Wartime Russian RAF Fighter Pilot Killed in Crash at West Horsley

Published on: 15 Sep, 2025
Updated on: 15 Sep, 2025

Historian Frank Phillipson tells the story of  Russian RAF fighter pilot Leonid Ereminsky who was killed in crash at West Horsley on June 17, 1940, during the Second World War.

By early June 1940 the Dunkirk evacuation of British and French troops from the surrounding German army was complete. However, further south there were still British and Allied troops (French, Free Polish and Free Czech) retreating from the advancing German army.

Evacuation Operation Cycle from Le Havre, St Valery-en-Caux and Veules-les-Roses finished on June 13. From June 15 to 25 Operation Aerial saw the further evacuation of Allied military forces and civilians from ports further south in western France including Cherbourg, St Malo, Brest, St Nazaire and others further south.

On June 17, 1940, Flying Officer Leonid Ereminsky, a Hurricane pilot of 56 Squadron, was leading two other Hurricanes from RAF North Weald in Essex, to RAF Tangmere in West Sussex. From there they were then to fly a patrol over Cherbourg to cover the evacuation. However, Ereminsky was never to reach Tangmere

Unfortunately, in very poor visibility, he collided with a tall tree on high ground at Hook Wood, West Horsley and was killed. His Hurricane crashed to the ground and was enveloped by fire.

He had already been in action in and over France in May shooting down three enemy aircraft as the RAF tried to halt enemy forces and protect the British and French armies as they retreated to, and were then evacuated from, Dunkirk.

Leonid Ereminsky, was a White Russian, and was born in Gatchina, Petrograd (St Petersburg) on May 29, 1918. With his mother Julie Olga Ereminsky and her mother, in 1918-19 they escaped from Russia via the newly independent Estonia, to England.

His father, also called Leonid, is believed to have been killed or died fighting in the turmoil and civil war against the Bolsheviks.

Leonid firstly attended The Hall School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire and in 1929, when aged 11, won a scholarship to Monmouth School in Wales.

Aged 14 he attended Brighton College where he was described as an all-round sportsman. As a boxer he was said to have a good right hook but according to the school magazine was “inclined to be wild”.

In order to join the RAF, Ereminsky became a naturalised British citizen on January 13, 1936. He joined the RAF as an Acting Pilot Officer on May 3, 1937 and received some of his training at No.3 Flying Training School, RAF South Cerney, Gloucestershire.

After training he was confirmed in the rank of Pilot Officer on March 1, 1938 and was posted to 56 (Fighter) Squadron at RAF North Weald where he remained until early October 1939 when he was promoted to Flying Officer.

On October 4, 1939 he was posted to 615 Squadron at Croydon (they had moved there from RAF Kenley) where they flew Gloster Gladiator bi-plane fighters.

By a local coincidence, Ereminsky was the pilot of Gladiator N5582 that “force landed” with a broken oil pipe near Papercourt Lake, Ripley, on October 23, 1939. The aircraft was photographed in the book Ripley: Memories of War, with a young John Hutson alongside it.

The squadron moved to Merville, northern France on November 15, 1939, as part of the Air Component of the British Expeditionary Force.

Partly due to the poor condition of the Merville airfield, on December 13 the Squadron moved to the airfield at Vitry-en-Artois. 615 Squadron’s time in France during this period consisted mainly of flying patrols and escorting the leave boat across the English Channel.

On February 18, 1940 Ereminsky was posted back to England to 151 Squadron flying Hawker Hurricanes from North Weald. During March and April, leading one or two other Hurricanes, Ereminsky carried out numerous convoy and escort patrols.

On May 13 Ereminsky was posted to northern France to where he flew a Hurricane via RAF Manston in Kent. On May 14 he joined 615 Squadron at Merville to act as a replacement. However, after three days, he was reattached to 56 Squadron at Vitry-en-Artois.

