Francis Heathcote Gordon Walker

Captain Francis Heathcote Gordon Walker, Royal Navy (19 March, 1887 – 11 January, 1937) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Newport, Fife, Walker gained 2 and a half months' time on passing out of Britannia on 15 September, 1903. After a series of appointments in battleships and cruisers starting with Magnificent, Walker was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 25 November, 1908.

Walker married Phyllis Duncombe Shute on 27 June, 1912 as he was finishing up an appointment in Astræa on the China Station. He was appointed to Hindustan on 31 July, 1912 and would be in her through the first year and a half of the war.

Great War

Walker was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 25 November, 1916.

Post-War

Walker was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1920.

He received a very uncharitable evaluation from "Sinclair" in April of 1927, calling him "too slow & his loyalty is questionable not suited for staff work." One from Bellairs issued at the same time, however, spoke well of him.

Walker was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1928.

Walker was appointed in command of the light cruiser Canterbury on 14 December, 1929.

On 9 January, 1935, Walker was appointed in command of the battleship Iron Duke.

In July of 1936, he was sent to the Air Ministry to assist with the "Meteor Case". This lasted just one month and he was appointed in command of Greenwich and as Senior Officer, Reserve Fleet and King's Harbour Master at Rosyth on 4 August, 1936. He soon fell seriously ill, and was treated on board for hemotosis on 10 September, being sent to a Hospital ashore that same day. Diagnoses extended to esophageal ulcer, and he briefly returned to duty, but in early January, 1937 he was placed in a nursing home in Dumferline. Walker died on the 11th of January.

See Also

• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Cecil R. Hemans	Captain of H.M.S. Wolsey 4 Jan, 1922 – 10 Nov, 1922	Succeeded by Henry E. Horan
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Worcester 16 Nov, 1922 – 8 Oct, 1923	Succeeded by David B. Nicol
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Effingham 2 Mar, 1925 – 15 May, 1925[Inference]	Succeeded by Cecil N. Reyne
Preceded by Kenneth D. W. Macpherson	Captain of H.M.S. Dauntless 30 Nov, 1928 – 18 Mar, 1929	Succeeded by Henry Ruthven Moore
Preceded by Guy C. C. Royle	Captain of H.M.S. Canterbury 14 Dec, 1929	Succeeded by Claude C. Dobson
Preceded by Algernon R. Smithwick	Captain of H.M.S. Sandhurst 1 Aug, 1930 – Jan, 1932	Succeeded by James Powell
Preceded by Henry B. Maltby as Captain in Charge of H.M. Naval Establishments, Bermuda	Captain in Charge, H.M. Naval Establishment, Bermuda 23 Nov, 1932 – 6 Nov, 1934	Succeeded by Edye K. Boddam-Whetham
Preceded by Hamilton C. Allen	Captain of H.M.S. Iron Duke 9 Jan, 1935 – 16 Mar, 1936	Succeeded by Charles Farquhar-Smith
Preceded by Montague G. B. Legge	Captain of H.M.S. Greenwich 4 Aug, 1936 – Jan, 1937	Succeeded by Henry P. Boxer
Preceded by Montague G. B. Legge	Captain of Rosyth Dockyard 4 Aug, 1936 – 11 Jan, 1937[Inference]	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Montague G. B. Legge	Senior Officer, Reserve Fleet, Rosyth 4 Aug, 1936 – Jan, 1937	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Montague G. B. Legge	King's Harbour Master, Rosyth 4 Aug, 1936 – Jan, 1937	Succeeded by Henry P. Boxer