B186 - Christopher Thompson Walker & family, 1918

T.C. No 13-0

Christopher Thompson Walker was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England on 31 Mar. 1918, the 1st child of Charles Frederick Thompson and Marion (born Blakey) Walker.

Christopher, known as "Chris", attended Eltham College in Mottingham from 1927 to 1936. Upon leaving school he went to work for Lever Brothers, in the advertising Dept., as a junior, until 6 Sept. 1939 when he joined the Army Service Corps. In 1940 he was transferred to the Intelligence Corps where he served time in England, France and Egypt. In 1942 he went on officer training to get his commission, followed by time in Alamein, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. Eventually he was attached to the Lincolnshire Regiment in Scotland which went to Normandy, France, in June, 1944 on D-Day + 4, where he was wounded and taken prisoner-of-war in hospital. In August he was liberated by the American Army and returned to England for convalescence till Mar. 1945. Following his convalescence he worked on the repatriation of the German Army from Norway. Chris was finally discharged from the Service on 31 Mar. 1946.

It was during the war on 19 Feb. 1944 that Chris married Mollie Winnifred Rydings. Mollie was born in Mill Hill, London, on 25 Jun. 1922, the only child of Horace and Winnifred Rydings. She is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dancing, and attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she has since become an Examiner for the school. Mollie is also an accomplished violinist and plays in an amateur trio.

Chris and Mollie had one child:- Christopher Paul Thompson b 1-2-1945 d

After the war Chris returned to Lever Brothers where he apparently had many ups and downs in the business until 1963, when he joined British Railways, as Chief Publicity Officer. While with British Railways he traveled extensively with the Advertising and Public Relations Department to countries such as Holland, Germany, Belgium France, Italy, Denmark, Portugal and frequently to Ireland. It was a real asset to his position that he was fluent in both French and German.

During their married life Chris and Mollie have lived in Bexhill-on-Sea, Kingston-on-Thames, Sussex and finally they purchased a house at 4 Richmond Ave., in Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex.

Chris retired at age 65 on 31 Mar. 1983. After several years he completed a Family History entitled "The American Journal of Robert Walker, Quaker – May 1773 – June 1775". The original Journal written by Robert Walker is presently in the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania in the U.S.A.

Chris' wife, Mollie has obtained an Honours B.A. degree from the University of Sussex, England in the study of American History. Their collective passions are music – orchestra, chamber and opera. This writer first made contact with Chris in 1990, after a record search in the Quaker section of Leeds University Library in England. Since that time he has made numerous contributions, concerning his branch of the Walker family, to "The Walker Collection". Richard B. Walker has also had contact with Chris over many years and following his death on 19-7-2002 spoken with his son.

Sources:- Christopher Walker, East Sussex, Eng.

Rev. by H.L. Walker - 6-Dec-07