Donald Walker

Donald Fezard Walker (15 August 1912 — 18 June 1941) was an English first-class cricketer and an officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War. As a professional cricketer Hampshire, he made over seventy appearances in first-class cricket and scored just over 3,000 runs.

Early life and cricket career The son of James Fezard Walker and his wife, Ethel, he was born in Wandsworth in August 1912. He was educated at King's College School in Wimbledon, London. Walker was later approached by Hampshire, who persuaded him to pursue a career as a professional cricketer. Walker made 24 first-class appearances in his debut season, scoring 930 runs at an average of 25.83; he scored his maiden century during the season against Sussex at Portsmouth, when he made 123 runs; this innings was notable for it formed part of a 235 runs partnership for the fifth wicket with Gerry Hill (161 runs),

The following season, Walker made 23 first-class appearances, scoring 925 runs at an average of 23.71, though he did not record any centuries. The outbreak of the Second World War at the beginning of September 1939 bought first-class cricket, and unbeknownst to Walker, his cricket career to an abrupt end. Described by Wisden as "sound in defence, with unlimited patience" who demonstrated "good strokes all round the wicket", A capable fielder who occasionally kept-wicket, he took 75 catches. and was assigned to No. 58 Squadron to fly Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bombers as part of Bomber Command. On 17 June 1941, Walker took off from RAF Linton-on-Ouse as the pilot of Whitley Mark V bomber N1462 to conduct a bombing raid on Cologne. On the Whitley's way back to base, the bomber was spotted by search lights, and Oberleutnant Wolfgang Thimmig was scrambled from Venlo Airfield to intercept the bomber. The Whitley was shot down over the German-occupied Netherlands at 02:34 hours on 18 June near Best. The kill was claimed by Thimmig's Messerschmitt Bf 110, his first victory. Four out of the five on board the aircraft were killed, including Walker. The sole survivor was captured with wounds to both legs and sent to a German prisoner-of-war camp.