Air Marshal Peter Walker
Pilot who became the Queen’s representative on Guernsey, where he embraced community life
AIR MARSHAL PETER WALKER, who has died aged 65, was a former RAF fighter pilot and the serving Lieutenant Governor of the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
He was appointed as the representative of the Queen in the Guernsey islands in April 2011. For the first time, the Guernsey authorities were involved in the selection process, working alongside the British government.
Walker’s experience, dedication and sound advice were greatly appreciated by the chief minister and his officials, and his personable approach, downto-earth attitude to issues and wit quickly established him as an effective communicator with the local population. He and his wife were a popular couple, immersing themselves in the life of the islands and the interests of the islanders. They embraced the many aspects of community life, giving support to local charitable causes and youth organisations. His sudden death was described as “sending a shock vibrating around the island”.
The son of an RAF group captain, Peter Brett Walker was born at Rowley Regis in Staffordshire on September 29 1949 and educated at Pocklington School in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He joined the RAF in 1968 and in 1971 entered RAF College Cranwell, where he trained as a pilot and gained an external BA in Politics, Law and Sociology from Durham University. Walker claimed that one of his greatest challenges was to meet the standards set by his father, first as a fighter pilot and later as a senior officer.
He served first with No 29 Squadron, flying the Phantom from Coningsby in Lincolnshire. Tasked with the air defence of the United Kingdom, the Phantoms of No 29 made regular encounters with Soviet longrange bombers approaching the UK Air Defence Region.
After three years of squadron service, Walker became an instructor on the Phantom operational conversion unit, where he was recognised as being firm but fair. He qualified as a fighter weapons instructor before heading for Germany as the weapon’s leader on No 92 Squadron, one of two RAF squadrons responsible for the air policing of Western Germany. He was an aggressive fighter pilot. “He put a capital ‘P’ into punchy,” said one colleague.
After serving in the Ministry of Defence, first in the personnel department and then dealing with air defence policy and plans, Walker converted to the Tornado F3 allweather fighter, before taking command of No 111 Squadron based at Leuchars in Fife. This provided him with the opportunity to be reacquainted with the Soviet long-range bomber force.
In May 1993 Walker went to the Falkland Islands to command the large RAF airfield at Mount Pleasant, which accommodated detachments of Tornado fighters, air-sea rescue helicopters and transport aircraft in addition to elements of the RAF Regiment and other support services. For his services in the Falklands he was appointed CBE.
On his return he held a post in the operations division of the Ministry of Defence before spending two years at the air headquarters of the Central Region of Nato. Walker returned to the MoD in 1999 as the director of operational capability before promotion to air vice-marshal two years later, to become the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operations) in March 2001.
During Walker’s tenure in this demanding appointment, British naval, ground and air forces were based in the Gulf region, where the RAF was engaged in policing the airspace over Iraq. Another challenging task confronted him and his staff after the attack on the World Trade Centre in New York in September 2001. In response to the threat posed by al-Qaeda forces, and based on political requirements and guidance, Operation Enduring Freedom was launched, resulting in the deployment of additional air assets to support the build-up of British naval forces in the Gulf region and of ground forces in Afghanistan.
In 2002 Walker was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff (Policy and Requirements) at Nato’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) at Mons in Belgium. In this key post he was responsible for developing and implementing Nato structures and force requirements at a time of significant change in the military capabilities of member states. He was appointed CB in 2005.
His final post was as director of Nato’s Joint Warfare Centre in Norway, responsible for training Nato headquarters staff for deployment to theatres overseas.
He retired from the RAF in 2007 and spent the next few years involved with local issues in north Devon and doing voluntary work for Royal Air Force and civilian charities before taking up his appointment in Guernsey.
Peter Walker was president of the Aircrew Association and life vicepresident of the Royal Air Forces Association, European area. Relaxed and good company, he was equally at ease with both older and younger generations. He was a keen fly fisherman and sailor.
He married his wife Lynda in April 1978; she survives him with their daughter and two sons.