27/10/2008

Polish pilots...


I've been viewing some footage from February 1945 featuring 306, 309, 315 and 316 Squadrons. My interest was piqued slightly by the fact Mustangs were involved. A little Googling produced a couple of websites which featured quite a bit of info on these squadrons along with photos and as I viewed each clip I'd cross refer to these sites to put some faces to names.

One clip featured an Me 109 (as far as I could identify it) being caught from behind by one Flight Sergeant Cempel of 315 Sqn on 21st Feb 45. A short burst resulted in the enemy aircraft being enveloped in smoke and then brief footage of it rolling onto its back and the pilot bailing out.
A quick check with one of the sites revealed that this was Cempel's only 'kill' -
P703899 W/O CEMPEL Miroslaw
In 315 from Aug 1944 till EOW. CV+bar. Score: 1-0-0. Worth noticing is that while flying Mustang III, he never had a single malfunction in this a/c. Most vividly he remembered a training dog fight during which, his good friend F/Sgt Richter (HB882) was killed. Flying on deck Richter suddenly inverted and crashed at full speed. His a/c buried itself completely in the moist ground. After the war Miroslaw Cempel spent five years in RAF and another five in RCAF, where he was commissioned as a F/Lt. Settled in Canada where he currently resides in Montreal.

CV – Polish Cross of Valour (Krzyz Walecznych)

Source

A bit of a search online revealed a MV Cempel still residing in Montreal. It could be Miroslaw or a relative, so hopefully a little research may reunite this pilot or relative with the footage from 63 years ago....

315 Sqn Pilot List
Info of the sortie

315 Squadron badge

17/10/2008

Miss Helen....

iPhonePhoto

iPhonePhoto

Miss Helen out in the cold...


iPhonePhoto

Miss Helen has been moved from her place in H2 into the 'butts' - and where she had been is now filled with Sally B. Wonder if her engine is back at last?....



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