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Old 28-04-14, 12:01
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Default Week 4 - Stephen Walker

Stephen Walker was born 24th Jan 1893 at Saffron Walden, Essex. He was a brother of Edmund Walker who I wrote about last week and the third son of John Edward Walker and his wife, Anna Phillis nee Adams.

When Stephen left school he trained to be a chartered accountant, qualifying at the beginning of 1916. He had been brought up in the Quaker faith and lived most of his childhood at the Friends’ School in Saffron Walden where his father was headmaster.

On 20th April 1916 he joined the Royal Flying Corps (no. 26806). At that time he was 23 years and 4 months and stood 6’1½”. Amongst other things he was described as temperate, reliable and intelligent. The previous day he had passed a test to confirm his classification as fit to be a motorcyclist.

Stephen was posted overseas on 9th June 1916 and returned 3rd November 1916. During this time he served as a motorcycle despatch rider with the 29th Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. He was wounded on 13th Sept 1916, but I don’t have any details of what happened.

In March 1917 he was recommended for a commission and was sent to No 2 Officer Cadet Battalion for training. On 11th May 1917 he was officially discharged from his position as a motorcyclist with the RFC and was appointed a commission in the Cambridgeshire Regiment.

In the autumn of 1917 Stephen rejoined the Royal Flying Corps as a second lieutenant, and this time commenced pilot training. He completed 11 hours dual flight and 20 hours solo and had just graduated for a further course in Scotland when sadly he died in a flying accident; on 14th May 1918 Stephen was bringing his plane in to land at Duxford Aerodrome in Cambridgeshire when he lost control of the aircraft – the plane burst into flames on impact – Stephen was 26 years of age.

Stephen was buried at the Friends’ Burial Ground in Saffron Walden and his name is recorded on the Saffron Walden Friends' School Memorial and the Saffron Walden War Memorial.



The Chelmsford Chronicle 18th May 1918
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Old 29-04-14, 10:51
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Merry

I wonder if he was in Scotland at the same time as Lewis George Cole (2) - maybe they bumped into each other !

Diane
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Old 29-04-14, 11:21
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I don't think he ever reached Scotland Diane, as he crashed his plane between being accepted for the course and travelling north.

Doing this write-up has solved another mystery on my tree as Stephen's sister was supposed to have died in mysterious circumstances, but I could never find out anything about her. Turns out her date of death is recorded on Stephen's grave so at least I now know which is her death registration and also suggests the stories I "know" about her may not be true!
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