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    • You Are In Section: Links » Cz pilots in BoB » Great Britain

    Vilem Konstacky

    Info on the Memorial of the victims to both the World Wars at the village of Celechovice in the Hana Region is seen on the www. celechovice-na-hane.cz website in the Udaje o obci and Almanach Subsections. The article on the Memorial mentioned above was written by Mr George Sedlacek and was based on the facts known to him in the late 2001 – early 2002 time frame. That reason for ten lines dedicated to the Czechoslovak No 311 Bomber Sqn´s navigator P/O Vilem Konstacky born in this village on Nov 17, 1914 are ended by the sentence as follows : „ The Vilem Konstacky´s grave is said to be located in Den Helder, Netherlands“. This piece of news was found by him in the book „ Many did not return back“ by Mr Frantisek Loucky, published in the 1989 year. The only member of the T 2990´s crew who survived – the pilot Vilem Bufka – never visited the Konstacky´s grave.

    In the summer of the 2005 year the member of navigator´s family Mr Radan Bukva arrived in the Netherlands accompanied by his wife. Their aim was to find the Vilem´s grave. So they were accomodated nr Den Helder, where was a Luftwaffe air base nearby during WWII. The bombers heading for their objectives in the Northern Germany had to fly over.  Mr Radan Bukva had an article : „ The turrets gave no fire“ giving the facts, that the wreckage of T 2990 crashed on the plot of the Aetens nr village of Nieuwe Niedorp and the crashsite was allegedly decorated by the cross.

    The Bukvas were accomodated by a woman aged about seventy who lived in Amsterdam in WWII and was a German hater. Hearing about the Bukvas intentions to find as the Vilem´s grave, as the T2990´s crashsite, she opened investigation on her own. Her phone call to the Alkmaar hospital where Vilem Bufka was treated bore no fruit. The landlady also contacted Mr Van Aeten and arranged a meeting in his place on the next day.

    The landlady´s daughter remembered her teacher during WWII coming from Nieuwe Niedorp.  By chance, he proved to be an eyewitness of the aircraft´s crash and even willing to speak to the Bukvas. The third witness Mr Aat Witt replied he had said all and had nothing to add. The landlady arranged for the Bukvas having a look in the Nieuwe Niedorp´s archive too.

    Neither graves of Vilem nor other T 2990´s crewmen were found by them in the Den Helder cemetery even after two hour search. Accompanied by the landlady the Bukvas went to the village of Nieuwe Niedorp to meet the Van Aetens in person. They spoke German  only a little and English not at all. Though buying their farm after WWII, the farmers were knowledgable of T2990´s crash on their plot tahanks to the original owners.. The visitors were lead by them behind the barn and came to the a small pen five by five meters near a grove. A cross and a marble plaque reading the names of the five airmen of the T2990 Wellington bomber situated in. The wreckage and the five bodies inside have been bogged on this spot since the night of June 23, 1941, nowadays seventeen meters underground. Originally a cross of stone and an inscription „ They died for their country“ had been there.

    Neither graves of Vilem nor other T 2990´s crewmen were found by us in the Den Helder cemetery even after two hour search. Accompanied by the landlady the Bukvas went to the village of Nieuwe Niedorp to meet the Aetens in person. They spoke German  only a little and English not at all. Though buying their farm after WWII, the Van Aetens were knowledgable of T2990´s crash on their plot. The visitors were lead by them beyond the barn and came to the a small pen five by five meters near a grove. A cross and a marble plaque reading the names of the five airmen of the T2990 Wellington bomber were situated in. The wreckage and the five bodies inside have been bogged since the night of June 23, 1941, nowadays seventeen meters underground. Originally there was a wooden cross and an inscription reading „ They died for their country“ in this very place, where T2990 had hit the ground.

    The information on the visit to the T 2990´s crashsite comes from the book of Mr Radan Bukva „No return sortie“ published by the ARSCI Publ in 2007. We express our gratitude as to him as to Mr George Sedlacek, who provided us with all the further data needed.

     

     

    The Memorial is located at the junction of the U sokolovny and Ruska Streets, opposite to the building of the Sokol Sports Club.

     

     

    Coming to the village of Celechovice na Hane from the one of Smrzice, the Memorial is on your right side, next to the local Health Care Centre. You can park your car in front of the building.

         		  
     

    The Konstacky family co-funded the Memorial, so more words and even a picture of Vilem were added to his name – He lost his life on an sortie over Germany on June 22, 1941 – correct is June 23.

     

     

    The names of P/Os Vilem Konstacky and Leonard Smrcek as well as ones of F/Sgts Alois Rozum, Jan Hejna and Karel Valach are also seen on the Nos 33, 36 and 37 panels of the Runnymede Memorial.