Fly Off Peter Wyatt-Smith, Malta 1941

Hi guys,

Thanks for the additional info, much appreciated.

Alex

Check you PM Alex

Richard

Flg Off Peter Wyatt-Smith (41768)

Air Britain has:

Mustang KH555 20 MU Stalled on take-off Aston Down, 5.1.45.

Thanks for that , I am at the start of some house renovations and the file is in storage at the moment . However from recall , Ereminsky took off from North Weald as the section leader with 151 Sqn , on loan from 56 Sqn , on their return from patrol he was seen to leave the formation and decend into the fog and hit a house somewhere possibly near the approach to Kenley ? I was told that because he was not with 56 at the time of his death they did not do the book work and neither did 151 as he did not belong to them , but I have no idea if that is in reality the truth .
I do know someone who knew both pilots and the next time I see them (in June) I will ask them what they can remember .

Hi,

Thanks for your replies.

Ohope

Peter was hit by shrapnel during a dive bombing attack on the ship that was evacuating 263 Squadron back to the UK in April 1940.

He was killed in a flying accident on 5th January 1945, while serving with 165 Squadron and based in the UK. Although I have a note stating he was with 20 MU. 165 squadron was re-equipping from Spitfires to Mustangs. I have info that states he may have been trying to fly under a bridge at the time of his death. Peter is buried in Bath.

At some point during his service in the Middle East he was shot down in the Med. Possibly when he was with 73 Squadron.

Do you have any further info on Peter?

Just did a quick search on Google for ‘fly off l ereminsky’ and got 5 hits. One article shows a photo of him.

Regards,

Alex

Ohope
Presumably you have the CWGC info though?
Name: EREMINSKY, LEONID
Initials: L
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flying Officer (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Unit Text: 151 Sqdn.
Age: 22
Date of Death: 17/06/1940
Service No: 39609
Additional information: Son of Leonid and Julia Ereminsky, of Hampstead, London.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Row E. Grave 33.
Cemetery: WHYTELEAFE (ST. LUKE) CHURCHYARD

I would have expected him to have been buried near his family home in Hampstead, so there may be a clue as to why Whyteleafe, which is near the southern section of the M25 today.

I believe that 151 flew the Defiant rear turret fighter at that time.
He was the only casualty of 151 that day. It seems as if his gunner escaped, notoriously difficult so looks as if Ereminsky stayed with his plane to give him a chance to bale out safely….

According to Flight archives, http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1937/1937%20-%201425.html
he joined the RAF 3rd May 1937 and promoted to Flying Officer on 1st September 1939 http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1939/1939-1-%20-%200789.html
Others will probably have more info soon….

Edit: Hold the front page! Wait up!!
According to this: http://www.rafcommands.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?forum=DCForumID6&mark=4135&az=next_topic&archive=yes
he was actually B Flight Commander in 56 Squadron flying a Hurricane P2882 from North Weald…
Photo here: http://www.acesofww2.com/UK/aces/coghlan.html

I would also be interested , he was injured in the Norwegian campaign . I was told a number of years ago that he died while on Malta . He and F/O L Ereminsky both went to the same school pre war , I have tried to find out the details of the loss of these two pilots . F/O L Ereminsky was killed much earlier in the war and for some reason seems largely to have been missed by most of the books .