Jim Allister, MP for North Antrim backs campaign to commemorate the brave pilots and navigators of the Photographic Reconnaissance Units
Jim Allister, MP for North Antrim, has joined the campaign to commemorate the brave pilots and navigators of the Photographic Reconnaissance Units (PRU), who served during the Second World War.
Photo Reconnaissance Units
The PRU was formed on the 24th of September 1939 and throughout the Second World War it operated highly dangerous, clandestine photographic reconnaissance operations over all theatres of operation, and captured more than 26 million images of enemy operations and installations during the war.
The purpose of the PRU was to provide up-to-date intelligence to strategically plan the Allied actions in the war. Flying Spitfires and Mosquitos, the intelligence it gathered was used by all the armed forces, giving same day intelligence on enemy activity.
The intelligence provided by the PRU was used in the Cabinet War Rooms – now the ‘Churchill War Rooms’ located underneath the Treasury – and was instrumental in the planning of major operations; D-Day and the Dambusters Raid, the monitoring of major shipping movements such as the Bismarck and Tirpitz, and the locating of the site of the V1 and V2 rocket launching site at Peenemünde.
Due to the clandestine nature of their operations – they flew solo operations, unarmed and unarmoured – the death rate was nearly fifty percent. However, despite having one of the lowest survival rates of the war – life expectancy in the PRU was around two and a half months – there is no national memorial to the PRU.
The ‘Spitfire AA810 Project’ has therefore led the campaign to establish such a memorial in central London.
Local Hero
Warrant Officer II David O'Neill
Among those who served, and died, in the PRU was David O’Neil.
Warrant Officer David O’Neil was born January 20th 1918 in Ballymena, N. Ireland. Living with his parents at 10 York Terrace, he went to school in Ballymena and studied to be an electrician, carrying out part-time work in the local area.
In 1937 he left Northern Ireland to travel to Canada to live with his uncle where he took work in the King Edward Hotel in Fernie, British Columbia as well as volunteering in the local fire department. He applied for the RCAF in February 1941.
He carried out Pilot flight training in Canada before returning to the UK in June 1942 where he undertook an initial posting with 254 Squadron Coastal Command in August that year.
With the re-designation of the RAF Photographic Reconnaissance Squadrons in October, David O’Neil found himself posted into 540 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron at RAF Benson in early November flying Mosquito aircraft.
That same month he married Jane Johns, from Chester.
His time with the unit was sadly short. On the 20th February 1943 O’Neil and his navigator Sgt Alfred Lockyer took off from RAF Benson for a reconnaissance of Bergen. German reports indicate that their aircraft was hit by flak over the suburb of Loddgfjiord.
Warrant Officer II David O'Neil died 20 Feb 1943, aged 25-years-old, along with his comrade. Both men are buried locally in Bergen, Norway.
Supporting the campaign for a national memorial is local MP, Jim Allister. Commenting Mr Allister said:
“I am delighted to support this fantastic campaign to commemorate those who served in the Photographic Reconnaissance Units.
“This includes David O’Neil, who served admirably under exceptionally difficult conditions.
“I look forward to working with the Spitfire AA810 Project to establish this memorial and I look forward to being able to pay my respects there once it is completed.”
If there is anyone who knew David O’Neil, or anyone else who served in the PRU during the war, please go the Spitfire AA810 Project website, or get in touch with Tony Hoskins, Tony@spitfireaa810.co.uk
More information on the ‘Spitfire AA810 Project’, the history, the plane and its pilots, and the Memorial campaign can be found on its website.