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Double Standard

2019-05-15

Seventy five year ago it was experienced by an excellent fighter pilot F/Lt Vaclav Jicha DFC [Venda Yeekha]

Mid May 1944 was this member of the 1938 F/O Frank Novak´s Aerobatic Three as well as two more test pilots – not Brits - fired from the Vickers Co at Castle Bromwich. The reason was HQ´s apprehension of industrial espinonage.

One of two other foreigners posted out of the Vickers Co´s Test Pilot Team was a Norwegian Olaf Ulstad. You can see him together with a Chief Test Pilot Alex Henshaw and Venda Jicha on a black and white picture on No 25 pg of the May 2007 issue of the FLYPAST monthly. The ´Alex Henshaw´ Text

Venda compared such a Double Standard Attitude to the 1940 French campaign. The Czech pilot had gone on the missions of the utmost peril - HERE Flying a Morane Saulnier 406 fighter plane - no match to Messerschmitt 109E both in speed and manouverability – Jicha amassed seventy flying hrs. Only seven Cz pilots had more in their Log Book. Koerber and Peroutka had the same number like Venda. But those two, who served with No II/3 Groupe de Chasse, swapped to Dewoitine 520s during the campaign.

Jicha was one of seven Cz pilots awarded the AFC by the Brits for his non-combat service. Sadly in memoriam.

A special mention was sent to him by the Cz Air Force´s Inspectorate on June 10, 1944 for his excellent job of a test pilot at Castle Bromwich. It is a mockery of the British HQ´s order.

R&R:

Flypast May 2007 No 25 pg

Petr Satra, Karel Smola – Nobody will be forgottenPublished by the authors Printed by Hanzar Prestice

Josef Vana, Jan Rail – Cz airmen in France 1939-1940 – MoD´s AVIS 2005

https://www.quora.com/Why-did-Sir-Stafford-Cripps-and-the-Labour-Party-sell-the-Rolls-Royce-Nene-jet-fighter-engine-to-Stalin

NOTES

1/ Mr Karel Smola from the village of Dnesice, one of the authors of the ´Nobody will be forgotten´Book, is relative to Venda Jicha.

2/ In 1946 a British PM Clement Atlee did not ban the Rolls Royce Co to sell their Nene jet fighter engine to the Soviets. It was used by them in MIG 15s. This jet fighter saw action in the Korean War. First it wrought havoc on the USAAF.