The RAF men Memorial was unveiled on June 22, 1998 under presence of the Ex-Servicemen arriving from the UK. It was a brainchild of Col Ret Boleslav Povolny, without whom this idea would not come true. Funded by the Senator Robert Kolar and backed by Mayor of Town of Prosteyov Mr John Sverdik.
Three hundred and two plywood urns had been brought to Prague from UK shortly after the end of hostilities and were forgotten for more than fourty years. These ones were found early 1990 in the Zizkov National Memorial and thanks to the Military Administration the plywood urns were replaced for the plastic ones. Ex-Serviceman Alois Konopicky pulled the strings and he succeeded in being permitted to get the urns at last.
On May 14, 1997 one hundred and twelve urns were handed not only to the Representatices of particular Regional Military Administration´s Branches, but also to the Olsany Military Cem Memorial and Hrabyne one respectively, as well as sixteen urns to the Military Attaché of the Slovakian Republic. Other eleven ones were handed to families regardless the Region.
Ninety six plastic urns filled with soil were put by Mr Povolny into the RAF men Memoria´s tomb in 1998. Two ones are without a label, because the were filled by the soil having been leaked from the cracked plywood ones. During revamping enabled by the funds bequeathed by late Ex-Serviceman William Kauders MC and initiated by No 9 CAA´s Branch of Plumlov the urns of Vaclav Hanka and Frank Vocetka containing their ash will be laid into the tomb. NOTE : These two urns were passed by their families.
If there are some more owners of the Cz airmen´s urns also interested in having them laid into the Crypt of the Memorial, please contact us till Apr 30, 2012 on the www.svazletcu@seznam.cz website.
Thanks to Mr Tom Dolezal and the www.fcafa.wordpress.com website you can find more HERE
NOTE :
An urn is being put into the tomb by Mr Boleslav Povolny [Bolleslav Povvolnee]
The plaque with names all the airmen, whose urns containing as soil as ashes were interred in the urn vault both in 1998 and this September, will be unveiled on September 28 at 11 am.
All are invited.
Open an article on the Ceremony HERE
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