Home | Veterans | Donald Walton
Donald-Walton

A veteran interview with

Donald Walton

Don Walton was interviewed for a project Legasee conducted with Stoll who are a Veterans’ charity and Housing Association. He has permanent deafness from his work on aircraft.

Play video
Watch the interview

About Donald Walton

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

Copyright:
All video content, web site design, graphics, images (including submitted content), text, the selection and arrangement thereof, underlying source code, software and all other material on this Web site are the copyright of Legasee Educational Trust, and its affiliates, or their content and technology providers. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any use of materials on this Web site – including reproduction for purposes other than those noted above, modification, distribution, or republication – without the prior written permission of Legasee Educational Trust is strictly prohibited.

Home | Veterans | Donald Walton

A veteran interview with

Donald Walton

Donald-Walton

Don Walton was interviewed for a project Legasee conducted with Stoll who are a Veterans’ charity and Housing Association. He has permanent deafness from his work on aircraft.

Related topics & talking points

Keep on watching

More veteran stories...

Share this interview on:

https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/donald-walton/

Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Walton, Donald. A Veteran Interview with Donald Walton. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 23 Oct. 2014 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/donald-walton/. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.
APA Style:
Walton, D. (2014, October 23). A Veteran Interview with Donald Walton [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved July 17, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/donald-walton/
Chicago Style:
Walton, Donald. 2014. A Veteran Interview with Donald Walton. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, October 23. Accessed July 17, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/donald-walton/
Harvard Style:
Walton, D. (2014). A Veteran Interview with Donald Walton. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 23 October. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/donald-walton/ (Accessed: 17 July 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Walton, D. A Veteran Interview with Donald Walton [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2014 Oct 23 [cited 2026 Jul 17]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/donald-walton/
An interview with

Bob Frost

Shot down over occupied Belgium and aided by members of the Comète Line

Bob Frost was born in Camden, London in 1923. He joined the RAF and flew Wellington Bombers with 150 Squadron. On the 16th September 1942, he was shot down over occupied Belgium and aided by members of the Comète Line he managed to make it back to Britain  via France, Spain and Gibraltar. We hear about the day his Wellington bomber crashed into a field in Belgium and how he was lucky to survive the landing. He recalls the moments after the crash, as well as how the rest of the crew fared and what they had in their escape kit. Bob then details their first contact with a Flemish family who helped keep them hidden. There followed a true boys own story of escape to Brussels and then by train through France via Paris where he had a close call with a uniformed officer. From St Jean de Luz he's taken to the French side of the Pyrenees for a climb over the mountains to relative safety with with a route home from Gibraltar. He speaks about Andrée de Jongh, also known as Dédée, a remarkably brave woman who escorted 118 airmen over the Pyrenees. Bob reflects on his time as an evader and his continued involvement with the Escape Lines Memorial Society. He's the first to acknowledge that he survived thanks to a few very brave people, to whom he and we owe immense gratitude. Bob passed away on the 18th March, 2019.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martyn Cox
An interview with

Stan Overend

WW2 Service from the Hebrides to Remote Pacific Islands: Stan Overend's Journey with RAF Marine Rescue

Stan Overend always dreamed of a life at sea, so he was disappointed when he couldn’t join the Navy due to his age. Instead, he joined the RAF, where his fortunes changed when he found his way into Marine Branch, Air Sea Rescue. After basic training and a stint as a gunner, Stan seized the opportunity to get out on the water. Posted as a Leading Aircraftman with 67 Air Sea Rescue in the stormy Hebrides, his first rescue mission was a chaotic struggle to save the crew of a Walrus Flying Boat in brutal gale-force winds. Later, Stan’s service took him across the world, including a memorable journey aboard The Queen of Bermuda to India. Stationed on the remote Cocos Keeling Islands, 1,500 miles from the nearest British unit, Stan’s experience was both isolated and dangerous. Despite the peaceful setting, the threat of Japanese fighters loomed large, and he vividly recalls a tragic accident involving a Catalina aircraft. Looking back, Stan fondly remembers the "good blokes" he served with, the kind who would share their last penny. He’s proud of the job they did together, overcoming hardships with camaraderie and resilience.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Tom Holland

From aspiring pilot to Flying Officer on Sunderland flying boats, Tom Holland shares fascinating insights into life as an RAF officer during the Berlin Airlift.

Growing up near Coventry, Flying Officer Tom Holland witnessed the devastation caused by air raids. This, alongside his desire to fly, motivated him to join the RAF. Starting his flight training during WW2, he graduated from RAF College Cranwell, first in order of merit. Although he’d hoped - and was specially recommended- to fly Spitfires for reconnaissance photography, Tom was sent for additional training to operate flying boats. By the end of his training, Tom had had experience on a variety of aircraft, including Tiger Moths, Harvards, Oxfords and Lancasters, before being placed with 230 Squadron at the end of July 1948 to fly Sunderlands. The week he joined, the Squadron was deployed to Hamburg for the Berlin Airlift. Tom recalls what life was like flying, and working, on Sunderland aircraft during the Airlift. The interior stripped of as much unnecessary weight as possible, he recalls the precise logistics required to carry various loads into Berlin. Navigating the challenges of landing on water, to adverse weather conditions and pressure from Russian aircraft, Tom’s interview highlights the knife edge between peace and war during this period and he retains pride for what was achieved and the vital part he played. 
Photo Gallery icon 7 Photos
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker