Alan Keith WALKER

WALKER, Alan Keith

Service Number: 443931
Enlisted: 18 December 1943
Last Rank: Leading Aircraftman
Last Unit: Not yet discovered
Born: Manly, New South Wales, Australia, 4 October 1925
Home Town: Manly, Manly Vale, New South Wales
Schooling: Sydney Grammar School, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation: Student
Died: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia , 19 June 2005, aged 79 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials:
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World War 2 Service

18 Dec 1943: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Leading Aircraftman, 443931
13 Aug 1945: Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Leading Aircraftman, 443931

Help us honour Alan Keith Walker's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Hamish Robson

Birth (1)
Alan Keith Walker was born in Manly New South Wales, Australia

 

Education (2)
Alan Keith Walker was a student at the Sydney Grammar School.

Royal Australian Air Force Cadets (3)
Joined the Air Training Corps 3 March 1942

World War II (3)
Recruit training; No 6 Initial Training School (RAAF Bradfield Park, now Lilyfield NSW)
Enlisted; 18 December 1943 at the No2 Recruiting Centre, Sydney
Branch; Royal Australian Air Force

Alan Keith Walker WW2 Service Details (4)

Rugby Union (5)

Australia has produced many outstanding multi-sport athletes however just three men have represented in both rugby and cricket at international level - John Morris Taylor, Otto Nothling, and Alan Walker. Taylor and Nothling knew nothing of their rare feat as the rugby matches they played for New South Wales in the 1920s were not given Test status until 1994.

Primarily an outside centre and winger, although he could also play inside centre, Walker’s obvious versatility made him the ideal tourist. His best position was on the wing, largely due to his speed, his outside swerve and the fact that he had more room to move. That was when his true genius was revealed.

Born and bred in Manly, Walker finished his education at Sydney Grammar School where he played three years of 1st XV (1941-43) and three years in the 1st XI.

Walker then served in the R.A.A.F before his big rugby breakthrough came in 1947 when Trevor Allan dropped out of the City 1 v Country match. Although not selected in either of the other two City teams, Walker was called up from the reserves to replace Allan so as not to disrupt the minor sides’ preparations. Walker then gave a truly remarkable performance in which he scored two tries and figured prominently in four others. As luck would have it another injury just a few weeks later, this time to Queensland centre Kev Bourke, opened the door for Walker to make his Test debut, against New Zealand in Brisbane. Walker duly won a spot on the Third Wallabies tour to the U.K. and France where he scored a try that former Welsh and British international fullback Vivian Jenkins described as “one of the greatest individual efforts ever seen at Twickenham” in the 11-0 defeat of England.

He returned to rugby in 1950 and won his final caps against the Lions after a groin injury to Allan, who was now Australia’s captain-coach, forced him to withdraw from both Tests in the series. The following year Walker retired from rugby to concentrate on cricket however he then missed selection on Australia’s 1953 Ashes tour to England. As a result, Walker left Australia for the Lancashire League after he received a fee of £1500, the highest figure paid to an Australian to play professional cricket in England. While in the U.K. Walker signed to play rugby league with Leigh.
Alan Walker played five rugby Tests for Australia in a four-year international career. 

Rugby League (6)
Walker played one game for the Manly NSWRL club in 1952. 

Leigh Rugby League Club (UK) (7)
Walker played nine games in 1953.

Cricket (8)

Alan Keith Walker, who died on June 18, 2005, aged 79, was a whippy left-arm bowler who could be "very, very fast when the mood took him", according to his New South Wales team-mate Richie Benaud. Some had reservations about the legitimacy of his action, which featured an unusual approach to the crease with left wrist cocked behind head. Walker toured South Africa in 1949-50, taking 25 wickets at 20.24 outside the Tests, but found himself behind Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller and Bill Johnston in the pecking order. He had made his Shield debut the previous season following some startling performances in Sydney grade cricket, including seven for eight and seven for six in one match for Manly against Cumberland. Walker never did make it into the Test side, and tried his luck in the Lancashire League after missing out on selection for the 1953 Ashes tour. After three years with Rawtenstall he was signed up by Nottinghamshire, taking 55 wickets in 1956. The following season started strangely, as he took seven for 56 against Middlesex at Lord's before going down with mumps and missing the rest of the game - and the next month's cricket too. In 1958 he was hampered by a shoulder injury suffered while playing rugby league for Leigh, and returned to Australia. He had taken a hat-trick in only his fifth match, against Queensland at Sydney in 1948-49, and bettered that in his first county season, with four in four balls at Leicester in 1956, when he dismissed the last man in the first innings and started the second with a hat-trick. Walker was also an outstanding rugby union player, who led the try-scoring with 19 on the Wallabies' 1947-48 tour of Britain and France, when he scored a memorable 70-yard try against England at Twickenham.

Nottinghamshire (UK) (9)
Walker played
First class; 94 matches, (1948/49-1958)
Second XI;  (1957-1958) 

Death (10)
19 June 2005
Manly, NSW

 

 

 

 

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Biography contributed by Hamish Robson

Australian Rugby Union Player


Wallaby # 348 5 Caps
Date of Birth; October 4, 1925
Place of Birth; Manly
School; Sydney Grammar School
Position; Centre
Province; NSW
Debut Club; Manly
Representative; Sydney City XV 1947
Debut Test Match; 1947 Wallabies v New Zealand, 1st Test Brisbane
Final Test Match; 1950 Wallabies v British Isles, 2nd Test Sydney