Hammer

£240

WW2 Battle of Britain 310 (Czech) Squadron Pilots Combat Report.

The pilots individual combat report of Pilot Officer Frantisek Rypl for the evening of the 9th September 1940. The report gives details of engaging with ME109’s firing within 150 yards, resulting in grey smoke from the engine. Attacking a formation of enemy bombers, he was attacked by several enemy fighters on his tail, he dived to 3,000 and lost them. Now flying on his reserve petrol tank he was forced to make a crash landing in a field. The report is the second or third sheet copy, text is typed and cover front and part reverse. The report is unsigned, indicating the personal copy of the report. Overall GC.PROVENANCE: From the estate of a WW2 RAF veteran.

Pilot Officer Frantisek Rypl was born in 1903 at Cesky Krumlov, Czechoslovakia. He served with the Czechoslovakia Air Force and after the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 the Air Force was disbanded. He escaped Czechoslovakia in January 1940 and after going through France found himself volunteering in Great Britain. He was commissioned into the RAFVR and posted on 12th July to 310 Squadron and flew his first patrol on 17th August.On the 9th September, the day of the report he was in combat with Me109's south of London in Hurricane P3142 when he made a forced landing near Oxted.Surviving the war he returned to Czechoslovakia in August 1947 and was appointed Commander of the Military Academy at Hradec Kralove.