“I think of my father every November”, reflects Navy veteran as he calls for family sacrifice to be remembered this Remembrance Day

An 85-year-old Royal Navy veteran living at Erskine’s Veterans Home in Edinburgh has urged the nation to remember not just the fallen, but the families they left behind.

George Walker only met his father Harry once before he was killed at sea at the age of 27 during World War II. This Remembrance Day, he says his thoughts turn not only to him, but also to the stepfather who skippered trawlers through dangerous waters, and to his own 10 years in the Royal Navy, serving on aircraft carriers, patrolling hostile seas and travelling the world in uniform.

George said: “When the silence falls at 11 o’clock, my mind always goes straight to my father. He died so young, just 27, and I never had the chance to know him. I often wonder what kind of man he was, what kind of father he might have been to me, and what life would have been like if he had come home. That gap has always been there, it shaped me as a boy, and it still shapes me now as a man.

“I’ve carried him with me all my life, even without knowing him. Remembrance Day is when that feeling is at its strongest. It’s not just about soldiers on the battlefield, it’s about the empty chairs at the table, the children who grew up without parents, and the families who had to find a way to carry on. That’s what remembrance truly means to me.”

George enlisted at just 16 after persuading his mother to sign his papers. Between 1956 and 1966, he served as a Seaman Gunner, protecting trawlers around Iceland, taking part in operations in Cyprus, and spending 18 months stationed in Borneo at the height of the conflict. He later joined the Merchant Navy, with voyages taking him to Kuwait, the United States and the Philippines.

Reflecting on his career, George describes himself as having “nine lives”, from surviving a shipwreck and enduring Cold War patrols, to now fighting prostate cancer and regaining his mobility when many thought he never would.

“I suppose I’ve been lucky in my own way; I’ve lived what I call nine lives. I’ve been shipwrecked off Iceland and pulled out of freezing water when I could so easily have been lost. I’ve patrolled during the Cold War when tensions were high and danger was never far away. Later I fought cancer and thought my time was nearly up, but I pulled through. Every time I’ve survived, I’ve thought about those who didn’t, my friends, people who were just as brave as me but didn’t come home. I think about them every November.

“Life after the Forces isn’t always easy either. You lose the uniform, the camaraderie, the purpose. Sometimes you can feel forgotten or left behind. That’s why Erskine matters so much. Here, I feel like I belong again. The staff, the care, the company has all given me dignity and independence in this stage of my life. Erskine makes sure veterans like me are not forgotten, and on Remembrance Day that means everything.”

Wing Commander Ian Cumming MBE, Erskine’s Chief Executive, said: “George’s story is a reminder that the impact of service runs through generations. His reflections capture

the true meaning of Remembrance, and our daily work here at Erskine, not only honouring those who gave their lives but supporting those who still live with its consequences”.

 For further information please contact Susan Hamilton, Communications Officer, on 0141 814 4719 or email susan.hamilton@erskine.org.uk