New Memorial to RAF’s unsung reconnaissance heroes, including Coalville’s James Hares

New Memorial to RAF’s unsung reconnaissance heroes, including Coalville’s James Hares

Earlier this week in the House of Commons, the Veterans Minister, Al Carns MP, confirmed plans to recognise the unsung heroes of the RAF’s Photographic Reconnaissance Units had successfully moved to the planning stage. The campaign has enjoyed significant political backing, with more than 200 MPs from eight different parties supporting the memorial campaign.

The Photographic Reconnaissance Units (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.

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, as well as many other intelligence successes.

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. Therefore, since 2021, the Spitfire AA810 Project has campaigned to establish such a memorial to the 1746 PRU pilots and navigators, with a major breakthrough in the campaign coming this week with the Government’s announcement on Tuesday.

While the PRU had many different nationalities serving in it, it was still made up predominantly by servicemen from throughout the United Kingdom. Among those who served in the PRU was Coalville’s James Hares:

Leading Aircraftman James Hares from Coalville, Leicestershire served in the RAF Reconnaissance in the Far East. Little is known of his early life and war service but he survived the war only to pass away of cardiac arrest on the 3rd September 1945 after having an allergic reaction on board the ship bringing him home to the UK. He was buried at sea off the coast of Sri Lanka.

Supporting the campaign is local MP, Amanda Hack. Commenting:

“I am delighted to support the campaign to commemorate those who served in the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit. This includes James Hares, who served under exceptionally difficult conditions, and I would urge anyone who might have any more information on him 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.”

 Welcoming the announcement, Spitfire AA810 Project Director, Tony Hoskins, said,

“Since we first looked at commemorating the highly clandestine work of the RAF unarmed Reconnaissance Squadrons, we have uncovered some incredible stories of the work these young men and women carried out, their actions unknown yet so vital to millions of people impacted by the conflict.

Now on the 80th anniversary of VE Day it is so fitting to have the Government support this major step forward in recognising their work and sacrifice. RAF Photo Reconnaissance used high-speed, high-altitude aircraft and the work of these young men and women became a vital component of every Allied campaign with the intelligence gained considered necessary for the planning of any operation.

The work of the RAF PRU enabled Allied leaders to monitor almost every aspect of the enemy’s activity and act accordingly, and it is a fitting tribute to see this work commemorated in the very heart of London, so close to where that intelligence was used so critically”. 

ENDS

Press Release by Spitfire AA810 Project team