Saturday, 1 November 2014

Frank Walter Cale Pilot Officer


Spit-tano
Registration
The paint scheme chosen is the 2010 RAF- 50th Anniversary Battle of Britain Tucano demonstration team aircraft and it was decided to create an Australian link. [See: Styling

UO was the prefix for 266 squadron in 1940 and H appears on the grave marker Most aircraft carried UO with no unique ID due to the loss rate at the time.
Spitfire MK1 flown by Walter Cale

His aircraft was a Spitfire Mk 1A serial number N3168, construction number 410. 

Why Frank Cale?  - Like a lot of the unknown pilots, he lost his life paying the price for our collective attraction for evil men while receiving none of the public glory associated with the victorious but known in history as "One of the Few".


WAR RECORDS

On the 15th of August, the 266 Squadron scrambled against a Luftwaffe raid and were heavily engaged over Kent. In a stiff fight, the 266 lost Pilot Officer Frank W. Cale was shot down in his Spitfire Mk 1 (N3168) near Maidstone, Kent at 18:50 hrs. He was seen to bale out and his parachute opened.

However, all that could be located on the ground was his parachute with burnt straps. Cale's body was recovered from the River Medway on the 16th of August 1940.

He was aged 25 when he joined the Few.




















This story is better told by the Kisten Alexander Blog 

Combat Report lodged by F. Cole 2nd June 1940





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