[veltro]

An alcoholic transaction indeed...!

This is how the Polish veteran Jan Preihs remembers that episode in his memories...

"...Last base of No.318 Squadron was Tisano near Udine. It was just after May 6, 1945. One day "Wolodzia" Berezecki - doing CO's duty – asked me to fly with him to Jesi for a meeting of commanders. We flew a Fairchild. We landed near a damaged hanger and "Wolodzia" went to the meeting. We expected a short meeting so I stayed on the airfield to supervise refuleling of our plane. It was quickly refueled by two American soldiers.
I was sitting on a back sit of our Fairchild as they asked me:
- Hey, Captain. You wouldn't have by any chance a bottle of Whisky by you, would you?
- No - I said.
- We have a business. Are you interested in two German planes?
- What are they doing here?
One of the Yankees led me to the damaged hanger. I saw two planes next to a wall. They were covered by dust. I saw a German marking on one of them.
- This is a Me 109 - I said surprised.
- Yes sir, that's what it is.
I came near. It was a brand new plane. With fresh paint. The second was a Bucker. This one wasn't so new.
The Yankee explained that the planes came to Yesi on a lorry just one day earlier.
Suddenly arrived a car. Its driver returned for S/L Berezecki's portfolio.
He left it in the Fairchild. I decided to provide it personally.
The meeting was in a hotel. I explained "Wolodzia" my plan and he accepted it. We went to radio room. "Wolodzia" called to our base, to "Felek" Gadomski.
- Please, find a pilot who want to fly a Me 109 to Tisano - said Berezecki.
There was an another problem - the Whisky.
Fortunately, "Wolodzia" met an American-Polish in a bar. He was a barman and an American soldier from Chicago. He saw a "Poland" on Berezecki uniform's shoulder and was so happy to meet a Pole so he gave "Wolodzia" two bottles of bourbon.
I was in Tisano a half hour later. "Felek" found a volunteer - Lt.Stramik. He was one of the youngest squadron's pilots.
We returned to Yesi. I "paid" for the planes.
Stramik had nothing but enthusiasm to fly the Messerchmitt. Fortunately, we found a German manual in the cockpit. I regretted I didn't learn the language in a school. "Wolodzia" returned two hours later. He was a former student of Paris Sorbona and spoke French, but he didn't speak German.
Finaly we read a little.
We refuelled the three planes and started to prepare to take off. Stramik sat into the cockpit and tried to start engine. It started with no problem. Except black smokes from the engine. We refuelled the Me 109 using 100 octan fuel, but it was earlier used with syntetic gas. Therefore the clouds of black smoke.
Fortunately, the Bucker was propelled by normal gas. So I had no problem with it. "Wolodzia" flew our Fairchild.
The Messerschmitt landed safely in our base.
Unfortunately, it vanished next day. Bucker was used a bit longer by our pilots."

P.S. The plane ended as a possession of Wing Commander James E. Storrar (239 Wing RAF from January 1946 to April 1947) who "owned" also a defected Bulgarian Yak-9M, in RAF markings and personal codes too...