It was unveiled in 1946 by members of a local SK Cernovir Football Club. Jan and Miroslav had played for. It is surprising, that the plaque was not removed on the orders of the Olomouc authorities under the Communist régime. The brothers´ niece recalls ceremonies. A procession of the locals walking from the cemetery stopped at this plaque and tribute was paid to both of them. The plaque can be seen at : http ://www.vets.cz/vpm/mista/obec/464-olomouc/heydukova thanks to the Military Sights Association.
The older Miroslav was born on Oct 12, 1914 in Olomouc. He furthered his schooling at the three year Vocational School. Conscripted he did his military service with an AA Reg. Miroslav and his brother Jan crossed the Polish border at the village of Dobratice on June 9, 1939. Held by the Polish border guards at Gnojnik for a week. Not sooner than June 17 the brothers left for Krakow. Enlisted in the Czech Military Group at the Cz Consulate there on the next day. They made a preliminary contract with the French Foreign Legion. On July 28 Miroslav and Jan departed for the port of Gdynia. On the following day they embarked a Chrobry liner and sailed to France. On Aug 2 they arrived at Bolougne. By train to Marseille via Lille. At the Fort St Jean a five year contract with the FFL was signed by both of them. On Aug 9 they sailed to Oran aboard the Sidi-bel-Abbes. Two days later the brothers left for the FFL Training Camp at the town of Sidi-bel-Abbes.
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La Nouvelle 1940 – Jan to the right of Miroslav Africa French Foreign Legion – Jan stands Miroslav sits
Because France had declared the state of war on Germany, Miroslav and Jan were released from the French Foreign Legion. On Sep 23, 1939 they departed for Oran and sailed back to Marseille. Three days later Miroslav and Jan reported to the Cz Traing Camp at Agde. Miroslav was assigned to No 6 battery of No 1 Artillery Reg. On Apr 1, 1940 he was posted to the Air Force Personnel. On June 23 he went from Agde to Port Vendres. On the next day the both brothers embarked an UK-bound Apapa passenger ship.
Arriving at Liverpool on July 7, 1940 Miroslav and Jan left for the Cholmondeley Park. Five days later Miroslav departed for the Cosford Cz RAF Depot. On July 24 he was sworn in the RAFVR ranked an AC2. The Service No of 787318 was alloted to him. Five days later was Miroslav Ctvrtlik posted to Cz No 311 Bomber Sqn and commenced his AG training. On Aug 19 he was promoted to Sgt and crewed as a front gunner. On Sep 10, 1940 Sgt. Miroslav Ctvrtlik went on operations for the first time flying P 9235 KX-C. Their target was the Brussels marshalling yard. On Oct 28 Miroslav was promoted to a Cz rank of F/Sgt. On Apr 1941 he was awarded the Cz Military Cross 1939. On June 21 the 1st an on July 25, 1941 the 2nd bar.
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Sgt Jan Ctvrtlik with Katty Sgt Miroslav Ctvrtlik at right
On Aug 5, 1941 Sgt. Miroslav Ctvrtlik completed his first tour of duty. The target of his fourty first nocturnal air raid was Mannheim. On Dec 16 he was posted to No 1429 COTF stationed at Honington Suffolk as a gunnery instructor. On June 29, 1942 the unit moved to North Luffenham and on the following day again to Woolfox Lodge. On July 12, 1942 was Sgt Miroslav Ctvrtlik commisioned and alloted the new Service No of 132086. On Aug 31 No 1329 COTF moved to Church Broughton. On Oct, 1942 was P/O Miroslav Ctvrtlik promoted the Cz rank of P/O – if a Reservist. On Nov 10, 1942 No 1492 COTF moved to Thornaby on Tees. On Nov 20 P/O Ctvrtlik rejoined Cz No 311 Sqn stationed at Talbenny as an AG and went on operations. He was promoted to F/O on Jan 12, 1943. On May 26 the unit moved to Beaulieu, Hampshire. On Aug 29, 1943 F/O Miroslav Ctvrtlik was burnt to death on the after-take-off crash of the BZ775 ´G´ Lib. He was laid to rest in No 3 grave of the Cz Section of the Military Cemetery Brookwood, Surrey on Sep 1, 1943. This gravestone is in the third picture from the top in the ´Brookwood Cemeteries´ text. The ´Cems of Cz airmen´Subsection via the ´Links´ Section.
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Jan in his flying suit Miroslav at right
Awards :
Cz Military Cross 1939 + two bars
Cz Medal for Valour
posthumously :
Cz Merit Medal 1st Class
Cz Military Memory Medal France UK
Air Crew Europe Star with France/Germany Clasp
Rehabilitated promoted to Col. in mem on June 1, 1991
Jan Ctvrtlik
Besides playing footbal for the Cernovir Sports Club together with his older brother the both were members of a local branch of the Sokol Sports Organization.
The pictures from the collection of a husband of both the brothers´ sister prove lots of their lives. Cpl Jan Ctvrtlik was deployed at Hodonin during the 1938 Allert. Both made their way to join Cz Foreign Troops via Poland, France, the French Foreign Legion, again France and UK. Separated by undergoing different courses. Jan was posted to No 2 Signals School at Yatesbury, Wilts. He spent his 1940 Christmas Day there. He was a W/O of Sgts Netik´s crew. Jan is mentioned on No 157 of the ´Noci nad Nemeckem´ Book ie Nigthts over Germany. Their fateful sortie over Hannover too. While on a home leg their R1371 Wellington was downed by a Messeschmitt 110 night fighter over the coast of Holland. All hands lost. Place of his grave is said to be unknown. That reason for Jan Ctvrtlik´ s name is seen by us on No 42 panel of the Runnymede Memorial. This Memorial is seen in the ´Members of CzAA in England 2004´ Film in this Subsection of the Documentaries Section.
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Jan fourth from left Stand from L – third Miroslav holding a pike, fifth Joseph Filler sit – Michal Pizur, Oldrich Soukup, Vaclav Tarantik, Vaclav Kostelecky .
On Sep 17, 1942 both the parents of Miroslav and Jan were arrested on the orders of Karl Hermann Frank in the E 3000 – Emigranten ie Émigrés operation. Sentenced to a stay in an internment camp. Anezka Ctvrtlikova was brought to the Svatoborice Camp near Kyjov on the same day. Stanislav Ctvrtlik was incarcerated in Olomouc and in the Pod Kastany St Prison in Brno first. He was taken to the Svatoborice Internment Camp later. Both the Ctvrtliks were held there till liberation of this site mid Apr 1945.
A memorial service was held for Miroslav, Jan and other sixteen victims of WWII at the local Hussite Church of Prokop Holy.
Jan Ctvrtlik was rehabilitated and posthumously promoted to Lt Col in 1991.
No picture of Jan Ctvrtlik wearing his RAF uniform has been seen in any book on Cz airmen published to date. Thanks to the family we are allowed to let you see some. They still live in the brothers´native house at Cernovir.
Assistance of Mr Popelka who identified one picture is appreciated
R&R :
Jan Rail, Vít Formánek – Žít navěka – nakl. OSTROV 2003
Pavel Vančata – Letec po hvězdách – nakl. OSTRV 2009
Petr Radosta – Noci nad Německem – NADAS 1990
NOTE . Their surname pronounced ´Chtvrtleek´