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Bohumil Rysanek Bob July 27, 1914

On the anniversary of birthday of the Czechoslovak No 311 Bomber Sqn`s navigator Bohumil Rysanek – July 27, 1914, infos given in the Journey to unknown article posted on the www.fcafa.wordpress.com website on July 1, 2011 should be corrected first.

1/  A picture of Bohumil wearing a Foreign Legion uniform was taken in September 1939 in Ain el Adjar  and he wrote himself on its back side : ALGERIA 1939 JUNE TO OCTOBER : ORAN, SIDI-BEL-ABES, SAIDA, AIN EL ADJAR  LEGIONAIRE B.R. MATRICULE 85133

-2/ Under the last photo of the above mentioned article of the B&E Kudláček collection is misundestanding : „ Shortly after arriving at Cholmondeley Bohumil Rysanek volunteered for the RAF“

I was lent Bohumil`s Letter of Rememberance of a Czechoslovak Volunteer Military Group in Poland both in spring and summer in Poland called < To the Old Pack Comrades>. It was issued on the second anniversary of the transport`s departing Poland towards the Foreign Legion aboard the Chrobry liner. It means on Jul 27 1941 Bohumil Rysanek served with No 1 Cz Inf Bat, not in the RAF.

Also his bookissued by the Votobia Publ. Ltd. Olomouc in 2007 explains that Bohumil asked for transfer to the RAF several times, but meeting his firm friend Joseph Ocelka in the Leamington Spa Camp for the first time, this No 311 Sqn`s pilot declined Bohumil`s application, saying < I would be held accountable by your father for your lost life>. Despite Ocelka`s resistance Bohumil kept asking for this transfer, at Weston Super Mare passed his Medical Examination  Classified A1 and came to the No 311`s airfield East Wreatham on April 6, 1942 to meet his Secondary School mate Alois Holna here.

The sentence < It is and was the day of my utmost happiness >

was found by me in Bohumil`s own notes. He was offered a Cross Country nocturnal trip to Wales by a Sgt Vokurka captaining the P 9299 Wellington of No 1429 Czech Operational Training Flight. But Holna objected, the trip lacks sense due to very poor visibility. So Bohumil remained at the base while P 9299 crashed and all hands were lost.

Rysanek should have undergone a Navigation Course at Eastbourne but was ordered to pick up newer uniforms and get ready for his journey to Scotland and voyage to Canada instead.

At first Bohumil underwent Air Gunnery and Bombing Course at Mountain View, Ontario from Feb 8 to Mar 19, 1943 amassing 22.30 hrs of flying time on Ansons, 5 hrs 10 mins of night bombing and 22.30 hrs of Air Gunnery Course on a Bolingbrook bomber. Percentage of 75 and 77 respectively.

Rysanek came to No 8 Advanced Observer School at Ancienne Lorette Quebec on Mar 22 and this course was finished on Aug 6, 1943. 60 hrs 15 mins and 43.30 hrs day and night were added into Bohumil`s Flight Log Book to Aug 3. The first note in his Sight Log Book was made on May 15, 1943 and the fix was made by him on Jun 8. A total of 275 Sights were performed by him aground and 181 aboard an Anson trainer during the course using as 1655/40 as Mk IX 10101 Sextant types with an average error of 6.0 in last 25 shots.

black and white

Passing, Bohumil Rysanek got his observer wing and was promoted for a rank of sergeant which meant a higher pay for him.