Double anniversary
Today both the events of Sep 17 1939 in Poland and one occuring five years later in the Central Slovakia are remembered.
Seventy five years ago lives of the Czechoslovak airmen on the Polish soil were changed drastically. In accordance with the International Pact signed by the Ministers of the Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union and Germany the Red Army troops launched occupying the Poland´s eastern regions on that day. Some of Cz airmen experienced cruel treatment at the hands of the Red Army soldiers. In the Oct 1939 Mar 1940 time frame these Cz refugees were helped countless times by families of the Czechs settled in the Area of Volyne for decades. They were put up by them over the winter . Open the ´Cz airmen Poland Sep 17 1939´ text HERE
Seventy years ago the pilots of No 1 Cz Fighter Reg flying the Soviet made Lavochkin 5FN aircraft landed on a meadow in the vicinity of the village of Zolna nr Zvolen. In this honour Sep 17 was celebrated as a Cz Air Force Day under the Communist Regime. More on Nos 494 – 507 pictures of No XXXVIII panel of the Wings of Victory Exhibition and an attached film excerpt of the same name - HERE