The Airmen's Stories - F/O R W Wallens

Squadron Leader (Flying Officer during the Battle) Ronald "Wally" Wallens, who has died aged 79, was shot down in the Battle of Britain and though he suffered serious injuries he returned to fly as an Air Sea Rescue pilot. Wallens's colourful autobiography ‘Flying Made My Arms Ache’ (1990) contains an evocative account of the Battle of Britain - and of his near-fatal encounter with a Me109 while flying with 41 Squadron. The day "started off well, but was to end in a terrible shambles". By mid-morning the squadron was airborne at full strength and its 12 Spitfires intercepted a large formation of Dornier 17’s with about 50 Me109 escorts over Gravesend. At 27,000ft, the British had the advantage of height and swooped down at great speed. Wallens's ‘B’ Flight - half the squadron - was ordered to attack.
"I was petrified but had to grin" recalled Wallens "six Spitfires against so many 109’s was a bloody tall order. . . we were literally flying above the backs of the Jerry bombers. . . I had been petrified earlier but now I was s******* blue lights at the sight of so many swastikas and black crosses . . . wishing to hell the CO would call it off and come back tomorrow". A number of enemy aircraft were shot down.

This successful morning was followed by a disastrous afternoon. Wallens's flight was ordered to make a head-on attack on a large formation of German aircraft flying up the Thames estuary. Wallens considered the head-on assault "a desperate manoeuvre that could age one very prematurely". Within seconds ‘B’ Flight's six Spitfires were overwhelmed. Two collided and were lost; another was shot up with the pilot bailing out. Wallens broke away. Seeing two Me109’s below him he dived and destroyed one. He was lining up the second in his sights when he was attacked from above: "The din was indescribable as the Me109's cannon and machine-gun fire tore great chunks out of my wings and blasted the cockpit." With his leg shattered by a shell, Wallens tried to bail out but his canopy had jammed. He crash-landed four miles from his base at Hornchurch, smashing through a fence and hurdling a ditch before coming to rest in a hayfield. He found that one bullet bad removed his helmet's right radio earphone and another the face from his wristwatch.

Ronald Walter Wallens was born on Feb 1st 1916 and educated at Worksop College. He joined the RAF on a short service commission in 1937 and the next year was posted to 41 Squadron at Catterick. They joined the Battle of Britain in September 1940. Wallens had five confirmed kills to his credit before he was shot down. During his prolonged convalescence at the RAF Rehabilitation Unit, Torquay, Wallens was much assisted by Dan Maskell, later known for his tennis commentaries, who ran the gymnasium. Wallens was then sent to No 1 Aircraft Delivery Flight, Hendon, which he eventually commanded. "Unfit for operational flying" in 1943 he was posted to 277 Air Sea Rescue Squadron at Hawkinge, Kent. The next year he took command.

After the war he worked in the motor trade and ran pubs and hotels. In 1988 he founded the Torbay Aircraft Museum. He was awarded the DFC in 1944. Wallens was married and had a daughter.

With acknowledgments to the Daily Telegraph