Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Sandilands Frowd Walker (13 May 1850 – 16 May 1917), also known as R. S. F. Walker, was a prominent figure in Malaya during the British colonial era in the late 19th century.
During his youth he was an amateur sportsman, and played three times for the English football XI against Scotland, scoring four goals, in the 1870 to 1872 representative matches.
Early life and education
Walker was born in Chestercastle, (in the Great Boughton registration district), in Chester, the son of John and Camilla Walker. He was educated at Brentwood School, Essex before entering the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
At Sandhurst, he showed himself to be a keen all-round sportsman, representing the college at athletics in 1869 and 1870 in competitions with the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He played for the Sandhurst cricket team in 1869, including the match against the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in May. The following year he was captain of the cricket team. In May 1870, he won the 120 yards hurdles and the pole jump in the annual athletics competition against the Woolwich Academy.
On graduating from Sandhurst in 1870, he was awarded the Sword of Honour which was presented to him by the Duke of Cambridge, who was then Commander-in-Chief. He continued to use the sword throughout his career and had it re-hilted to conform to the 1895 regulations. This sword is probably the one depicted in the statue of Walker that stands outside the Perak Museum at Taiping.
Football career
After leaving Sandhurst, he joined the Clapham Rovers Football Club and was also a member of the Wanderers club. In November 1870, he was selected by C. W. Alcock to represent "England" in the second "pseudo-international" match against a Scottish XI. He scored England's goal in a 1–0 victory; according to the match reports "[following] a well-executed run-down by C.W. Alcock, in conjunction with a final kick from the foot of R.S.F. Walker, enforced the surrender of the Scottish goal" and "barely ten minutes had elapsed before a neat run down by C.W. Alcock, resulted in a goal to the side of England, the final kick which secured the coveted honour for the South being administered by R.S.F. Walker".
The following February, Walker was again England's scorer in a 1–1 draw; the match report included a reference to the Combination Game style of football: It seemed as if the [Scottish] defence would prove more than equal to the attack, until a well-executed run-down by C.W.Alcock, W.C. Butler and R.S.F. Walker, acting in concert, enabled the last-named of the trio to equalise the score by the accomplishment of a well-merited goal for England.The match report concludes: "For England, R.S.F. Walker was untiring in his efforts forwards until the close."
In November 1871, Walker made his third and final appearance for England. Walker scored both England's goals in a 2–1 victory; the match report describes his goals thus:So persevering were the attacks of the English, that at last a loud cheer proclaimed the fall of the Scotch citadel to a well-directed shot by Walker.It appeared as if [England] were likely to have the game entirely in their own hands, as within a very short time a second goal was obtained for England by R.S.F. Walker. In conclusion, the report describes Walker as "the hero of the English eleven".
He was also selected for the Scotland vs. England rugby international of 1873, although he did not actually play.
Military career
In 1870, aged twenty, he joined the 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot; on 28 October 1871, he was gazetted as an Ensign and thence to Lieutenant; he was one of the last ensigns to be gazetted in the British Army. With the 28th Foot, he served in Gibraltar and Malta.
In 1874, he was transferred to Perak, but was then moved first to Hong Kong and then to Singapore where, in 1878, he was aide-de-camp to Sir William Robinson, Governor of the Straits Settlements. In November 1878, he accompanied Robinson to Bangkok for the investiture of King Chulalongkorn as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George.
Early in 1879, he entered the service of the Federated Malay States as Acting Commissioner of the Perak Armed Police, and was also the Acting Assistant Resident. By 1884, he was Commandant of the 1st Perak Sikhs with the local rank of Major. Five years later, he was granted the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel whilst employed with the Perak Police Force. In 1902, he was granted the local rank of Lieutenant-Colonel while employed as Commandant of the Malay States Guides.