Ronald Walter Wallens (1 February 1916 – 13 November 1995) was a British Royal Air Force officer, who flew during the Battle of Britain and as such is one of "The Few". Early life Wallens was educated at Worksop College. Royal Air Force Wallens joined the Royal Air Force on a short service commission in 1937. He joined his first squadron No. 41 Squadron RAF at RAF Catterick on 26 March 1938. From August to October 1938 he undertook further flying training before rejoining the squadron. He was granted the rank of Pilot Officer in October 1939 and Flying Officer in July 1940. Battle of Britain 41 Sqn joined the Battle of Britain in August 1940. On 8 August Wallens claimed 2 Bf 109s destroyed, and one shared destroyed. He shared a Ju 88 on 11 August. On 5 September 1940 Wallens was shot down by a Messerschmitt Me 109 of JG 54 and seriously wounded in action over the Thames Estuary. Wallens's flight was ordered to make a head-on attack on a large formation of Dornier 17 bombers with 50 plus Bf 109 escorts over Gravesend. 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 Bf 109'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 Bf 109'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 had removed his helmet's right radio earphone and another the face from his wristwatch. Wallens had five confirmed kills to his credit before he was shot down. Wallens was hospitalised until April 1941. During his prolonged convalescence at the RAF Rehabilitation Unit, Torquay, Wallens was much assisted by Dan Maskell, later known as a BBC tennis commentator, who ran the gymnasium. Wallens returned to 41 Squadron in April 1943 but ordered to undertake further convalescence; he was posted on