On May 18, Ereminsky took off with two other 56 Squadron Hurricanes from Vitry-en-Artois to patrol the aerodrome at 10,000 feet. Ereminsky flying Hurricane Mk. I ‘L1992’, with the other Hurricanes, chased a diversionary attack on the airfield by 10 Me110 twin-engine fighters, with Ereminsky shooting one down over Sud à Vitry, south of Paris (the two other pilots shooting down three other Me110s).

Ereminsky’s Combat Report: “I attacked an E.A. [Enemy Aircraft] not in formation from directly astern and below. I climbed and fired one long continuous burst at about 250 yards closing to 100 yards. Black smoke came from both engines and E.A. dived towards the earth over the vertical position. I did not see it actually crash owing to the great height and to the fact of the other E.A. being so close. The E.A.’s rear gunner fired at me at first but stopped as I closed in. I was not hit at all. In my view these E.A. were sent over to lure away our fighters, as the aerodrome was subjected to a low-level bombing attack just after.”

However, while they were away, other enemy aircraft attacked and put the airfield out of action and the three aircraft had to be diverted to the airfield at Norrent Foutes. On May 19 the three Hurricanes returned to North Weald. On returning to England, Ereminsky became acting flight commander of ‘B’ Flight of 56 Squadron.

Over the next few days 56 Squadron flew from North Weald to Manston. From there they would fly one or two patrols over northern France and latterly more particularly over Dunkirk and the beaches. By the evening the squadron would return to North Weald from Manston.

On May 22, Ereminsky destroyed a Heinkel He 111 bomber.

Combat Report: “I was with S/L (Squadron Leader) Knowles, being one of the section detached to look out for fighters. After seeing the Heinkel’s attacked I saw the one which S/L Knowles had attacked emitting large trails of white smoke from its port engine. I saw no enemy fighters about so I dived down to attack an E/A which had been previously attacked by two other Hurricanes. At [the] time of attack [the] E/A’s port engine was emitting large clouds of smoke and [the] engine was definitely stopped as [the] propeller was only idling. I gave him one long continuous burst from 300/100 yds and saw a flash from [the] E/A and [a] lot of pieces falling off. E/A then went into [a] slow left hand turn ground wards. I did not see it crash and broke off [the] engagement”.

And on May 29, Ereminsky shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter over Dunkirk.

Combat Report: “Left Manston 19:30 to patrol Dunkirk beaches with 151 & 2 other squadrons. On arrival I saw the Junkers 88 at about 8,000 ft and immediately saw above it [a] large number of Me109s. Noticed 2 in line astern attacking a Hurricane and I went to attack the rear of these E/A, which dived away from me. I then closed into the other E/A and it started to climb slowly to [the] left. I closed in to about 30 yds on its tail while it was still turning to the left and I opened fire; I used up all my ammunition, using quarter deflection. Large plume of white smoke came from [the] E/As engine and propeller stopped. I passed directly underneath it and saw that its fabric and cowling were shot through on port side. E/A then slowly descended, with smoke pouring out of the engine and obviously stopped. I did not see it crash but no doubt exists in my mind that it could not have got back.”

He seemed destined to become an ‘Ace’ (if he had shot down five enemy aircraft).

The early days of June saw Ereminsky and 56 Squadron fly from North Weald to Manston or Hawkinge in Kent from where they would fly two patrols or escorts to bombers each day over northern France.

On the June 12 at 13:15, Ereminsky led five Hurricanes from North Weald to Tangmere from where they carried out a patrol to the Le Havre area and returned to Hawkinge. Later they carried out another patrol to Le Havre and returned to North Weald.

June 14 saw Ereminsky lead a flight to Manston and then carry out two patrols over France with a return to North Weald via Manston. On June 15 Ereminsky led a flight of four Hurricanes from North Weald to Tangmere and returned later without any operational flying.

