Hipolitus Biel was the son of Polish immigrant parents. In 1936 he applied to the United States Army Air Corps to enter their pilot training programme. Unable to meet all of their strict entrance guidelines he applied to the Royal Canadian Air Force, and on 5 August 1941 he was enlisted. He later graduated as a sergeant pilot on 24 July 1942.

He later arrived in England on 18 August, where he flew Miles Masters and Spitfires as part of his further training - which he finished on 7 March 1943. He was later discharged and transferred to the U.S. Army Air Force as a Flight Officer. On 7 September 1943, he was assigned to the 4th fighter Group, 334th Squadron flying P-47s.

He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in January 1944 and 1st Lieutenant in February.

Biel was killed in action when he was shot down in aerial combat on 24 April 1944 near Darmstadt in P-51 42-106636. He was credited with 11.3 enemy aircraft destroyed, five of them in aerial combat, the rest by strafing on the ground.