Commander Baldwin Charles WALKER RN La Croix de la Chevalier de la Republique
HMS Neptune, Royal Navy

Date of birth: 7th January 1884
Date of death: 9th April 1927

Died aged 43
Unknown
Baldwin Charles Walker was born at Wooton Bassett in Wiltshire on the 7th of January 1884 the only son of Sir Francis Elliot Walker RN, 3rd Baronet, and Lady Ellen Constance (nee Paris) Walker, later of Ravenshill Kielder in Northumberland. He was christened at Wooton Bassett on the 3rd of February 1884.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until July 1897 where he was a member of the Cricket XI in 1897. The school magazine wrote the following on his 1897 cricket season: - "If he would only use his left leg would be a good bat; as it is, he has often made useful scores when others have failed. Is a good thrower from long leg, and a fair field generally, but is apt to over rate the difficulty of fair chances."

When he left the school the magazine wrote: - "...has taken an equally good place on the Classical Side at Wellington, and leaves a large gap. He ought to do very well in every way."

He went on to Wellington College where he was in Orange House from September 1897 to 1898 when he proceeded to the Britannia Naval College at Dartmouth from where he passed out, 3rd in his year in November 1899.

He was appointed as a Midshipman in the Royal Navy on the 15th of January 1900. He served in the South African War on board the cruiser HMS Niobe where he was stationed at St Helena for four months guarding Boer prisoners in coaling and unloading transports. He was Aide de Camp to the Captain. He was promoted to Sub Lieutenant on the 15th of January 1903 and to Lieutenant on the 15th of January 1905. He was serving on the torpedo training ship HMS Vernon in 1908 and was posted to the armoured cruiser HMS Warrior at Devonport on the 2nd of February 1909.

In late 1915 he received the thanks of the Admiralty for his invention in connection with torpedo fire control instruments while he was Torpedo Officer with the armoured cruiser HMS Drake. On the 15th of September 1916 the London Gazette announced the award of La Croix de la Chevalier de la Republique Francaise. He was mentioned in despatches and was promoted to Commander on the 30th of June 1917.

He retired from the Navy in 1922 and was married to Mary (nee Barnett) of Northumberland on the 22nd of November 1923; they had two sons, Baldwin Patrick, born on the 10th of September 1924, and Francis Donald Baldwin, born on the 18th of July 1927. They lived at Swanfield House, Alnwick and later at the Lake Vyrnwy Hotel in Wales; he was a member of the Travellers and Wellington Clubs. Following his death Mary remarried and moved to Constantia in South Africa.

He died suddenly of heart failure at Lake Vyrnwy.
Went on to Wellington College

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