[Bill Walker]

It seems to have been a Canadian thing back then and into the 1950s, to use a familiar name loosely based on the "official" registered names. This usually started with the family. It can be annoying nowadays, post 9/11, trying to explain to a skeptical border guard why you appear to have several names.

I am one of three cousins that go by the common name of Bill, but only one of us has William as a first name on the birth certificate. We are all named after our grandfather, christened "Willy" but always known as Bill.

R.W.R. "Bill" Walker