Frederick was born on 6 February 1898 (RN Doc’s 06/02/1897) in Shardlow, Derbyshire. The eldest of 8 children to Robert and Agnes (nee Millington) Walker, with 3 brothers and 4 sisters Stanley (1901),  Beatrice (1903), Herbert (1906), Alexander (1909), Stella (1914), Ina (1917) and Annie (1919) completing the family unit.

Frederick joined the RN when on 2 July 1913 he walked through the gates of HMS GANGES the “Boy Training Establishment” in Shotley, Suffolk and became a “Boy 2c”. On the application to join the RN he made himself 1 year older by giving his birth year as 1897 when birth records show it to be 1898. On 14 April he was advanced to “Boy 1c” and the very next day drafted to HMS HAWKE for 4 months sea training, then HMS VIVID 1 on 6 August 1914, HMS DEFIANCE 7 September 1914, HMS DONEGAL 8 October 1914 where he was rated “Boy Tel” on 23 June 1915. Still onboard DONEGAL rated “Ord Tel” 10 August 1915 and to “Tel” on 10 February 1916. On 16 August 1916 drafted to HMS RELIANT where while on board volunteered for the submarine service. Unusally he did not complete any courses in HMS DOLPHIN and 19 April 1917 joined HMS FEARLESS (for K4) the depot ship for the “12th Submarine Flotilla” based at this time in Rosyth Scotland.

On the evening of 31 January 1918 HMS/m K4 departed Rosyth Naval yard with many other vessels bound for a North Sea exercise and became involved in what became known as the “Battle of May Island” when a number of submarines were either lost or damaged. Several seperate collisions occured, in one K6 collided with K4, so great was the collision that K4 was almost cut in two and sank immediately with the loss of all her crew. In a few catastrophic hours 105 submariners died from submarines K4, K14 and K17.

Leading Telegraphist Frederick Walker, Svc No. J25725 “Crossed The Bar” with the other 54 of his shipmates.