The Sacrifice and Courage of the Talalla brothers

by Dr Nihal D Amerasekera

My story begins more than a 100 years ago when the sun never set on the British Empire. As rulers they weren’t perfect. They indeed did rule the waves and wave the rules. But the countries were managed firmly and efficiently and they maintained the rule of law. In those distant days, jobs were scarce. People preferred to work for the government as the work and pay were secure and on retirement, they received a pension. For Ceylonese in those days British Malaya was a popular country to find employment and they returned home to become “Malayan Pensioners”.

Hewage Benjamin Talalla was born in Victorian times in British Ceylon. At the turn of the 20th Century he emigrated to Malaya. As the story goes he arrived in Kuala Lumpur “with just a few cents in his pocket”. He used wisely his knack for business. Hewage started the Fletcher Trading Company Ltd that sold sanitary hardware which helped to improve and modernise the sanitary services in Kuala Lumpur. By his skill, courage and determination Hewage became a successful entrepreneur and businessman in Kuala Lumpur.

He married Lily Olga Fernando and they had six children. They were all born in Kuala Lumpur and were educated at the prestigious Victoria Institution. With his new found wealth Hewage soon moved up the social ladder and became a part of high society. He was most impressed with the guiding principles of the Rotary Club and became one of its founder members. Hewage was fascinated by planes and learnt to fly. This was a hobby for the wealthy. In 1932 he made headline news after a successful 28-day solo flight from Malaya to England. In those early days of flying this was considered a rare feat of skill and courage.

His two elder sons Henry and Cyril took after their father and showed a keen interest in flying. They soon joined the Kuala Lumpur Flying Club and obtained licenses to fly Tiger Moths. Henry and Cyril were often seen flying the Tiger Moths hovering around Kuala Lumpur. They both had a tremendous sense of playfulness and a love of fun. The Talalla family enjoyed their new found wealth and position in society counting the great and the good in Kuala Lumpur as their friends. This good life sadly was short lived. The dark clouds of war appeared in the horizon with the rise of the Nazi party and Adolph Hitler in Germany. The disputes of the World War I that were never fully settled began to raise their ugly heads. The fragile peace that existed since 1918 ended with the German invasion of Poland. This soon erupted into World War II.

As war broke out in September 1939 a call for pilots went out all across the British Empire. With his sense of duty and civic responsibility, Hewage encouraged Henry and Cyril to join the RAF. They did so with great enthusiasm. After rigorous flight training in Singapore and Canada they both became Sergeant Pilots in the RAF. Cyril joined in 1941 and Henry a year later. This was a rare achievement for a non-European. Cyril was posted to the No. 118 Squadron to fly Hurricanes and Spitfires. After many successful sorties over Germany he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his bravery.

Wartime Operational flying was a perilous occupation. With a random chance of death or serious injury, flying was extremely stressful. Continuous anti-aircraft fire, bad weather conditions, darkness, frostbite and lack of oxygen added to their problems. During the whole war, 51% of aircrew were killed on flight operations. 12% were killed or wounded in non-operational accidents and 13% became prisoners of war. Only 24% survived the war unscathed.

Henry was posted to the No. 182 Squadron to fly Typhoons that took on dangerous missions over Germany. Both Cyril and Henry provided aerial support to the Allied forces on the ground and at sea for the D-Day Normandy landings in 1944. On that fateful day of July 25, 1944 Henry’s Typhoon was hit by German anti-aircraft fire and his plane went down close to Caen in France. Soon after the crash Henry’s body was buried close to the wreckage of his Typhoon by the members of the French Resistance Movement as the area was still occupied by the German SS. Henry was just 24-years old.

When Cyril heard the sad news, he flew over the area looking for the wreckage of Henry’s Typhoon but without success. By the end of 1944 Cyril had completed his 250^th sortie. He was finally rested to become a flying instructor in England. In 1945 he gained a Bar for his DFC and was invested by King George VI at Buckingham Palace. A great honour indeed for a brave airman.

Meanwhile in 1941 the Japanese forces occupied Malaya. In the ensuing chaos and destruction the Talalla family was arrested and tortured by the Japanese. It was only after the Japanese surrender in 1945 that the information filtered through that Henry died in action over France. The Talalla family flew over to England. With the help of the British and French authorities they tracked down the fuselage of Henry’s Typhoon. The parts bearing the serial number was shipped over to Malaya. Henry’s remains were exhumed and reburied in the British Cemetery in Banneville-la-Campagne, France.

The many Typhoon pilots who lost their lives in the Normandy Campaign including Henry are remembered in France with great respect. There is a Typhoon Memorial at Noyers Bocage that commemorates the pilots who lost their lives. Henry is specially honoured and remembered by the towns Airan and Moult for his part in liberating France. In 1996, the mayors of those two towns have unveiled a sign officially naming the road between the two villages, Route Henry Talalla.

Cyril, on his return to Malaya and civilian life in 1945, occupied many high-ranking posts in Civil Aviation, Air Training Corp and Malayan Airways. In 1963 he retired and moved to Wales, UK. There he opened a Pub and became a local celebrity. Cyril passed away in 1973.

I was born when World War II was raging in Europe and Asia but I have no true recollection of its horrors. Nevertheless, I recall the difficulties and problems that ensued after the war had ended. The restrictions and scarcities remained entrenched well into the 1950’s. The food shortages, the need for ration books the lack of fresh meat and dependence on canned meat and fish are memories that have stayed with me. There is a vague recollection of helmeted uniformed soldiers in Khaki carrying guns and travelling in Jeeps.

With the Japanese conquest of vast areas of South-east Asia in 1941 we heard the harrowing tales of their cruelty towards civilians and prisoners. On a visit to Kanchanaburi in Western Thailand I saw the war graves of 100,000 prisoners of war and other Asian workers who perished in appalling conditions building the Bridge on the river Kwai for their Japanese captors. Visiting the many moving memorials and museums I was shocked by the extent of the deaths and suffering.

World War II is the worst conflict in history with 40-50 million deaths. This gives us an overwhelming reason never to allow this to happen again. Many have sacrificed their lives to secure and protect our freedom. We must unite to make sure that none of them are forgotten. It is our duty to remember and honour those brave men and women. The Poppy is our powerful symbol of their ultimate sacrifice.

I would like to pay homage and my deep respects to the many Ceylonese who played their part in the great wars and other conflicts. I make special mention of my paternal uncle, Edward Rohan Amerasekera DFC and Bar who was the third Commander of the Royal Ceylon Air Force and a navigator in the Royal Air Force, No 640 Squadron during World War II. In common with all veterans, despite his achievements and valour his humility and warmth stood out.

This is my humble tribute to Cyril Lionel Francis Talalla and Henry Conrad Benjamin Talalla who were born to Ceylonese parents. As I live in the UK, due to the Covid travel restrictions and lockdowns it was neigh impossible to extend my research to trace the Hewage Talalla family and their connections to those living at present in Sri Lanka.

Acknowledgements:

My grateful thanks to the website of the Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for providing the inspiration and alerting me to the bravery of the Talalla brothers.