Frederic Wake-Walker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Frederic Wake-Walker
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Wake-Walker when Third Sea Lord, January 1944
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| Birth name | William Frederic Wake-Walker |
| Born | 24 March 1888 |
| Died | 24 September 1945 (aged 57) London, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1903–1945 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | HMS Castor HMS Dragon HMS Revenge Director of Torpedoes and Mining 12th Cruiser Squadron 1st Mine Laying Squadron Force K 1st Cruiser Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Operation Dynamo Battle of the Denmark Strait Last battle of the battleship Bismarck |
Admiral Sir William Frederic Wake-Walker (24 March 1888 – 24 September 1945) was a British admiral. He served in the Royal Navy during World War I and World War II. He played a very important part in the evacuation at Dunkirk. He also helped find and destroy the famous German battleship Bismarck.
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William Frederic Wake-Walker was born on March 24, 1888. His father was Frederic George Arthur Wake-Walker. His grandfather, Admiral Sir Baldwin Wake Walker, was also a well-known naval officer.
Frederic went to Haileybury school. In 1903, he joined the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth. This was where he began his training to become a naval officer. The next year, he became a midshipman and served on HMS Good Hope. This ship was the main ship of the 1st Cruiser Squadron.
Serving in World War I
By the start of World War I, Wake-Walker had become a lieutenant. From 1913 to 1915, he was a torpedo officer on HMS Cochrane. Torpedoes are underwater weapons.
In July 1916, he was promoted to lieutenant-commander. After more training, he joined the new battleship HMS Ramillies. He served on this powerful ship until the war ended in 1918.
Between the World Wars
Rising Through the Ranks
After World War I, Wake-Walker continued to advance in the Royal Navy. In June 1920, he became a commander. He served on HMS Coventry from 1919 to 1921.
He also spent time at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and the Tactical School in Portsmouth. From 1925 to 1927, he was the executive officer on HMS Royal Oak. This role meant he was in charge of the ship's daily operations. On January 10, 1939, he became a flag officer, which is a very high rank in the navy.
Ship Collision Incident
In 1934, while Wake-Walker was in command of HMS Dragon, his ship accidentally hit another ship. The Dragon was entering a harbor in Montreal, Canada. It collided with a moored oil ship called Maplebranch, which then sank.
The owners of the Maplebranch said Wake-Walker was responsible. He argued it was an unavoidable accident because he was trying to avoid a third ship. However, courts in Canada and the highest court in the British Empire found him responsible for the collision. They said he had not proven he was not at fault.
World War II Heroics
Leading at Dunkirk
When World War II began, Wake-Walker was made a rear-admiral. He commanded the 12th Cruiser Squadron. Soon after, he worked on ways to protect ships from new magnetic mines.
In May 1940, a huge event happened: the evacuation of Dunkirk. Many British and French soldiers were trapped on the beaches of France by German forces. Wake-Walker was put in charge of all the ships helping with this rescue mission.
He arrived at Dunkirk on May 30 on the minesweeper HMS Hebe. On June 1, his main ship, the destroyer HMS Keith, was sunk by German planes. Despite this, he kept directing the rescue from a smaller boat, MTB 102, right in the harbor. For his brave actions at Dunkirk, he received the Companion of the Bath award.
The Hunt for the Bismarck
In May 1941, Wake-Walker played a key role in one of the most famous naval battles of World War II: the hunt for the German battleship Bismarck. His heavy cruisers, HMS Suffolk and his flagship HMS Norfolk, were patrolling near Iceland. Their job was to find and track the Bismarck if it tried to enter the Atlantic Ocean.
On May 23, 1941, Suffolk spotted the Bismarck and another German ship, Prinz Eugen. After a short fight, the British ships used fog to hide. They then tracked the German ships using radar, even in bad weather. This tracking helped guide other British warships, HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales, to intercept the Bismarck.
The next day, the ships met in the Battle of the Denmark Strait. During this battle, HMS Hood was sunk. Many officers on Prince of Wales were also killed or hurt. This left Wake-Walker in command of the remaining British ships: Norfolk, Suffolk, and Prince of Wales.
He decided not to keep fighting the powerful Bismarck directly. Instead, he chose to keep tracking it. He knew that Admiral John Tovey and the main British fleet were on their way. Wake-Walker stayed on the Bismarck's trail. Although radar contact was lost for a short time, Norfolk was there for the final part of the battle the next day, when the Bismarck was finally sunk.
Later, some people thought Wake-Walker and Captain John Leach of Prince of Wales should have continued fighting the Bismarck. But Admiral Tovey strongly disagreed. He said they had made the right choice by not risking their ships and by making sure the Bismarck was tracked. Tovey even threatened to resign if they were punished. Because of Tovey's support, no action was taken against them. For his part in sinking the Bismarck, Wake-Walker was given the Commander of the Order of the British Empire award. In 1943, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
Personal Life and Legacy
Frederic Wake-Walker married Muriel Elsie Hughes in 1916. They had two sons and two daughters. One of their daughters, Penelope Hughes Wake-Walker, became an artist. One of their sons, Christopher Baldwin Hughes Wake-Walker, married Anne Spencer, who was the aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Admiral Sir William Frederic Wake-Walker died unexpectedly in London on September 24, 1945, at the age of 57. He is buried in East Bergholt cemetery in Suffolk.
