Forgotten victims
Seventy five years ago about ten family members of both the RAF and the Land Army men were murdered in a gas chamber of the Auschwitz Extermination Camp.
They had been arrested in the E 3000 - Emigranten Campaign on Sep 17, 1942. Mr Oldrich Dominik - a younger brother of No 311 Sqn´s WOP - recalled he and his father had been behind bars in a building called ´garnyahk´ in Olomouc till Oct 26. Then brought to the Pod kastany Camp in Brno. About a hundred and fifty men jailed in the E 3000 - Emigranten Campaign were put up in No III wooden hut. Twenty of them were chosen for their departure to the Auschwitz Extermination Camp in January 1943.
Two of them had been a younger brother and a father of No 311 Sqn´s WOP F/Sgt Vaclav Knoll. Miroslav was visited by me at the village of Velka Bystrice fifteen years ago. He recalled he had been selected to the other side on a ramp than his father on their arrival. The name of Frantisek Knoll can be seen on a : www.vets.cz/mista/obec/5333-velka-bystrice/ website among the World Wars victims.
A daughter of No 311 Sqn´s cook found out the piece of information as follows. Also a brother Rostislav and a father Joseph of No 311 Sqn´s pilot F/Sgt Mecislav Kozak were had been brought to Auschwitz in January 1943. Rostislav was selected to live but Joseph was sent to a gas chamber. As Miroslav Knoll as Rostislav Kozak succeeded in surviving WWII.
Further names of the victims from this above mentioned group provided by their families will be appreciated.