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Frederic John Walker
Captain Frederic John Walker, CB, DSO & Three Bars (3 June 1896 – 9 July 1944) (his first name is given as Frederick in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and some London Gazette entries) was a British Royal Navy officer noted for his exploits during the Second World War. Walker was the most successful anti-submarine warfare commander during the Battle of the Atlantic, and was known popularly as Johnnie Walker (after the Johnnie Walker brand of whisky).
Walker was born in Plymouth, the son of Frederic Murray and Lucy Selina (née Scriven) Walker. He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1909 and was educated at the Royal Naval Colleges at Osborne and 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.
During the interwar period Walker entered the field of anti-submarine warfare. He took a course at the newly founded anti-submarine warfare training school of HMS Osprey, on the Isle of Portland, which was established in 1924. Walker consequently became an expert in this particular type of warfare, and was appointed to a post specialising in this field, serving in a number of capital ships. In May 1933 he was promoted to commander and took charge of the First World War destroyer Shikari. In December 1933 Walker took command of the Shoreham-class sloop Falmouth based on the China Station. In April 1937 Walker became the Experimental Commander at HMS Osprey.
In 1940, he was appointed as Operations Staff Officer to Vice-Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay. Even so, Walker still had not been given a command, despite his expertise in antisubmarine warfare that would no doubt be indispensable in the Battle of the Atlantic. During Walker's time in that role, the Operation Dynamo evacuation took place from Dunkirk, in which the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was evacuated from France. The evacuation was a success, with over 338,000 British and French troops being rescued and brought back to England, or to Brittany. He was Mentioned in Despatches for his work during this operation.
Walker received his own command in October 1941, taking control of the 36th Escort Group, commanding from the Bittern-class sloop Stork. The escort group which consisted of two sloops (HMS Stork and Deptford) and six corvettes was based in Gladstone Dock, Bootle near the home of the Western Approaches Command. Initially his Group was primarily used to escort convoys to and from Gibraltar.
Walker's first chance to test his innovative methods against the U-boat menace came in December 1941, when his group escorted Convoy HG 76 (32 ships). During the 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 19 December 1941. The Royal Navy's loss during the Battle for HG 76 was one escort carrier, Audacity, formerly the German vessel Hannover; one destroyer, Stanley, and two merchant ships. This is sometimes described as the first true Allied convoy victory in the Battle of the Atlantic. He was given the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 6 January 1942, "For daring, skill and determination while escorting to this country a valuable Convoy in the face of relentless attacks from the Enemy, during which three of their Submarines were sunk and two aircraft destroyed by our forces". Walker's group succeeded in sinking at least three more U-boats during his tenure as commander of the 36th Escort Group. In June 1942, Walker was promoted to captain dating from 30 June 1942 and he was awarded the first Bar to his DSO in July 1942.
In October 1942, Walker left the 36th Escort Group and became Captain (D) Liverpool, granting him some time to recuperate. He finally returned to a ship command when he became commander of the 2nd Support Group in 1943, consisting of six sloops, which was based at Gladstone Dock, Bootle. Walker led from Starling, a newly commissioned Black Swan-class sloop. The group was intended to act as a reinforcement to convoys under attack, with the capacity to actively hunt and destroy U-boats, rather than be restricted to escorting convoys. Walker had suggested the innovative idea to the Commander-in-Chief Western Approaches Command, Sir Max Horton. The combination of an active hunting group and a determined, and innovative anti-submarine specialist such as Walker proved 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 its base.
In June 1943, Walker's own ship Starling was responsible for the sinking of two U-boats. The first, U-202, was destroyed on 2 June 1943 by depth charges and gunfire, and the second, U-119, on 24 June 1943 by depth charges and ramming. Another U-boat, U-449, was sunk by his group on the same day. On 30 July 1943, Walker's group encountered a group of three U-boats on the surface (two were type XIV replenishment boats known as "Milk Cows") while in the Bay of Biscay. He signalled the "General Chase" to his group and fired at the submarines, causing damage that prevented them from diving. Two of them, U-462, a Type XIV, and U-504, a Type IX/C40, were then sunk by Walker's group, and the second Type XIV, U-461, by an Australian Short Sunderland flying boat.
