ČESKÝ SVAZ LETECTVÍ

Fighter pilot of No 310 Sqn Joe Kishka was born at the village of Zivotice nr Karvina on Oct 27, 1918.  From WWII he lived at the town of Plumlov, built a nice house here and died on  Nov 18, 1994. He served at Stichovice AFB nearby as an flying instructor till 1949 when sacked from the Forces. Jailed for six months in Olomouc and Pribram labour camp. He succeeded in getting a job of a bus driver in 60s. Courtesy of his son Joe.

No 311 Sqn`s navigator Vilem Konstacky was born on Nov 17, 1914  at the village of Celechovice. As one of the best navigators, he crewed into the No 5 operational one of No 311 Sqn. He amassed 146 hrs 37 mins, his first objective Calais on Sept 22, 1940, the last – Bremen on June 22, 1941. He met his death on his No 31 op with Valach, Hejna, Smrcek and Rozum. Williamś whereabouts described in a book „ No return flight“ by his sister`s  grandson Radan Bukva. His courtesy.   

A crew under training. L to R : Horak, Filler, Valach, Bernat, Konstacky, Plzak Aug 1940. Charles Valach served at the Slovakian Piestany AFB in spring 1939. As a gunner of a multi-purpose Sm328 biplane ,three ones and an Aero 101 bomber fled for Poland on June 7. Via France to UK and lost his life as a rear gunner of the T 2990 Wellington bomber on Jun 23, 1941 with Konstacky, Hejna, Rozum and Smrcek crewmen.

Neither wreckage nor bodies getting bogged were lifted though attempted. They are located a stone throw from the cross and residents to the Dutch village of Nieuwe Nierdrop lay flowers there. Only Vilem Bufka succeeded in taking the silk who described the event in his book : The T 2990 bomber went deaf. Common WOP Jan Plzak was excused that night due to purchase of a car and survived WWII. The crash site has been visited not only by Mrs Valach and her son, but also author of this snap Radan Bukva. His courtesy.

No 311 Sqn`s navigator Frank Krejci was born at the town of Konice on April 11, 1917. Hranice Air Military Academy, after Occupation left for Poland and made prisoner of the Soviet Army. He departed from the USSR for UK and in Canada trained for a navigator. He survived WWII and was one of eight RAF men, who were thanked in person by President Benes at the Prague Castle. Courtesy of Antonie Coufalova and Jaroslav Vlach – at Academy first row second from L.

Frank Krejci inside an Anson trainer of No 8 AOS at Ancienne Lorette, Canada. He was there from March 22 to Aug 6, 1943. In the Bahamas No 111 OTU from Mar 6 to May 27, 1944. No 311 Sqn`s crew on Oct 5 : Riha, Polach, Vrba, Hahn, Glasner, Mueller, Sevic and Samuel. After WWII his wife Peggy with daughters came into the Cz Rep and Frank served at Stichovice AFB. Due to political situation Peggy and kids sent to UK and after the Communist Coup Frank escaped to the West.

Jaroslav Dohnal born in Prosteyov on July 21, 1917 underwent his pilot training at the local EFTS.  For exile together with the No 313 Sqn`s CO to be Otmar Kucera and the SPELTER group agent Jaroslav Kotasek on Dec 24, 1939 via Hungary and Beirut. Aboard the Providence liner in Marseille on Mar 2, 1940 no participance in the French campaign. In UK first at the Benson OTU, then a pilot of the Ferry Pilots Pool and Maintenance Unit. Ushwort No 55 OTU in June 1941. Courtesy of George Dohnal.  

Pilots of No 313 Cz Fighter Sqn from Jul 1941. Sit on the Spitfire MkV`s wing at Horchurch between Apr 14 - 27, 1942 L to R : Pavlik, Valasek, Kocfelda, Dohnal. Stand : Hochmal, Vavrinek, Slipka, Fejfar, Richter, Mrazek Karel, Jicha, Fajtl, Cap, Kucera Otmar, Kasal. Kucera joined the No 313 Sqn on Apr 14 and Fajtl left for the British No 122 Sqn on Apr 27. Names of Otmar Kucera and Charles Mrazek are given here to prevent them from mistaking for Jiri Kucera and Emilian Mrazek.

L to R : Fejfar, Richter Karel, Kocfelda, Mrtvy, Mrazek Emilian, Dohnal at Churchstanton 1942 taken by Kruta Vladislav M.D. Jaroslav Dohnal completed his tour of duty on Mar 1, 1943 and as a F/Sgt entered service with No 2 Delivery Flight. He crashed at the controls of the V 5890 Beaufighter nr Colerne due to engine failure and died on Jul 12. He was missed not only for his marvellous singing at weddings and funerals.

Ladislav Zadrobilek born on June 14, 1916 entered the Prosteyov EFTS on Sep 1, 1936. His classmates serving in the RAF : Mueller Frantisek, Ossendorf Robert, Standera Miroslav, Brezovsky Frantisek, Dohnal Jaroslav, Sika Jaroslav, Horak Vaclav, Stulir Svatopluk, Petr Frantisek, Masarik Frantisek, Mlejnecky Frantisek, Spacek Otto, Rocovsky Miloslav, Svoboda Oldrich, Ptacek Rudolf, Novotny Josef, Sticka Frantisek, Svoboda Jan, Kopecek Vladimir, Musalek Adolf and Plasil Jan.

