Time to time, we get a strong interest in PRU (Photo Recon Unit) pilots, whose missions generally involved some extremely dangerous low level flights over enemy targets, with no weapons, a lot of slipping and sliding the aircraft to avoid obstacles, along with considerable sweat and determination. They also flew at very high altitudes such as over industrial plants deep inside enemy territory. We have some fascinating stories such as from the son of pilot John Bendixson, and just now, another user who knew a PRU pilot and now wants to find as much detail as possible.
So to start this research, and we are due for a refresher, I am going to list all our PRU pilots (there may be more), and we will fill in this article further on the PRU pilot we are currently assisting on the research. But for an excellent read, check out the exploits of
John Bendixson.
This is the query we just received, and, stay tuned as we dig in to fill in the story of Maurice Hicks. "I came across this site whilst searching for a former PR spitfire pilot I knew back in 1989. His name was Maurice Hicks and I think his service number was 133541 from research on the internet. I know he was a Flt Lt at one point and later became an examiner at CFS (RAF) probably Cranwell? We spoke many times and he told me about the rhubarbs he flew across the channel at low level including on D-Day."
Here is an article written in our blogs some time ago explaining the role of the PRU pilot, you can find it
here. If you are really into it, there is even a PRU (PL965) Spitfire for sale, and, while it is for sale, you can visit the listing
here and check out the details and images. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission also has a good article on PRU Spitfires
here.
So for now, here is our list of PRU pilots on our site, many are simply a "stub" that our chief editor Kevin Charles created, so this is also an invite to any interested readers to fill in some information on these pilots by scouring the ORBs or posting photos. Stay tuned.
| 1 PRU | William Acott |
| 1 PRU | Murray Anderson |
| 1 PRU | Keith Arnold |
| 1 PRU | John Ayer |
| 1 PRU | Alfred Ball |
| 1 PRU | Thomas Ball |
| 1 PRU | Keith Bayley |
| 541 PRU | John Bendixsen |
| 1 PRU | Denis Bennett |
| 1 PRU | Tristram Beresford |
| 1 PRU | Howard Blatchford |
| 1 PRU | John Blount |
| 1 PRU | Norman Bonnar |
| 1 PRU | Samuel Bowes |
| 1 PRU | William Bracken |
| 1 PRU | Leonard Briggs |
| 1 PRU | Roy Buchanan |
| 1 PRU | George Busbridge |
| 3 PRU | Thomas Calnan |
| 1 PRU | Andre Cantillion |
| 1 PRU | Gerald Carthew |
| 1 PRU | John Chandler |
| 1 PRU | Peter Chappell |
| 3 PRU | John Chisholm |
| 1 PRU | George Christie |
| 1 PRU | Leonard Clark |
| 1 PRU | Rupert Clerke |
| 1 PRU | Ivan Cooper |
| 1 PRU | Alexander Corbett |
| 1 PRU | Peter Corbishley |
| 1 PRU | Geoffrey Crakanthorp |
| 1 PRU | Charles Craxton |
| 1 PRU | Richard Cussons |
| 1 PRU | Joseph De Puysseleyr |
| 1 PRU | Arthur Densham |
| 1 PRU | Sydney Dowse |
| 1 PRU | Eric Durston |
| 1 PRU | Ryszard Dyrgała |
| 3 PRU | Roy Elliott |
| 1 PRU | Frederick Evans |
| 1 PRU | Edward Fairhurst |
| 1 PRU | Alfred Fane |
| 1 PRU | Charles Fletcher |
| 1 PRU | John Forbes |
| 1 PRU | Edward Fortt |
| 1 PRU | John Fowler |
| 1 PRU | Joffre Fripp |
| 1 PRU | Peter Gimson |
| 1 PRU | Cedric Greenhill |
| 1 PRU | Anthony Gubb |
| 1 PRU | Alastair Gunn |
| 1 PRU | Charles Hall |
| 1 PRU | Ernest Hamer |
| 3 PRU | Peter Harding |
| 1 PRU | Donald Hardman |
| 1 PRU | Walter Harrison |
| 1 PRU | John Hatchwell |
| 1 PRU | Phillip Herbert |
| 1 PRU | Donald Higson |
| 3 PRU | Michael Hood |
| PRU Benson | Eric Humm |
| 1 PRU | Anthony Hyde-Parker |
| 1 PRU | Peter Illingworth |
| 1 PRU | John Iredale |
| 1 PRU | Roy Johnson |
| 1 PRU | Roger Larson |
| 1 PRU | Robert Leavitt |
| 1 PRU | Laurence Loasby |
| 1 PRU | Keith Lofts |
| 1 PRU | John Mair |
| 1 PRU | Frederick Malcolm |
| 1 PRU | William Manifould |
| 1 PRU | Alastair McDonald |
| 1 PRU | Angus McLeod |
| 3 PRU | Brian McMaster |
| 1 PRU | Brian McMaster |
| 3 PRU | Norman Messervy |
| 1 PRU | John Miles |
| 1 PRU | Samuel Millen |
| 1 PRU | Peter Mills |
| 1 PRU | William Morgan |
| 1 PRU | James Morgan |
| 1 PRU | Francis Nettleton |
| 1 PRU | Arthur O'Brien |
| 3 PRU | Patrick Ogilvie |
| 1 PRU | William Panton |
| 1 PRU | William Parker |
| 1 PRU | Alexander Paus |
| 1 PRU | Arthur Pim |
| 1 PRU | William Rains |
| 1 PRU | Frederick Riley |
| 1 PRU | Spencer Ring |
| 1 PRU | Michael Robin |
| 1 PRU | Frank Robinson |
| 1 PRU | Charles Rogers |
| 1 PRU | Arnold Rumsey |
| 1 PRU | David Salwey |
| 1 PRU | John Sargent |
| 1 PRU | John Seabourne |
| 1 PRU | John Shelmerdine |
| 1 PRU | George Singlehurst |
| 1 PRU | Wilfred Sizer |
| 1 PRU | James Smalley |
| 1 PRU | Donald Steventon |
| 1 PRU | Michael Suckling |
| 1 PRU | James Swift |
| 3 PRU | Peter Tomlinson |
| 1 PRU | John Tully |
| 1 PRU | Philip Watts |
| 1 PRU | Henry Wheeler |
| 1 PRU | Leslie Whitaker |
| 3 PRU | Roy Whitehead |
| 3 PRU | Einar Wilkinson |
| 1 PRU | Duncan Wilson |
| 1 PRU | Stewart Wise |
| 1 PRU | Kenneth Wright |
| 1 PRU | Zbigniew Wysiekierski |
| 1 PRU | Michael Young |
