its people could operate at their best. When he retired, shareholders were receiving a healthy dividend.
In retirement, William kept himself busy seeing his grandchildren, doing crosswords and writing poetry. He also spent a large amount of time in America, visiting air shows and raising awareness of the Battle of Britain.
In 2011, the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust published a book of his poetry. To date, sales have generated more than £7,500. William has given the copyright to the charity, which is raising money for the Wing Appeal to build a learning centre in Kent. It is hoped the building will educate people about the Battle.
One of his best known poems, Our Wall, can be seen on a permanent plinth near the Battle of Britain Memorial wall at Capel-le-Ferne.
In September, William was presented with his portrait, commissioned by Prince Charles' Prince's Trust artists. He said the drawing "showed him warts and all" and "made him look old" - although he was in his 100th year.
William was remarkably fit and lived independently right up until he suffered a stroke on October 18. He died three days later.
He married Claudine Walker, one of the Mawby Triplets - who starred in several Hollywood films in the 1920s and 30s - in August 1941. They separated later in life and she died in September 2012. They had seven children, two having pre-deceased them.
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