Second World War Royal Australian Air Force North West Europe late 1944 operations Lancaster Air Bomber’s Distinguished Flying Cross group awarded to Pilot Officer W.J. Walker, D.F.C., Royal Australian Air Force, who flew operationally in Lancaster bombers during early October to late December 1944 in 626 Squadron as part of No.1 Group Bomber Command and operating from R.A.F. Wickenby in Lincolnshire. During his 20 sorties, all but one being over Germany, and with a good number in daylight, he bombed a number of the key targets in the Ruhr including Essen, Cologne, and Dusseldorf. His bomb aiming was considered very accurate, this presumably attributable in some ways owing to his prior training and qualification as a navigator. On 16 November during a raid on Duren his aircraft encountered a moderate loose heavy barrage from the flak at the target was, and was extensively hit, suffering both port and starboard glycol leaks that resulted in two of the four engines being feathered. The cockpit windscreen was also smashed, the tailplane damaged, and perspex damaged to both the mid-upper and front turrets. Walker was gazetted with his award of the Distinguished Flying Cross on 25 May 1945, this being further published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 7 June 1945, with the insignia being eventually presented to him by The Governor of New South Wales at Government House in Sydney on 27 February 1947. His citation confirms that he had completed numerous operations against the enemy in the course of which he has invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty.
Group of 6: Distinguished Flying Cross, GVI 1st type cypher, reverse officially dated 1945; 1939-1945 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence Medal; War Medal; Australia Service Medal 1939-1945, last three with officially impressed naming as issued to Australians; (423411 W.J. WALKER), mounted swing style as worn.
Condition: Good Very Fine.
William John Walker was born on 26 February 1923 in Burwood. New South Wales, Australia, and was working as a junior clerk in the Department of Public Health and living in Balgowlah, New South Wales, when owing to the Second World War he enlisted as an Aircraftsman 2nd Class (No.RX.201529) into the Royal Australian Air Force at Sydney on 20 June 1942, and was then selected for air crew training as an Air Observer before swiping to bomb aimer later on. After passing through No.1 Initial Training School at Somers, he was then posted to No.2 Air Observers School at Mount Cambier on 16 September 1942, having been promoted to Leading Aircraftsman some four days beforehand.
Walker was posted to No.3 Bombing and Gunnery School at West Sale on 14 December 1942, he then joined No.1 Air Navigation School at Parkes from 8 February 1943, and was awarded his Navigator “B” Badge on 4 February 1943. This was followed immediately by a posting to No.2 Embarkation Depot at Sydney on 5 March 1943, and he then embarked at Sydney on 14 April, he having been attached to the Royal Canadian Air Force from that date, and as such he arrived in Canada on 6 May 1943. After a further period of training, he was promoted to Sergeant on 4 August 1943, and then attached to the Royal Air Force from 25 August 1943, this being the date that he embarked in Canada, and disembarked in the United Kingdom on 1 September 1943.
Walker was posted on his arrival to join No.11 Personnel Despatch and Receiving Centre at Bournemouth, and remained there until posted to the R.A.F. Station at Whitley Bay from 29 October until 16 November, when he returned to Bournemouth, before being posted to the R.A.F. Station at West Freugh on 29 February 1944, and then joined No.18 Operational Training Unit on 11 April 1944, before being posted to No.11 Base on 26 June 1944, and was then posted operational to join No.300 Squadron from 26 June 1944, before transferring to No.626 Squadron from 5 September 1944, he having been reclassified as an Air Bomber the day before. Two days later on 7 September he was promoted to Warrant Officer. He had by then flown in Anson, Wellington and Halifax bomber aircraft, and was about to fly in the Lancaster bomber on operations.
626 Squadron operated in Lancaster bombers out of R.A.F. Wickenby in Lincolnshire, as part of No.1 Group Bomber Command. Walker joined the crew of a Flying Officer L.A. Titus, and flew as the bomb aimer. His first operational sortie was to Saarbrucken on 5 October 1944, and the crew bombed on the red and green target indicators, noting fires, smoke and a large explosion seen. This was a good trip. Two days later on 7 October he flew a mission to Emmerich in daylight, and then bombed the railway yard in the town, The target was completely obscured by smoke as the aircraft left.
