Dagenham And Rainham MP Backs Campaign To Commemorate ‘Local War Hero’.

Margaret Mullane, MP for Dagenham and Rainham, has joined the campaign to commemorate the brave pilots and navigators of the Photographic Reconnaissance Units (PRU), who served during the Second World War.

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 Heroes

Among those who served in the PRU was Henry Buckingham.

Flight Sergeant Henry Francis Buckingham was born on the 18th June 1921 in Lambeth but resided with his family in Dagenham. 

With the outbreak of war he joined the RAF and trained as a pilot, flying Spitfires with 542 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron. 

On the 25th February 1944 22-year-old Henry took off to photograph the V1 launch sites in the Pas de Calais, a sortie from which he did not return. 

No trace of him or his Spitfire has ever been found.

Supporting the campaign for a national memorial is local Dagenham and Rainham MP.

Margaret told the Haverinng Daily:: “I am delighted to support this fantastic campaign to commemorate those who served in the Photographic Reconnaissance Units. 

This includes Henry Buckingham, who served admirably under exceptionally difficult conditions.

 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 who knew Henry Buckingham, or anyone else 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, Tony@spitfireaa810.co.uk.

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