The Airmen's Stories - P/O C B Temlett

Cyril Bernard Temlett entered RAF College, Cranwell in September 1938 as a Flight Cadet. The outbreak of war caused the course to be shortened and Temlett enlisted in the RAFVR on September 7th 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot. He graduated and was granted a Permanent Commission in December 1939. He joined 4 (Army Co-operation) Squadron in France and served with it in the fighting in May 1940, flying Lysanders. The squadron was withdrawn in June. Temlett was awarded the DFC on 6th August 1940. He volunteered for Fighter Command, converted to Hurricanes and joined 3 Squadron at Turnhouse on September 27th. He moved to 17 Squadron on November 16th 1940. In May 1941 Temlett was with 213 Squadron on board HMS Furious in the Mediterranean. The squadron flew off to Malta on the 21st and then flew on to Mersa Matruh. Temlett was with 'C' Flight, which was attached to 73 Squadron in the Western Desert. On June 15th he destroyed a Me109 and on the 26th damaged a Ju87.The squadron went to Nicosia in July and returned to the Western Desert in December 1941. On July 3rd 1942 five Hurricanes of 213 were scrambled over Alamein. They were jumped by four Me109’s of I/JG27. Temlett and two other British pilots were killed and a fourth wounded. Temlett is buried in El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt.

Photographs courtesy of Colonel C R Romberg RA, British Embassy Cairo