Andrew Griffith, MP for Arundel and South Downs, is backing the campaign to commemorate the brave pilots and navigators of the Photographic Reconnaissance Units (PRU) during the Second World War.
Local Heroes
Among those who served in the PRU were Rex Furneaux (Steyning) and Howard Read (Walberton).
Rex Furneaux
Flight Lieutenant Rex Horton Furneaux was born on the 1st of November 1920 in Steyning and after leaving school served an apprenticeship in an architects practice.
Intending to be an airline pilot, he joined the RAFVR in April 1939 and was called up for pilot training in September 1939. He flew as a pilot throughout the Battle of Britain with 3, 73, and 17 Squadrons.
In July 1941 he joined 134 Squadron and embarking on HMS Argus he delivered Hurricane fighters to Murmansk as part of the lend-lease arrangement with the Russians.
He returned to the UK in late 1941 having conducted bomber-escort operations with the Russians and after a number of other postings, Furneaux found himself posted to 681 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron flying operations in the Far East.
Leaving the RAF in 1946 he became an estate agent in South Street, Lancing before becoming a successful London property developer.
He retired to France in the mid 1980's, passing away in Marmande, Aquitaine at the age of 83 in February 2004.
Howard Read
Flight Sergeant Howard Richard Read was born the son of Richard and Florence Read in Walberton. Joining the RAF from school, he trained as a navigator before being posted to 540 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron based at RAF Benson.
On the 21st August 1944, Read and his pilot Kenneth Boyd took off from RAF Benson in their Mosquito aircraft at 1330hrs for a mission to Stettin. Intercepted by OberfeldwebelMüller flying a Messerschmitt 109, the aircraft was seen to crash into the Baltic north of Rostock at around 1555hrs.
Rumours post-war were that Boyd's body was found by the Germans and was buried in the sand dunes, however no confirmation was received.
Both men are officially missing to this day.
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 to the PRU pilots and navigators.
Supporting the campaign Andrew Griffith MP, commented: “I am delighted to support the campaign to commemorate those who served in the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit.
"This includes Rex Furneaux and Howard Read, who served under exceptionally difficult conditions, and I would urge anyone who might have any more information on them to get in touch.
"I look forward to working with the Spitfire AA810 Project to establish this memorial and to being able to pay my respects there once it is completed."
If there is anyone related to or who knew Rex Furneaux or Howard Read, 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].