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Don-Maclean

A veteran interview with

Don Maclean

In 1995, Don Maclean joined the Royal Marines as a reservist. He served with 45 Commando and on a routine patrol in Helmand Province

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About Don Maclean

Always keen on adventure and the outdoor life, Don Maclean joined the Royal Marines Reserves in 1995 when he was 17, and received his green beret 18 months later whilst also studying engineering at university. He explains how part-time training worked and talks about the toughest challenges he faced, before reflecting on the level of self-motivation required to maintain the physical and mental fitness of a regular Royal Marine whilst living a civilian life on standby for mobilisation.

In 2010 Don was called up for an operational tour of Afghanistan. He shares memories of arriving in Camp Bastion as a member of X-Ray Company 45 Commando, and describes in detail the role they played as a security force and how it felt to be waiting for action to unfold.

Just eight weeks into his tour, Don stood on an IED during a routine patrol. He vividly recounts the moments that followed, the lightning-fast rescue operation that saved his life, and the multiple surgeries he underwent to save his damaged foot. Don shares his sincere appreciation for the exceptional rehab he received at Headley Court, and talks about achievements and ambitions in his new life beyond the military.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Caroline Barratt

Copyright:
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Home | Veterans | Don Maclean

A veteran interview with

Don Maclean

Don-Maclean

In 1995, Don Maclean joined the Royal Marines as a reservist. He served with 45 Commando and on a routine patrol in Helmand Province

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Maclean, Don. A Veteran Interview with Don Maclean. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 16 Nov. 2015 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/don-maclean/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
APA Style:
Maclean, D. (2015, November 16). A Veteran Interview with Don Maclean [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved April 17, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/don-maclean/
Chicago Style:
Maclean, Don. 2015. A Veteran Interview with Don Maclean. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, November 16. Accessed April 17, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/don-maclean/
Harvard Style:
Maclean, D. (2015). A Veteran Interview with Don Maclean. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 16 November. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/don-maclean/ (Accessed: 17 April 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Maclean, D. A Veteran Interview with Don Maclean [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2015 Nov 16 [cited 2025 Apr 17]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/don-maclean/
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Jeff York

Far reaches and new challenges, Jeff York served as a Sonar operator during his underwater voyage aboard HMS Spartan in the Falklands War.

Jeff York offers a gripping tale of his service as a Sonar operator aboard HMS Spartan during the Falklands War. Raised in Northampton, Jeff grew up far from the sea. His first sample of seamanship began after becoming a member of the Sea Cadets. However, at the young age of sixteen, he received permission to enlist in the Royal Navy, seeing it as the natural course for his career. Even before his basic training, Jeff was determined to become a submariner, recalling a trip to Portsmouth where he went down in a submarine. From that moment, he was hooked. Once he was given the choice, he joined HMS Dolphin to do his submarine training. During this period, he served aboard ships from HMS Sceptre to HMS Aurora in the Mediterranean before being assigned to HMS Spartan, a new type of submarine which had a trial system implemented. During an exercise in the Bay of Biscay, the Ship's captain, Jim Taylor received an order to head for Gibraltar to make preparations for something. The young crew remained oblivious all throughout until Taylor revealed that they were preparing to join the Task Force in defending the Falklands from Argentinian rebels. HMS Spartan would become one of the first vessels to reach the islands. Jeff describes some of the ship's systems, including a dependable sonar which was used to locate enemy targets from a long range. He discusses the difficulties of being in unfamiliar waters, from the uncertainty of submarine combat to facing many navigational problems. The crew was not immune to a sense of confusion and vulnerability, feelings that increased after the loss of HMS Sheffield. Their unfamiliarity led to many precarious situations, including the ship getting trapped in a forest of kelp which jammed their systems. This posed a serious threat to the Spartan since it was fuelled by a nuclear power source. Despite these hardships, the crew managed to pull through, benefited by the strong comradery shared among everyone onboard. Jeff reflects on the overlooked contributions of submariners, taking pride in their obscurity whenever the topic of the  Falklands War is brought up in a conversation. His interview reveals their importance to the War effort as well as providing a glimpse into how submarine warfare changed during the period.
Service:
Interviewed by:
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Service:
Interviewed by:
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