The HAA was greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Alan Walker after the battle with illness borne with typical fortitude and humour. Our thoughts are with his family and many friends.
Alan was well known and greatly respected, particularly for the great variety of warbirds he flew and displayed. He was also a warm person with a great sense of fun and encouraged everyone he met with a shared passion for aviation. Many have received the invitation to fly into the strip near his home.
As well as an extensive commercial flying career, he was the lead B-17 pilot in the film Memphis Belle and his experience included Spitfires, the Sea Fury, the Avenger, Hurricanes, MiG-15, Vampire and latterly the Lancaster at East Kirby. He was also involved in the flying the Air Atlantique collection.
His family issued the follow message:
“We are extremely saddened to reveal the passing of Alan at Stoke Mandeville Hospital yesterday afternoon at 3.25pm. Alex and Lynz were both by his side for his peaceful passing from complications which arose in the later stages of treatment for his Intravascular Large B-cell Lymphoma.
As per Alan’s wishes we will be having a small, private family funeral. As a friend rightly said this afternoon, ‘you’d need a castle’ to accommodate all the hundreds of well wishers wanting to pay their final respects.
…For those of you wishing to contribute in other ways then we received wonderful support from Macmillan Cancer during Alan’s illness and would ask that any donations be made to them in lieu of flowers.
Thank you in advance for all your support for Alan and our family over the past very difficult 6 months.”
photos Stephen Bridgewater