Steel
The last CO of No 311 Sqn under the Bomber Command met his death seventy five years ago.
´Mr Staff Capt´ Joseph Ocelka DFC commanded 311 from June 30, 1941 to Apr 20, 1942. Depleted the Czechoslovak No 311 Sqn was subordinated to the Coastal Command five days later. This articulate CO is mentioned by two notes made by one of the unit´s navigators :
1/ ´Hearing the name of Joseph Ocelka General Janousek should always ´salute´. Flying Wellingtons Ocelka placed No 311 Sqn the first one during the German targets bombing campaign.´
2/ ´Joseph told me in Feb 1942 General Janousek had talked to him ´far from friendly ´. The Joe´s achievements matched by none of No 311 Sqn´s further COs might have resulted in Joe´ s being laid to rest in the Brookwood Cemetery ranked Staff Capt. In comparison other ´lesser achievers´ were promoted by Janousek to Wg/Cdr and Gp/Capt. Those had ingratiated themselves with Janousek´.
In 1991 Shvernik St in the Cerny Most Borough of Prague was renamed Ocelkova. Eighteen years later this Borough issued ´ Airmen in names of the streets of Cerny Most ´ Book - HERE You can find a Major General in mem Joseph Ocelka DFC text authored by a military historian Mr Jiri Rajlich on No 52 pg. On the following one you can read the ´Recalls of the sooner forgotten heroes ´ text authored by the pilot´s nephew Mr Zdenek Ocelka. He resides at the Cerny most housing estate.
A memorial plaque dedicated to Joseph and Antonin Ocelka was unveiled on a wall of their native house at the hamlet of Nove Dvory nr Lipnik. Both had served with the RAF as pilots.
- www.vets.cz/vpm/mista/obec/7598-nove-dvory/
NOTES :
St Cpt Joseph Ocelka DFC was not interred in the Czechoslovak Section of the Brokwood Military Cemetery - HERE
Steel ie Ocel in Czech