Sir George Walker, 1st Baronet

General Sir George Townshend Walker, 1st Baronet GCB (25 May 1764 – 14 November 1842) was a British Army officer. He joined the army in 1782, serving with the 36th Regiment of Foot in India in 1784 and as aide de camp to General Thomas Bruce in Ireland in 1787. After being promoted to captain lieutenant, Walker studied in Germany until he was promoted to captain in the 60th Regiment of Foot in 1791. When the French Revolutionary War began in 1793, he took a force of volunteers to reinforce the Flanders Campaign, where he fought at the Battle of Tournay. While on the continent he helped form Roll's Regiment for British service. He took it to England in 1796, and having been promoted to major he went to serve in Portugal in 1797. Here Walker again served as an aide de camp, to at first Major-General Simon Fraser and then the Prince of Waldeck.

Walker was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1799 and given command of the 50th Regiment of Foot. After serving as an advisor in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland he commanded the regiment in garrisons at Malta and Ireland until 1807 when the regiment fought at the Battle of Copenhagen. Sent to join the Peninsular War, he notably saw action at the Battle of Vimeiro. Later in the year Walker was promoted to colonel and, after a period of leave and independent service, re-joined the 50th in time to fight in the Walcheren Campaign of 1809. He was made a brigadier-general in 1810 and sent to serve as a liaison with the Spanish patriot armies of Galicia and Asturias.

Walker was promoted to major-general in 1811 and given command of a brigade in the 5th Division with which he fought at the Siege of Badajoz in 1812, during which he was badly wounded in a diversionary attack. Walker recovered from his injuries and in 1812 assumed command a brigade in the 2nd Division. As such he fought at the Battle of Nivelle later in the year, and then was appointed temporary commander of the 7th Division. He commanded the division into 1814, fighting at the Battle of the Nive and Battle of Orthez where he was again wounded. After this he returned to his brigade command, only to learn that his wife had died in February. With his wounds worsening, he took the opportunity to resign his command. He later served as Governor of Grenada between 1815 and 1817, and then as Commander-in-Chief, Madras Army, between 1826 and 1831. His last official position was as Lieutenant-Governor, Royal Hospital Chelsea.