“My great uncle, John Appleby, DFM [Distinguished Flying Medal], from Cwmbran, South Wales, was a flight sergeant wireless operator serving in the RAF Volunteer Reserve.
“In the Autumn of 1943, Appleby’s Dakota was deployed to clandestine duties, dropping supplies to assorted resistance movements. Appleby flew in his first such sortie – to Kos, Greece – on 2 October 1943, and another – codenamed Cyanide – on 22 March 1944. By November 1944, Appleby and his crew had carried out 34 clandestine missions. He was not only charged with his normal duties as a wireless operator, but also
