Roderick Walker
Encyclopedia
Brigadier Roderick 'Rory' Muir Bamford Walker OBE MC, (27 February 1932 – 15 October 2008) was a British
SAS Commander, best known for his heroism during the Oman Uprising and the Indonesian Confrontation. He is also well remembered as a skilled bagpipe player.
, the son of Roderick Noel Duncan Walker, a solicitor and his wife Doris Margaret Walker (née Greensill), he grew up at the family home on Green Lanes, Wylde Green
and was educated at Cheltenham College
and RMA Sandhurst
in 1952, where he served for a short period before being transferred to The Intelligence Corp, from there he joined 22 Special Air Service Regiment as a Troop Commander
. Early in his career he made his name as an Army Officers Boxing Champion and an expert parachutist.
had been a British Protectorate since 1891 and by the 1950s was ruled by Sultan Said bin Taimur
, who by the late 1950s was facing serious opposition and uprisings from the imam of Oman
. Britain helped Taimur to suppress the imam
's first revolt in 1955, however this caused resentment from Saudi Arabia
and Egypt
who then backed the imam's second revolt in 1958.
Britain responded to the second uprising by reassigning D Squadron 22 SAS under the command of Major John Watts from Malaysia to deal with the situation in Oman. Watts was accompanied by Captain Walker.
After the rebellion was ‘put down’ the leaders fled into Jebel Akhdar
(The Green Mountain) and continued to launch intermittent attacks from their safe vantage point. Walker was then sent in command of two groups to deal with the rebels. On 27 December, Walker gained a lodgment on the north side of the Jebel and climbed a rope which they had fixed to the rock face, steadying himself in a cleft in the rock, Walker pulled the pin from a grenade and hurled it over the lip above him. It killed one of the enemy and scattered the rest. Walker and his men then reached the plateau and by dawn they had killed another eight. Walker was later awarded the Military Cross
for his bravery.
as a member of the two-man Military Attaché
at the British Embassy in Djakarta, Indonesia
.
During his posting the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation began, when Britain as part of the dismantling of the Empire in Southeast Asia, proposed to combine its colonies on Borneo with the Federation of Malaya to form a new country called Malaysia. The move was opposed by neighboring country of Indonesia, who believed that it was a ploy to increase British control over the region and would eventually threaten their independence.
On September 16, 1963, an organised mob of several thousand demonstrators formed in the city of Djakarta, they sacked the Malaysian Embassy before marching on the British Embassy where Becke and Walker were on guard, they tore down the Union Jack and burnt the Ambassadors car, then threw stones and pieces of concrete through the fence breaking all the embassy windows. In what is now a legendary act Walker strode up and down in front of the building, dodging the missiles and relentlessly playing his bagpipes
despite pleas from the police and the leader of the demonstrators, eventually the mob broke up and the battle was won.
Two days later however the mob returned and broke through the fence besieging the building and eventually setting it on fire, Becke, Walker and the Ambassador Sir Andrew Gilchrist
bravely stood their ground taking a stand on British sovereign soil and defending the embassy strong room.
attack. He was appointed OBE on conclusion of his command. He returned to intelligence work and after promotion to brigadier became a deputy commander of a military district
in England, before being promoted to Security Chief for the Army North of the Border, during this time he was convinced that Soviet Union Spetznaz operatives had carried out detailed reconnaissance of targets in Scotland in the guise of long-distance drivers.
, Strathearn, Scotland, their third son Angus John Roderick died in infancy.
During his life Walker was active in the Royal Scottish Pipers Society and was a noted fundraiser for the Scottish Cot Death Trust.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
SAS Commander, best known for his heroism during the Oman Uprising and the Indonesian Confrontation. He is also well remembered as a skilled bagpipe player.
Early Life and Training
Walker was born on 27 February 1932 in Sutton ColdfieldSutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
, the son of Roderick Noel Duncan Walker, a solicitor and his wife Doris Margaret Walker (née Greensill), he grew up at the family home on Green Lanes, Wylde Green
Wylde Green
Wylde Green is a residential area within the town of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, England in the West Midlands. It was in the county of Warwickshire. The area is in the Sutton Vesey ward.-History:...
and was educated at Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
and RMA Sandhurst
Career
Walker was commissioned into the Sherwood ForestersSherwood Foresters
The Sherwood Foresters was formed during the Childers Reforms in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 45th Regiment of Foot and the 95th Regiment of Foot...
in 1952, where he served for a short period before being transferred to The Intelligence Corp, from there he joined 22 Special Air Service Regiment as a Troop Commander
Troop Commander
-British Army:A Troop Commander is an officer in the British Army, who commands 15 other soldiers and their vehicles. A troop usually consists of four or sometimes more armored vehicles such as tanks and APCs.-Red Army:...
. Early in his career he made his name as an Army Officers Boxing Champion and an expert parachutist.
