F/Lt. W. L. B. Walker was born on 24th August, 1913. He joined the RAFVR on 2nd September, 1938, at Kidlington, Oxford as an Airman u/t Pilot (741947), and flew his first solo there on the 28th.

William was called to full-time service on 1st September, 1939, and posted to No 1 ITW, Cambridge on 15th November.

He went to 2 FTS, Brize Norton on 17th February, 1940, and at the end of the course was posted directly to 616 Squadron at Leconfield on 18th June.

On 26th August, 1940, William took off with Yellow Section, made up of himself, St. Aubyn and Ridley, and was in combat when Me 109s pounced over Dungeness. He was shot down in Spitfire R 6701, and decided to bale out, but when he tried to leave he found he was still attached to the cockpit by the radio lead fixed to his flying helmet. “I took off my helmet and fell out. I was still at 20,000 feet and pulled the ripcord. The sky, which moments before had been so full of aircraft, was now without a single plane in view. I had no idea where I was and 10/10th cloud below obscured any view of land. It seemed to take ages to reach the clouds, and eventually on passing through them I was concerned to see that I was over the Channel.”

William sensibly kicked off his heavy flying boots and watched them spiral down for ‘what seemed like ages’. Splashing down and releasing his harness, he looked around, saw land, but did not know whether it was England or France. He noticed the hull of a wrecked boat protruding from the water, swam to it, clambered up and awaited rescue. He was now very cold and very tired. He was, in fact, close to the Kent coast. The wreck he was sitting on was one of many that had come to grief on the Goodwin Sands. After half an hour a fishing boat appeared, and he was helped aboard and given tea and whisky before being transferred later to a Royal Navy Launch.
He was taken to Ramsgate harbour, and then taken to hospital where his injured leg was examined. He was out to bed under a canopy of electric lights, which it was hoped would thaw his hyperthermia. It was eight hours before he warmed up. The next day he was transferred to the RAF Hospital at Halton, where they operated to remove the bullet from his ankle.

William rejoined 616 at Tangmere on 2nd May, 1941.

He was attached to No 1 ADF at Hendon from the 20th through to July 1942. (William returned to hospital at Halton on 23rd September, 1941, and after convalescence at Torquay, he rejoined No 1 ADF on 17th November.

William was posted to 116 Squadron at Heston on 8th July, 1942, on anti-aircraft co-operation duties, and remained with the squadron until 6th July, 1944.

William then went to the Sector Gunnery Flight at Gatwick until 4th October, when he rejoined No 1 ADF.

William Walker served with the unit at various locations until released from the RAF at Uxbridge on 1st September, 1945, as a Flight Lieutenant.