A Distinguished Flying Cross and other items belonging to the original ‘Sir Roderic’ pilot have been donated to 6 Squadron.
Flight Lieutenant ‘Blondie’ Walker’s possessions - including his service medals, pilots’ logbook and uniform - will now be displayed in the Squadron's heritage room.
The ‘Sir Roderic’ was one of five aircraft donated by Lady Rachel Mac Robert of Douneside in the County of Aberdeen, in memory of her sons who died in RAF service, during the Second World War. 6 Squadron have flown a ‘Sir Roderic’ marked aircraft since 2017.
Sir Roderic Mac Robert had been killed leading a Hurricane attack on German positions in Iraq earlier that year but had previously served with 6 Squadron from December 1938 to January 1940.
Blondie rejoined 6 Squadron in order to avoid a tour as an instructor and was at the forefront of the Squadron’s operations as allied forces campaigned in Italy, and attempted to remove Axis forces from the then Yugoslavia.
Shortly before being awarded his DFC, Blondie was shot down twice in little over a week during attacks near the Yugoslav coast. He was subsequently awarded a bar to his DFC.
6 Squadron unveiled the latest ‘Sir Roderic’ in 2017, continuing the RAF Lossiemouth tradition of naming aircraft in honour of the original Mac Roberts aircraft. The original Mac Roberts aircraft ‘Mac Roberts’ Reply’ was flown by XV (Reserve) Squadron who maintained the tradition until their disbandment.
Items belonging to a 94 Squadron engineer who serviced the original ‘Sir Roderic’ were donated to the Station Heritage Centre in 2018.
The donation of Blondie’s items comes as 6 Squadron celebrates its 110th anniversary.