Sergeant David Walker

Sergeant David Brown Walker, Royal Flying Corps. He was killed in action with 11 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps on Operations over the Western Front on 16th September 1916, aged 19. He was the son of Thomas and Catherine Alice Walker of 12 Tower Road, Tweedmouth and is buried in Habarcq Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France. 11 Squadron was formed at Netheravon in April 1915 and sent to the Western Front on 25th July 1915  At the time of his death the Squadron was flying the Fe 2 on offensive patrols over the front. ( To enable the Gunner to fire backwards he had to unloose his safety belt and stand up in his shallow cockpit, seriously dangerous as the pilot would probably be trying evasive tactics at the time ). Before enlisting he had been employed as an apprentice engineer with Messrs Shiell, millwrights, of Tweedmouth. His Headstone is inscribed ” Beloved Son Of Thomas & Catherine A. Walker Tweedmouth, Northumberland”.