Eastern Front bound
Seventy five years ago a Good Bye Party to the pilots leaving for the USSR was given at the Cz Inspectorate in London.
They are listed on No 166 pg of the ´Members of the Cz Air Force in the RAF´ Book. Authored by Col. Ret Joseph Vana [Vahnya], Col. John Sigmund RAF Vet and Lt Col Emil Padior. This paperbook has never been on sale. Published by the MoD´s Military Information and Service Agency in 1998.
Twenty one names can be also seen it the text HERE
Addressed by the Cz Fighter Wing´s CO ´Dolly´ in November 1943 to go and fight on the ETO´s Eastern front eighty pilots from all three squadrons volunteered. The Inspectorate were surprised by so many of them. No wonder still flying obsolete Spitfire MkVs.
But the Embassy of the USSR in London barred about half of these pilots from entering the Soviet soil though their release from the RAF had been nodded by the Air Ministry. The reason were their political views. The Soviet Embasy had been kept informed by one of the volunteers. Of course this pilot was in the above mentioned group of twenty one.
That time the Soviet cards were shown to the President in Exile Mr Benes in terms of the course of action in Czechoslovakia following the End of Hostilities.