It is early June 1944. The newly formed 150 Wing, commanded by Wing Commander Roland Beamont is based at RAF Newchurch in the south of England. D Day is a few days off: the grouncrews have not yet painted invasion stripes on their aircraft. The Nazis open their V1 campaign against London on 12 June 1944...
The V1 threat faded in August 1944 as Allied troops overran the launch sites in the Pas de Calais. 150 Wing returned to offensive operations. Records show that 67 years ago to the day, on 15 Sep 1944, Tempest SA-I (EJ693) flown by P/O Hall, was employed on an Armed Recce over Holland ...
Armed Recce missions were normally flown by 2 sections of 4 aircraft in "finger four" formation ...
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On return from its fifth patrol from Grimbergen (the same day 496 (NZ) Squadron was moved to Volkel) EJ693 developed engine trouble. P/O Hall pulled off a skillful forced landing just short of base, and was rescued unhurt. His Tempest was declared "Category B" (beyond repair on site) and subsequently collected by 409 RSU (Repair and Salvage Unit). By the time of the crash EJ693 had only flown 28 hours and 38 minutes in 21 operational sorties. EJ693 was adopted by 151 RU (Repair Unit) as a test bed for its Sabre Engine Repair Section, at Wevelgem (near Brussels). It was then acquired by the Technical College at Delft in the Netherlands, probably between 1946 and 1948. By the time EJ693 was moved to Dutch Air Force base at Woensdrecht in 1971 it was missing wings, tailplane and engine. During the 1970s the RAF Museum acquired the fuselage of EJ693. In a complex swap in 1987 EJ693 entered private hands. Restoration was started in 1988 when 1 Napier Sabre engine (of the 3 needed to make flying a practical proposition) was acquired. In 1992 the aircraft was sold to Kermit Weeks, and a slow restoration continues, with restoration to a flying condition a long term aim.