The Oman Campaign
The kingdom of Muscat and OmanMuscat and Oman
Muscat and Oman was a country that encompassed the present day Sultanate of Oman and parts of the United Arab Emirates. The country is not to be confused with either the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, which were sheikhdoms under British protection since 1820....
had been a British Protectorate since 1891 and by the 1950s was ruled by Sultan Said bin Taimur
Said bin Taimur
Said bin Taimur was the sultan of Muscat and Oman from 10 February 1932 until his overthrow on 23 July 1970. His second wife was Mazoon al-Mashani...
, who by the late 1950s was facing serious opposition and uprisings from the imam of Oman
Imam Ghalib Bin Ali
Imam Ghalib bin Ali Al-Hinai was the last elected Imam of The Imamate of Oman. Since 1954, he led a faction of the Ibadis from his Imamate of Oman in Nizwa and Oman proper in Jebel Akhdar revolt against Sultan Said Bin Taimur through small uprisings and attacks against the oil exploration convoys...
. Britain helped Taimur to suppress the imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
's first revolt in 1955, however this caused resentment from Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
who then backed the imam's second revolt in 1958.
Britain responded to the second uprising by reassigning D Squadron 22 SAS under the command of Major John Watts from Malaysia to deal with the situation in Oman. Watts was accompanied by Captain Walker.
After the rebellion was ‘put down’ the leaders fled into Jebel Akhdar
Jebel Akhdar (Oman)
The Jebel Akhdar, Jabal Akhdar or Al Jabal Al Akhdar , also known as the camals hideout, is part of the Al Hajar Mountains range in Oman, which extends about 300 km northwest to southeast, between 50-100 km inland from the Gulf of Oman coast. It is one of Oman’s most spectacular areas...
(The Green Mountain) and continued to launch intermittent attacks from their safe vantage point. Walker was then sent in command of two groups to deal with the rebels. On 27 December, Walker gained a lodgment on the north side of the Jebel and climbed a rope which they had fixed to the rock face, steadying himself in a cleft in the rock, Walker pulled the pin from a grenade and hurled it over the lip above him. It killed one of the enemy and scattered the rest. Walker and his men then reached the plateau and by dawn they had killed another eight. Walker was later awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for his bravery.
The Indonesian Confrontation
By the 1960s, Walker, by then a Major had been assigned to serve under Lieutenant Colonel Bill BeckeWilliam Becke
Lieutenant Colonel William 'Bill' Hugh Adamson Becke CMG DSO, was a British army officer, best remembered for his heroism during the Indonesian Confrontation.-Early Life and training:...
as a member of the two-man Military Attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
at the British Embassy in Djakarta, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
During his posting the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation began, when Britain as part of the dismantling of the Empire in Southeast Asia, proposed to combine its colonies on Borneo with the Federation of Malaya to form a new country called Malaysia. The move was opposed by neighboring country of Indonesia, who believed that it was a ploy to increase British control over the region and would eventually threaten their independence.
On September 16, 1963, an organised mob of several thousand demonstrators formed in the city of Djakarta, they sacked the Malaysian Embassy before marching on the British Embassy where Becke and Walker were on guard, they tore down the Union Jack and burnt the Ambassadors car, then threw stones and pieces of concrete through the fence breaking all the embassy windows. In what is now a legendary act Walker strode up and down in front of the building, dodging the missiles and relentlessly playing his bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
despite pleas from the police and the leader of the demonstrators, eventually the mob broke up and the battle was won.
Two days later however the mob returned and broke through the fence besieging the building and eventually setting it on fire, Becke, Walker and the Ambassador Sir Andrew Gilchrist
Andrew Gilchrist
Sir Andrew Graham Gilchrist, KCMG was a Special Operations Executive operative and later a UK ambassador.-Early career in Foreign Office and SOE:...
bravely stood their ground taking a stand on British sovereign soil and defending the embassy strong room.
Later career
Walker later went on to command 23 SAS (TAVR)a service involving him in training potential "stay-behind" parties in northwest Europe in the event of a Warsaw PactWarsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
attack. He was appointed OBE on conclusion of his command. He returned to intelligence work and after promotion to brigadier became a deputy commander of a military district
Military district
Military districts are formations of a state's armed forces which are responsible for a certain area of territory. They are often more responsible for administrative than operational matters, and in countries with conscript forces, often handle parts of the conscription cycle.Navies have also used...
in England, before being promoted to Security Chief for the Army North of the Border, during this time he was convinced that Soviet Union Spetznaz operatives had carried out detailed reconnaissance of targets in Scotland in the guise of long-distance drivers.
Personal life
In March 1979, Walker married Susette Mary Aitchison and they raised two sons; Duncan Stewart Aitchison and Roderick James Craw at their home in the village of DunningDunning
Dunning is a small village in Perth and Kinross in Scotland with a population of about 1,000. The village is built around the 12th-13th century former parish church of St. Serf, where the Dupplin Cross is displayed . The building was used in the filming of the Scottish film Complicity...
, Strathearn, Scotland, their third son Angus John Roderick died in infancy.
During his life Walker was active in the Royal Scottish Pipers Society and was a noted fundraiser for the Scottish Cot Death Trust.