Victoria Cross medal group, Major-General William George Walker, 4th Gurkha Rifles, 1891-1917

Captain W G Walker (1863-1936) was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions, while attached to the Bikanir Camel Corps, at Daratoleh, Somaliland, on the 22 April 1903. During a rearguard action, Walker and Captain George Murray Rolland were with four other men when a fellow officer, Captain Charles Bruce of the Royal Field Artillery was badly wounded. While Rolland went for assistance, Walker and the rest stayed with the disabled officer, endeavouring to fight off the enemy. When the officer in command of the column, John Edmond Gough, arrived, the wounded officer was lifted on to a camel. He was, however, hit a second time and died immediately. The action resulted in the award of three Victoria Crosses, to Walker, Gough and Rolland; three Distinguished Conduct Medals, to Sergeant Nderamani and Corporal Surmoni, King's African Rifles and Sowar Umar Ismail, Somaliland Camel Corps; and the Sikh Order of Merit to Lance-Naik Maieya Singh of the British Central Africa Indian Contingent.

Walker went on to serve in World War One between 1914 and 1917, and later achieved the rank of Major General. He died in Seaford, East Sussex, in 1936.

The medal group consists of, from left to right: Victoria Cross; India General Service Medal 1854-95, with clasps for 'Samana 1891' and 'Waziristan 1894-5'; Africa General Service Medal 1902-56, with two clasps, 'Somaliland 1902-04' and 'Jidballi'; 1914-15 Star; British War Medal 1914-20; Allied Victory Medal 1914-19, with oakleaf for mention in despatches; Delhi Durbar Medal 1911.