Thirsk and Malton MP backs campaign to commemorate ‘Local Hero’ Donald Walker

The purpose of the PRU was to provide up-to-date intelligence to strategically plan the Allied actions during the World War Two.

The instrumental 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.

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.

Among those who served, and died, in the PRU was Donald Walker.

Born to Lawrence and Jessie Walker of Woodlands, Malton, Yorkshire, at the start of the war Donald Cecil Broadbent Walker was a Captain in the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.

Captain Walker transferred to the RAF and trained as a pilot before being posted to 544 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron flying Mosquito aircraft.

The squadron was formed at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire on October 19 1942 and operated a variety of aircraft including Spitfires, Wellingtons and Ansons.

The Wellingtons were used to experiment with night photography, whilst the Spitfires operated from Gibraltar.

Mosquitoes were received in March 1943 and these became the squadron's only type in October 1943.

On the 11th November 1943 Captain Walker and his navigator were tasked with photographing Modane in the south of France for damage assessment purposes.

On leaving the target the pair noticed streams of metal fragments coming from the starboard engine.

Walker thought that the aircraft was unlikely to make it back to the UK particularly with the weather they were expecting, so they should head for Gibraltar.

South of the Pyrenees control was lost and so he gave the order to bail out.

The navigator, Arthur Maurice Crow managed to abandon the aircraft successfully, but Donald became trapped in the cockpit door of the aircraft and went into the ground with the aircraft.

He is buried on a remote mountain top near the crash site.

Arthur Crow managed to return to the UK via Gibraltar but was killed flying a reconnaissance mission late in 1944, and is now buried in Germany.

Supporting the campaign for a national memorial, Mr Hollinrake said: “I am delighted to support this fantastic campaign to commemorate those who served in the Photographic Reconnaissance Units.

“This includes Donald Walker, who served admirably under exceptionally difficult conditions, and who ultimately gave his life in service of our country.

“I have met with and will continue to work with the Spitfire AA810 Project to establish this memorial.

"I will be honoured to pay my respects there once it is completed.”

If there is anyone related to Donald Walker, or if anyone know someone who served in the PRU during the war, please go the Spitfire AA810 Project website (www.spitfireaa810.co.uk), or get in touch with Tony Hoskins, [email protected].