Sir George Walker | |
|---|---|
 Walker in 1820 | |
| Born | 25 May 1764 |
| Died | 14 November 1842 (aged 78) Royal Hospital Chelsea |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1782–1842 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | 50th Regiment of Foot 2nd Brigade, 5th Division 1st Brigade, 2nd Division 2nd Division 7th Division Madras Army |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Baronet Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of the Tower and Sword Army Gold Medal with Vimeiro, Badajoz, and Orthez clasps |
| Other work | Governor of Grenada Groom of the Bedchamber to the Duke of Sussex Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea |
General Sir George Townshend Walker, 1st Baronet, GCB ComTE (25 May 1764 – 14 November 1842) was a British Army officer. He joined the army in 1782, but after his first two regiments were quickly disbanded, he joined the 36th Regiment of Foot stationed in India in 1784. He returned to England in 1787 suffering from an illness, and became aide de camp to General Thomas Bruce in Ireland. After being promoted to captain lieutenant, Walker studied German and tactics in Germany until he was promoted to captain in the 60th Regiment of Foot in 1791. When the French Revolutionary War began in 1793, he took a force of volunteers to reinforce the Flanders Campaign, where he fought at the Battle of Tournay. He was appointed Inspector of Foreign Corps while serving on the continent, and as such helped form Roll's Regiment for British service. He took them to England in 1796, and having been promoted to major he went to serve in Portugal in 1797. Here Walker again served as an aide de camp, to at first Major-General Simon Fraser and then the Prince of Waldeck.
Walker was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1799 and given command of the 50th Regiment of Foot. After serving as an advisor in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland he commanded the regiment in garrisons at Malta and Ireland until 1807 when the regiment fought at the Battle of Copenhagen. After this he was sent with his regiment to join Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Wellesley's army in Portugal in 1808. He saw action in the Peninsular War for the first time at the Battle of Vimeiro where his regiment was highly successful. Later in the year Walker was promoted to colonel, and after a period of leave and independent service, he re-joined the 50th in time to fight in the Walcheren Campaign of 1809. Walker was made a brigadier-general in 1810 and sent to serve as a liaison with the Spanish patriot armies of Galicia and Asturias.
Walker was successful in his role and was promoted to major-general in 1811, but the infighting and logistical difficulties of the Spaniards led him to successfully apply for a regular command in the British peninsular army. He was given command of a brigade in the 5th Division with which he fought at the Siege of Badajoz in 1812. His brigade formed the spearhead of a diversionary attack against the fortress, in which Walker was badly wounded. Walker took the rest of the year to recover from his injuries and re-joined the peninsular army in 1812 as commander of a brigade of the 2nd Division. As such he fought at the Battle of Nivelle later in the year, and then was appointed temporary commander of the 7th Division while its commander was on leave. He commanded the division into 1814, fighting at the Battle of the Nive and the Battle of Orthez where he was again wounded. After this he returned to his brigade command, only to learn that his wife had died in February. With his wounds worsening, he took the opportunity to resign his command and did not serve again in the war.
Walker later served as Governor of Grenada between 1815 and 1817, and then as Commander-in-Chief, Madras Army, between 1826 and 1831. His last official position was as Lieutenant-Governor, Royal Hospital Chelsea, from 1837. He died in 1842, having through his services earned a baronetcy, and been appointed a knight of the Order of the Bath and of the Order of the Tower and Sword.