On 23 October he bombed Essen, bombing on the green flares through 10/10 cloud. Two days later on 25 October he was back over Essen in daylight, again bombing through 10/10 cloud, and bombing on a red sky marker. The bombing appeared scattered, the markers being late and also scattered. On 28 October he bombed Cologne in daylight, Much cloud and smoke being observed when bombing on the red flares. On 29 October he bombed Domburg in daylight, and bombing on the centre of the smoke. The bombing and marking was well concentrated, and his crew recorded this as a quiet trip, with a good route and a successful attack, with negligible defences and good fighter cover. On 30 October he flew an evening sortie to Cologne, and whilst experiencing 10/10 cloud bombed on the red flares, but it was impossible to see the attack owing to the cloud. The Path Finder Force flares were exceptionally well concentrated, and photo flashes indicated a good bombing concentration. Finally for the month on the evening of 31 October he bombed Cologne again, once again through 10/10 cloud and bombing on the red sky markers. A large reddish glow was seen under the cloud, and the marking was very good, and his crew felt this should prove a very good attack.
On the evening of 2 November he attacked Dusseldorf, with his aircraft bombing the centre of the red and green target indicators. On leaving the crew observed many concentrated fires, and at 1914 hours a big explosion occurred. The marking had been good. On the evening of 4 November he bombed Bochum in a clear sky with slight ground haze being observed. His crew bombed on the mid-point of the red target indicators, with the bombing at the target being well concentrated and resulting in good fires and two large explosions at 1935 hours. On 6 November he bombed Gelsenkirchen through 9/10 cloud in daylight. The attack which was initially delayed over the target, was believed to be successful, with fires and smoke at the aiming point. On 11 November he dropped mines off Silverthorn through 10/10 cloud. The mines were dropped with 6 second intervals, all in position. There was no opposition in any form. Nevertheless the weather was foul with static and thick cloud in the gardening area.
On 16 November he bombed Duren through 6/10 cloud, the target being identified through red target indicators with very good results. No enemy fighters were encountered, but a moderate loose heavy barrage from the flak at the target was, with his aircraft being hit, and suffering both port and starboard glycol leaks that resulted in two of the four engines being feathered. The cockpit windscreen was also smashed, the tailplane damaged, and perspex damaged to mid-upper and front turrets. On the evening of 21 November he bombed Aschaffenburg, and experiencing 10/10 cloud. His aircraft bombed the centre of the glow on clouds, There appears to be a good fire on the ground and the attack appeared to be well concentrated.
On the evening of 6 December he bombed Mersburg in 10/10 cloud and bombing on the red and green flares. The skylarking was excellent. Good fires and heavy billowing smoke was seen. On the evening of 15 December he bombed Ludwigshafen, with the marking seeming to be concentrated. There was some slightly scattered bombing at first, but later a good concentration developed, and there was smoke up to 8,000 feet on leaving. In the early evening of 22 December he bombed Koblenz, His aircraft as over the target at 1854 hours at a height of 19300 feet. The marking flares were mainly concentrated but the bombing was badly scattered and the attack was not considered as satisfactory with no fires observed. Then on the evening of 28 December he bombed Bonn. His aircrafts mission had to be abandoned over the target however as the bombs failed to release and all bombs were brought back to base.
Then in the early evening of 29 December he bombed Schulven, bombing on the centre of the glow of red target indicators. The marking was on time and very concentrated and extensive, and the bombing was well concentrated around the markers. A huge white explosion occurred at 1859 hours sending up a column of black smoke to 10,000 feet. Walker’s final mission was to Osterfeld on the evening of 31 December, and in 8//10 cloud. His aircraft bombed the centre of the concentration of incendiaries, the results of the attack being observed but considered scattered. Walker had now completed exactly 20 operational sorties.
Walker was commissioned as a Pilot Officer (No.423411) into the Royal Australian Air Force on 19 January 1945, whilst remaining attached to the Royal Air Force. He was posted to the Aircrew Allocation Centre from 3 February 1945, and was shortly afterwards posted to No.686 Squadron, though in what capacity it is unclear, the date of his posting being also not given.
For his tour of operations with No.626 Squadron, Walker was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross, and his award was published in the London Gazette for 25 May 1945, and also published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette for 7 June 1945, the insignia being sent out from London to Australia where it arrived on 8 November 1945, and then eventually presented to him by The Governor of New South Wales at Government House in Sydney on 27 February 1947. The citation for his award reads as follows: ‘Pilot Officer Walker has completed numerous operations against the enemy in the course of which he has invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty.’
Walker had been posted back to No.11 Personnel Despatch and Receiving Centre at Bournemouth from 22 March 1943, and left the United Kingdom for passage home on 30 May 1945, and disembarked at Sydney on 7 July 1945, and was eventually transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve on 25 September 1945. With some copied images of the recipient amongst the research.
