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‘The Editor’ was contacted by Mark, son of George
Walker, after seeing a photo of his father on the site in the photo album
of Dennis
Osborne 48A. Mark has been
researching his father’s service career and thought that he had been an
Arborfield apprentice. A search of
our records was negative and so ‘The Editor’ contacted Malcolm Hay who is
the Heritage Member of the Beachley Old Boys
Association. Malcolm confirmed
that George Joined Chepstow on the 3rd of September 1947 (47B) and ‘Passed
Out’ with 48A on the 1st of February 1951.
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Chepstow Army Apprentices
School,
Intake 47B.
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George Walker is in the Rear Rank, 3rd from the
left. A full name check of the group
is available direct from the B.O.B.A. Web Site
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His first posting was to 27 Command Workshop,
Warminster. Service details pre.1957
include Belgium, Aden and Egypt. Passed Artificer Cert Vehicle Course
No.144 1958-59. Wulfenbuttle 1957-62
(daughter Julie born there). Kenya
1962-67 then on to the Arborfield Army Apprentices College 1967-72 (son
Mark was born here) which included a detachment to the UN Peace Keeping
Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). At
Arborfield Julie happily remembers being paid in sweets for helping with
riot training by throwing things at the trainees but wasn’t too pleased at
having to attend Church Parade in the gym.
Information added 1st April
2013.
‘The Editor’ received an e-mail from Andie in New Zealand………
Hi
I am George's second daughter Andrea born 1963 in Halifax. Mom used to tell me that I had
the same name as the daughter of one of Dad’s commanding officers who also
had the surname Walker?
I too remember throwing rocks at the trainees in return for sweets. There
was also a very tall man, nickname of 'tiny', who served with Dad who
attended his funeral - I would love to know his real name. I believe Dad
was his best man at his wedding. Dad loved his life in the army.
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This photograph
below first brought Mark to the 49ers web site and is in Dennis
Osborne’s album.
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Christmas 1954 in Egypt with George Walker in the rear row, pointing to his head.
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Mark Walker contributed the following photographs
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Date and location uncertain but S/Sgt George Walker dances with an unknown partner.
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Cyprus, and the Indian Army Major General Dewan
Prem Chand, Force Commander of The United Nations Peacekeeping Force In
Cyprus (UNFICYP) pays a visit. On
the right of the three men is believed to be Major Turner of REME, then
wearing spectacles is WO1 George
Walker and the person on the left is unidentified.
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Ferreting around in a Ferret.
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Arborfield
Army Apprentices College. Sergeants Mess July 1970.
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Front Row: No.5 ASM
George Walker, REME.
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Editor’s Note:
Front Row: No.9 Major R H Matthews, MC, Royal
Artillery, Adjutant of the college.
He appears in another article on site referring to his role as OC
No.8 Independent Recce. Flight, Army Air Corps, based in Tripoli. The item was published in Flight Magazine
under the title ‘Exercise Quickstep’.
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Having started at Chepstow, George Walker redeemed himself by joining the ‘Instructional
Staff’ at the Arborfield
Army Apprentices
College in 1967 and
his name, as WO1 G Walker, appears in two issues of the college magazine
‘Arborfield Apprentice’. These are
Mag. V7 No.7 Winter 1971, and Mag. V8 No.1 Spring 1972. The magazines are available from the School
Magazine section.
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Please contact ‘The
Editor’ if you can add any information regarding George Walker, 47B,
Chepstow AAS.
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First Published: 15th January 2013.
Latest Update: 1st July 2013.
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