AC2 (Pilot) P.L. Walker, 627496, 17 Sqdn, 27/06/1940

[B.F.M. Droog]

What was the cause of death of:

Aircraftman 2nd Class (Pilot) Peter L. Walker, RAF 627496, 17 Sqdn., age 24, 27/06/1940, Wimbish (All Saints) Churchyard, UK
And was it normal for airmen with the rank of Aircraftman 2nd Class to be pilots?


Regards,


Bart

[Henk Welting]

Hurricane P3778 17 Sqn Debden, Essex. Unauthorized flight, crashed near Quendon Newport, Essex.

Henk.

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Henk,

Thanks! But... unauthorized flight? Walker stole a Hurricane? Reminds me of the Scratch incidents in Canada and the USA, see 'Help needed in Seattle'.

Regards,

Bart

[Andy Saunders]

It wasn't the only recorded example of an unauthorised flight by a long way. An aircraftsman "stole" a Spitfire at Hawkinge in 1940 but crashed trying to get airborne and survived. I also have details of a successful unauthorised flight by an E.O. on a Spitfire squadron in Italy (a chap called Farrish, as I recall) who ferried a Spit to another airfield! In the case of Walker, though, its interesting that he is classified by CWGC as AC2(Pilot). In a way, I suppose he was....albeit unauthorised and for a brief inglorious moment. A little more up to date, but don't I recall a USAF ground engineer stealing a C-130 from Mildenhall in the 1970's and finally going down in the English Channel?

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Andy,

All this could make an interesting new category: 'joy riding' military personnel. I recall only one related incident, somewhere in the eighties, when an American soldier 'stole' a tank in the Bonn area, and 'crashed' with it from a bridge into the river Rhine.

Do you know if more information exists regarding AC2 (Pilot) Walker? As you wrote: 'its interesting that he is classified by CWGC as AC2(Pilot).' - This 'pilot' classification made me think that he was on a training mission. Apparently not. Is there a way to find out what his function was within the Squadron? Batman, cleaner, cook, guard, mechanic, or whatever?

Is there a chance that English newspapers would have reported on his death?

Regards,

Bart

[Andy Saunders]

I doubt that English newspapers would have reported the circumstances of his death. In fact, the local newspaper for his home-town would probably have reported his death but my money would be on the report merely stating that he had "died on active service". Most unlikely they would have said how or why, under these circumstances.

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Andy,

Or would there have been an official inquiry?

Regards,

Bart