On June 17 1940, the 56 Squadron Operational Record Book (ORB), “Details of Work Carried Out” reveals that Ereminsky, in command of ‘B’ flight, led five Hurricanes taking off at 06:15 from North Weald, on a transit flight to Tangmere.

However, owing to bad weather all six aircraft returned to North Weald landing at 06:30.

Six Hurricanes of ‘A’ flight took off from North Weald at 06:20 with a similar objective but also returned due to bad weather and landed at 06:45.

From Tangmere the intention was for the Squadron to carry out a reconnaissance flight to Cherbourg where British and allied troops with some civilians were being evacuated from the advancing German forces.

At 08:10 Ereminsky from ‘B’ Flight in Hurricane P2882, led Flight Lieutenant John Coghlan and Pilot Officer Bryan Wicks from ‘A’ Flight from North Weald as a section to fly to Tangmere, from there, to carry out the flight to Cherbourg. However, only Coghlan and Wicks arrived landing at 08:50 at Tangmere.

With Ereminsky now missing, a replacement Hurricane from 56 Squadron, flown by Flight Sergeant Cecil Cooney from ‘A’ Flight, took off from North Weald at 09:50 landing at Tangmere at 10:45. The 56 Squadron ORB states: “A replacement aircraft joined the other two at Tangmere.”

Weather as recorded in the ORB as “Cloudy morning with drizzle”.

Coghlan, Wicks and Cooney took off from Tangmere and headed for Cherbourg. When 10 miles north-east of Cherbourg they were forced to turn back due to bad weather.

Misleading reports from various sources about the loss of Ereminsky that day relate that, he led a patrol of two other Hurricanes from North Weald over southern England and when the patrol was completed, broke away from the other aircraft to return to North Weald at low level despite the poor weather visibility conditions. This is wholly incorrect.

Notes on the Flying Accident Card comment on what occurred. One note (which most likely came from Ft. Lt. John Coghlan, who was flying in the formation), Ereminsky: “Broke away from formation on entering cloud patch and crashed apparently after possibly losing his head. Formation (was) flying at 250ft. owing to mist and low cloud.”

However, if in cloud it would not be possible to see that Ereminsky “broke away”. Knowing that the North Downs rose to nearly 700ft, he might have expected the other Hurricane pilots to likewise climb up and try to clear these hills as it seems that he did.

It is also noted on the Accident Card by the Squadron Commander that Ereminsky was: “Experienced on type (the Hurricane) and had done much cloud flying.”

Of a total of 634 flying hours, Ereminsky had flown 331 hours in Hurricanes.

An additional note on the Accident Card by the (Air) Accidents Investigation Branch (A.I.B) states that “under adverse weather conditions, aircraft struck top of a high tree on high ground in cloud, flew on for 300yds., finally diving into wood. No defects were discovered”.

The aircraft caught fire on crashing into the ground and was burnt out.

If Ereminsky had continued to climb for a further 100ft or so he would have likely cleared the tree that he collided with.

The 56 Squadron ORB states” “F/O Ereminsky crashed in flames at West Horsley, near Guildford and was killed.”

Leonid Ereminsky was buried at Whyteleaf Cemetery on June 21, 1940 in Row E. Grave 33.

The 56 Squadron ORB notes: “F/O Ereminsky was buried according to rites of Russian Orthodox Church at Whyteleaf Cemetery. An RAF guard from Kenley carried out the military ceremonies & P/O Dryden & P/O Syson represented the Squadron.”

Ereminsky’s mother, Julie Ereminsky, wrote about his death to the headmaster of Brighton College. “It is too sad and there is very little left for me now.”

Probate was granted to her at 134 King Henrys Road, Hampstead with effects of £67.

When she died in 1966 her ashes were placed in Leonid’s grave, but in accordance with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s stipulation that there was to be no inscription to this effect.

In June 1961 Leonid’s grandmother Baroness Olga Girard de Soucanton had died and her ashes were also placed in his grave.

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