Among all the brave pilots of the Second World War, two names should not be forgotten. They are those of the Talalla brothers, Cyril, known as Jimmy, and Henry, known as Sonny. Theirs is an inspiring story of dedication and bravery that brought them from Malaysia to Britain to fight in the war against Fascism.
I first came across the name Talalla while on a short stay in Kuala Lumpur on the way to Australia. It didn’t mean much at the time, but since then I have encountered images and stories about these two young men in several places, including books of reminiscences by Second World War pilots. Their story is compelling, even among the countless compelling stories of the war years.
Through photographs in the Imperial War Museum and other images, and accounts of their bravery, a picture begins to emerge of the brothers. They gaze at the camera standing proudly side by side in uniform, in casual flying gear, by their aircraft and in formal studio shots. The main impression these images leave is one of shock and compassion – how young they are!
Henry Conrad Benjamin Talalla and Cyril Lionel Francis Talalla were two of six brothers, and had a sister who died young. The Talalla family were Sinhalese, that is originally from Sri Lanka, or as it was known then, Ceylon. Their father became a highly successful businessman in Kuala Lumpur and was also an early flying enthusiast. It is hardly surprising that both Cyril (Jimmy) and Henry would be bitten by the flying bug, as their father Hewage Benjamin Talalla flew from Alor Star to Croydon near London in 1932. It took him 28 days! Croydon was one of the UK’s major airfields in these early days of flight and there were very few others.
The boys certainly benefitted from their father’s success, going to good schools such as the Victoria Institution and becoming successful students themselves in both academic and sporting activities. They also had access to a car, which must have made them stand out among their fellow students in the 1920s and 30s. But it was flying that really captured the imagination of the whole family, and like their father and their older cousin Hector, they became members of the Kuala Lumpur Flying Club.
When war broke out in 1939 they were already experienced flyers. With the encouragement of their father, both Jimmy and Henry intended to join the RAF, which had sent out a call for pilots across the British Empire. They received their foundation training for war with the Malayan Volunteer Air Force. However, it was no straightforward task to join the RAF, even for those with exceptional flying skills and plenty of experience. Cyril, the younger brother became the first non-European to be selected for training after passing the tough RAF tests. Soon he was on his way to Europe, via Perth and Sydney in Australia, and a period of training in Canada at the Empire Flying School, to become a Sergeant Pilot in Britain.
Henry, having failed his medical initially, followed Cyril to Britain in 1943. He too first trained in Canada and became a Sergeant Pilot, becoming a Staff Pilot in navigation. Further training with the Hurricane Operational Training Unit saw him attached to 182 Squadron Second Tactical Air Force. Henry was now a member of a fighter-bomber crew, flying a Typhoon aircraft of the kind used in the most deadly and dangerous attacks against tanks.
Cyril also became a Staff Pilot, and having received similar training with the Hurricane Operational Training Unit, joined No. 118 Squadron, flying the iconic Spitfires. He soon made his mark on the war in the air, bringing down one Focker Wulf enemy aircraft and seriously damaging another through some skilful flying tactics. Cyril took part in numerous of the cross-channel raids in which hundreds of bombers participated, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1943.
Those two young men, as so many others of the war generation, paid the price for carrying out their duty. They were drawn to fight because they believed it was right, and had their family been aware of their bravery they would surely have been proud. In Malaya, however, the Japanese forces, aware that the Talalla brothers were fighting in Britain and of the Talallas’ other connections to British concerns, rounded up the whole family. They were locked up and some family members were tortured, including the young men’s brothers and parents.
Henry and Cyril both took part in D-Day on 6th June 1944. Henry’s squadron was afterwards based in France, and as the Germans moved up more tanks towards the British line, the British pilots found themselves particularly under threat. On 25th July, Henry’s Typhoon, along with three others, was in action against the Panzers at Fontenay-le-Marmion, when anti-aircraft guns opened fire on his plane and it crashed into a farmer’s field. Henry’s body was found and buried by the Maquis, the French Resistance.
Cyril, better known as Jimmy by his RAF colleagues, was now Flight Commander Talalla of 122 Squadron and an experienced American P-51 Mustang pilot. He must have been devastated on hearing about his brother’s death. He was given permission to search for the crash site but could not locate the specific place where his brother’s plane went down. Cyril went back to providing support for the heavy bombers as the war headed towards its conclusion. With 250 missions accomplished, he had an extraordinary record by the end of the war, and was officially a flying ace, having destroyed four enemy aircraft. He was invested with a bar for his DFC by the king in 1945.
The extraordinary story of an extraordinary family was not quite at an end. The brothers’ father, Hewage, could not rest until he had found Henry’s remains and ensured they were given a proper burial in the Banneville-la-Campagne British Cemetery. To this day, the Talalla family are recognised as heroes in France, and recent D-Day celebrations have often included members of the family attending, along with descendants of the farmer who found Henry’s grave.
Cyril, now officially Jimmy by deed poll, went on to have a career in military and civilian flying in Malaysia. Life must have been very bittersweet for the Talalla family after the loss of Henry, knowing how he had died in tragic and heroic circumstances. The end of Jimmy Talalla’s remarkable life was bittersweet too. After concluding his career working for Malayan Airways, Jimmy retired to Wales, where he kept a popular pub in Llangerdeine. It’s quite moving to think of him returning to the island of Britain whose people he had helped to defend against the Nazis. Jimmy died there at the age of just 53 in 1973.
Dr Miriam Bibby FSA Scot FRHistS is a historian, Egyptologist and archaeologist with a special interest in equine history. Miriam has worked as a museum curator, university academic, editor and heritage management consultant.
Published: 29th July 2025
