Date of birth:

August 11th, 1920 (Oxford/Oxfordshire, Great Britain)

Date of death:

January 1997

Service number:

748665 (NCO), 115338 (Officer)

Nationality:

British

Bunny Rymills was educated at Southfields School. He started to train in Abingdon to become an architect but decided to volunteer for the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in June 1939. He was posted at No. 58 Squadron but was then asked to join No. 161 Squadron by Squadron Leader Pickard over a game of cards in late 1942. He later joined 161 Squadron in early 1943.

His work entailed landings and take-offs by night on rough French farm fields under the noses of the enemy. Most of the times secret agents were brought to France in the aircraft they flew, either a Lysander of a Hudson, together with money for the resistance to run their affairs. Even often, passengers who's life were in danger, were transported to England.
When he left 161 Squadron in July 1943, Rymills had completed 64 operations without a break, twice the usual number.
Later he was posted as a flight commander to Number 644, a Halifax squadron dropping supplies to the Resistance and preparing to tow gliders in the Normandy invasion of June 1944.
At the end of the war Rymills stayed on in the RAF and flew operations against jungle insurgents during the Malayan Emergency. He finished flying in 1959 and later and retired from the RAF in August 1963.

Promotions:
Sergeant
Fligh Sergeant
January 20th, 1942: Pilot Officer (probation/emergency)
October 1st, 1942; Flying Oficer (war sub)
January 20th, 1944: Flight Lieutenant (war sub)

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

No. 58 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

November 21st, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Flying Officer

Unit:

No. 161 (Special Duties) Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

May 25th, 1943

Citation:
"This officer has completed a large number of operations, some of them of a very hazardous nature. He is a courageous and skilful pilot whose example has won the confidence of all with whom he has flown. He has displayed great determination and his successes have been worthily
earned."

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Flying Officer

Unit:

No. 161 (Special Duties) Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

September 10th, 1943

• Photo 1: Musée de la Reddition de Reims (CC Attribution Share Alike 3.0)
• - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35353 published on the 18 November 1941
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36027 published on the 21 May 1943
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36165 published on the 7 September 1943
  - RAF Special Duties Squadrons - United States Air Forces Special Duty Squadrons
  - Flight Global - Archive