Sir Walter Cheshire was a member of School House whilst at Ipswich School from 1922-24 and was commissioned into the RAF in 1926. Whilst a serving officer he gained an honours degree in Mechanical Sciences at Downing College Cambridge. 

He then attended RAF Staff College in 1938 and promoted to Squadron Leader. He was appointed to the Air Staff of Bomber Command, becoming Chief Intelligence Officer in 1941. Being fluent in Russian, it was only natural that he would be posted to Russia, which indeed he was, in 1942, as Air Attache to Moscow. 

His next appointment, in 1944, was as Chief Air Intelligence Officer at the HeadQuarters of Allied Command South East Asia. 

At the end of the War, he became Air Officer Commander in Indo-China. His intelligence duties led him to being mentioned in despatches on two occasions.

After the war he attended the Senior Officers' Staff Course at the Imperial College in 1949. He was Air Officer Commanding Gibraltar from 1950- 52 and Air Officer Commander in charge of Administration of HeadQuarters. 2nd Tactical Air Force in Germany from 1953 - 55. 

After two years from 1955 - 57 as Air Officer Commanding 13 Group Fighter Command he was RAF Instructor at the Imperial Defence College from 1957 - 59. He then served as Air Officer Commanding RAF Malta and Deputy Commander in Chief (Air) of the Allied Forces, Mediterranean NATO from 1959 - 61. 

He was Air Member for Personnel at the ministry of Defence(Air) and was appointed an Air Chief Marshal in 1962, retiring in 1965.

He was Aide-de-Camp to the Queen from 1963-65. He was made a C.B.E. in 1949, a C.B. in 1955, a K.C.B. in 1959 and a G.B.E. in 1965.

After his retirement, he worked for the RAF Benevolent Fund with particular reference to homes for the elderly and disabled. In 1968, he became a member of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and was vice Chairman from 1970 - 74. 

An exemplary career and a real advocate for doing good after his time in the forces.