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Frederic John Walker
Captain Frederic John Walker, CB, DSO & Three Bars (3 June 1896 – 9 July 1944) (his first name is given as Frederick in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and some London Gazette entries) was a British Royal Navy officer noted for his exploits during the Second World War. Walker was the most successful anti-submarine warfare commander during the Battle of the Atlantic, and was known popularly as Johnnie Walker (after the Johnnie Walker brand of whisky).
Walker was born in Plymouth, the son of Frederic Murray and Lucy Selina (née Scriven) Walker. He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1909 and was educated at the Royal Naval Colleges at Osborne and 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.
During the interwar period Walker entered the field of anti-submarine warfare. He took a course at the newly founded anti-submarine warfare training school of HMS Osprey, on the Isle of Portland, which was established in 1924. Walker consequently became an expert in this particular type of warfare, and was appointed to a post specialising in this field, serving in a number of capital ships. In May 1933 he was promoted to commander and took charge of the First World War destroyer Shikari. In December 1933 Walker took command of the Shoreham-class sloop Falmouth based on the China Station. In April 1937 Walker became the Experimental Commander at HMS Osprey.
In 1940, he was appointed as Operations Staff Officer to Vice-Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay. Even so, Walker still had not been given a command, despite his expertise in antisubmarine warfare that would no doubt be indispensable in the Battle of the Atlantic. During Walker's time in that role, the Operation Dynamo evacuation took place from Dunkirk, in which the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was evacuated from France. The evacuation was a success, with over 338,000 British and French troops being rescued and brought back to England, or to Brittany. He was Mentioned in Despatches for his work during this operation.
Walker received his own command in October 1941, taking control of the 36th Escort Group, commanding from the Bittern-class sloop Stork. The escort group which consisted of two sloops (HMS Stork and Deptford) and six corvettes was based in Gladstone Dock, Bootle near the home of the Western Approaches Command. Initially his Group was primarily used to escort convoys to and from Gibraltar.
Walker's first chance to test his innovative methods against the U-boat menace came in December 1941, when his group escorted Convoy HG 76 (32 ships). During the 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 19 December 1941. The Royal Navy's loss during the Battle for HG 76 was one escort carrier, Audacity, formerly the German vessel Hannover; one destroyer, Stanley, and two merchant ships. This is sometimes described as the first true Allied convoy victory in the Battle of the Atlantic. He was given the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 6 January 1942, "For daring, skill and determination while escorting to this country a valuable Convoy in the face of relentless attacks from the Enemy, during which three of their Submarines were sunk and two aircraft destroyed by our forces". Walker's group succeeded in sinking at least three more U-boats during his tenure as commander of the 36th Escort Group. In June 1942, Walker was promoted to captain dating from 30 June 1942 and he was awarded the first Bar to his DSO in July 1942.
In October 1942, Walker left the 36th Escort Group and became Captain (D) Liverpool, granting him some time to recuperate. He finally returned to a ship command when he became commander of the 2nd Support Group in 1943, consisting of six sloops, which was based at Gladstone Dock, Bootle. Walker led from Starling, a newly commissioned Black Swan-class sloop. The group was intended to act as a reinforcement to convoys under attack, with the capacity to actively hunt and destroy U-boats, rather than be restricted to escorting convoys. Walker had suggested the innovative idea to the Commander-in-Chief Western Approaches Command, Sir Max Horton. The combination of an active hunting group and a determined, and innovative anti-submarine specialist such as Walker proved 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 its base.
In June 1943, Walker's own ship Starling was responsible for the sinking of two U-boats. The first, U-202, was destroyed on 2 June 1943 by depth charges and gunfire, and the second, U-119, on 24 June 1943 by depth charges and ramming. Another U-boat, U-449, was sunk by his group on the same day. On 30 July 1943, Walker's group encountered a group of three U-boats on the surface (two were type XIV replenishment boats known as "Milk Cows") while in the Bay of Biscay. He signalled the "General Chase" to his group and fired at the submarines, causing damage that prevented them from diving. Two of them, U-462, a Type XIV, and U-504, a Type IX/C40, were then sunk by Walker's group, and the second Type XIV, U-461, by an Australian Short Sunderland flying boat.