After elementary flying on E39 and E241 and advanced one on BH41 types were cadets given their free option to proceed either as fighter or multi-engine pilots. The former ones flew the BA33, BA34 and B534 types and completed their training at the Otrokovice airfield due to the May 1938 Allert. Sit by a BA33 biplane at the Prosteyov airfield in 1937 L to R: Brezovsky, Dohnal, Hrdina, Benedikt. Stand : Mueller, Zadrobilek, Prchal, Standera, Zavodny,?. Courtesy of Mrs Zadrobilkova.

Ladislav Zadrobilek carried out several training flights on the B44 and D1 types after his reporting at the No 1 TGM Fighter Reg in Hradec Kralove. Three days later deployed to No 32 Flight commanded by Staff Cpt Eugen Cizek. June 4, 1939 to Poland. Foreign Legion till Sept 2. French AF till June 29, 1940. From Casablanca via Gibraltar arrival in Liverpool July 19, 1940. Cosford Depot, OTU Benson, SFTS Sutton Bridge, deployed to the British  No 111 Sqn. His first op on Dec 4, 1940. After his first operational duty to the Tealing No 56 OTU. Then demanded by Cz No 310 Sqn, his first op on Nov 24, 1942. He survived WWII.   

Sgt Josef Frantisek DFM+Bar was the most successful non-British fighter pilot of the RAF in the BoB. Born on Oct 7, 1913 at the village of Otaslavice, met his death in a after-landing crash at Cuddington Way on Oct 8, 1940. His grave in the Northwood Cem, NW London. The Joe Frantishek`s grave decorated by a carnation bunch bought by members of the Czech Airmen Association on Jun 4, 2004 is pictured here.

Vladimir Zaoral graduated from the Hranice EFTS and underwent a commision course here too. He served in Prosteyov and with the Olomouc Edvard Benesś Fighter Reg. To exile on Jul 14, 1939 and on 29 left for France aboard the Chrobry liner. He entered the Chartres Fighter Pilot Training Centre – ELD on Oct 10. From May 20 to June 13, 1940 piloting his MS 406 fighter plane he fought in an Improvized Group of the ELD Fighter pilots. Bordeaux and on Jun 19 he embarked the Arry Schefer ship towards England.     

P/O Vladimir Zaoral  arrived in Falmouth S England on June 23, 1940 and already on July 13 he was one of No 310 Sqn`s 26 pilots deployed at Duxford. From Oct 19 to 28 were Vladimir and Vilem Goeth lent by No 310 Sqn to No 501 one. On the morning of Oct 25 Vladimir downed the Me 109 E piloted by Fwb Assmuss and in the afternoon P/O Goeth met his death in a mid-air collision with P/O Mc Kennzie.

Pilot of the Cz No 310 Fighter Sqn Joe Kishka was in summer 1939 competing as an apprentice in Poland . When WWII broke out, he wanted to get to Romania, but was detained by the Red Army advancing westwards. In the Yarmolintse cloister he met Col Ludvik Svoboda and was his driver for some time. Thanks to Svoboda Kishka departed for the Mid East in 1940 and commanded by Col Klappahlek he defended the besieged port of Tobruq for six months. Then he volunteered for the RAF.

As one of 1326 Czechoslovaks Joe Kishka sailed from the port of Tewlik to UK. Entering the RAF he was sent for a training in Canada. He married a daughter of a Czech farmer in Edmonton.  Back in GB Kishka served with No 310 Sqn till end of hostilities. All his documents and awards were taken by his flight mechanic and a man from Brno who promissed to write a book on Joe. Not kept to date. The image – at a Harvard trainer.

An model gliders builder Sgt Stan Jelinek born at the village of Zdetin on Apr 20, 1920 underwent in Canada and in the Bahamas a pilot training for No 311 Sqn`s Lib. As a copilot he lost his life together with F/Lt Babsh, F/Os Miroslav Ctvrtlik and  Musalek and Sgts Blahacek, Blahna, Hanus, Polak and Rubin in an after take-off crash of  BZ 775 at the Beaulieu AF within half a minute on  Aug 30, 1943. Courtesy of Mary Kalabova.

P/O Vladimir Zaoral played a shove halfpenny  game with Her Majesty in the Duxford AF`s office mess on Jan 16, 1941. The Konice Grammar School student Jaroslav Nedbal wrote his thesis on this event :“ Vladimir Zaoral the airman who played with the Queen“. A picture - being decorated with the Cz Medal for Valour by President Benes in a Dyce AFB`s hangar on Nov 11, 1941, emailed by Mr Nedbal.

The plaque dedicated to Vladimir Zaoral was paid by the Sokol  Association. Speeches were held as by a Mayor as by No 310 Sqn`s member W/Cdr Frank Weber. This house had been pulled down and a new was erected there by Mr Bucek, but  local communists warned him against hanging the plaque on the new house in 1956 or it would disappear. Reveiled in 2001. Courtesy of Joe Bucek, emailed by Jaroslav Nedbal and Petra Buckova.