He was born on Dec 23 1895 to the family of a head teacher Joseph Rosik and his wife Bozena born at Pustimer nr Vyskov on Jan 20, 1865. His father Joseph had been born at Malenovice nr Zlin on Oct 4, 1856. He attended a grammar school at Kromeriz and afterwards at Olomouc. Joseph Rosik graduated from the Pribor Teachers School in 1879. Having acted as a teacher at Buchlovice and Retechov nr Luhacovice he worked as a head teacher at Bzova for fourty years. His merits were beyond the field of education within the former judicial county of Uhersky Brod. Joseph Rosik had his say in constructing new roads within the Region, multiplying number of saving banks, establishing a School of Economy at Bojkovice and an account of the other activities beyond imagination. Those ones deserve being put on paper in a text of its own.
Based on the 1890 Population Record the Rosiks used to live at 26 Bzova this year. Twenty years later at No 9. The data mention eight children apart from the parents – Ludmila 1885, Blazena 1887, Vladimir 1890, Jan 1892, Vitezslav 1895, Bozena 1899, Bohumil 1901 and Antonin 1905.
Vitezslav Rosik attended a Czech Science streamed Grammar School at the town of Uherske Hradiste for two years. Afterwards he swapped for a Regional Senior Science streamed School at Uhersky Brod. He graduated from on July 4, 1911. He furthered his schooling in Brno at the Polytechnics. His subjects were taught in Czech. Vitezslav got conscripted early 1915 and in March he reported for duty as a one year volunteer with No 3 Inf Reg stationed in Brno. In June 1915 was L-Cpl and a squad commander Vitezslav Rosik posted to No 23 Volunteer Bat. He found himself with this unit at the Russian front in Nov 1915. Vitezslav saw action as a machine gunner of No 14/3 MG section till late Mar 1916. Afterwards he was posted to No 7 Army HQ´s Staff. Nearly for a year he acted as a draughtsman there.
Afterwards Rosik was sent for a CO Reservists´course. Having completed after seven months in Nov 1917 he was posted as a Squad- and later Platoon Commander to the Italian front. He commanded a MG platoon till Oct 28, 1918. Rosik was made a POW on that day. Held in a POW camp till Feb 1919 he joined the Cz No 43 Italian Home Guard´s Batallion. Vitezslav commanded a platoon of this unit till Aug 22, 1919.
Having arrived in Czechoslovakia he commanded a border unit stationed at Nachod first. Taking his previous engineering qualification into account the HQ sent Rosik to a Military Supervising unit of the Pilsen Arms Plant. In Nov 1919 he was deployed to a MoD´s Arms Dpt as an Engineering Officer. On May 1, 1919 became a career serviceman. From Aug he was posted to No 2 Edvard Benes Air Reg´s workshop stationed at Olomouc to familiarize himself with. Simultaneously Vitezslav acted as a Col´s adjutant there. Late Nov 1920 he was posted to No 3 Air Reg Milan Stefanik stationed at Kosice as a freshman observer. Rosik was sent to Cheb for an observer course. Having passed he later became an Engineering Adjutant of the Cheb Military Aviation Academy´s CO. In Feb 1923 Vitezslav was assigned to the MoD´s Aviation Dpt Prague. His three month attachment with the French Air Force followed.
Back again Rosik completed his course for a pilot. He graduated from the University of Warfare in Prague and as a Staff Cpt he became a field pilot – airman on Oct 1, 1937. In 1929 Vitezslav was attached to No 11 Division´s HQ at Kosice as No 3 Dpt´s Head. Having served in Slovakia for a year he came back to Prague as an instructor of Flight commanders. At that time Rosik was incorporated within the GHQ´s personnel. His career includes by both frequent Flight- and Advanced Training CO attachments. Staff Cpt Vitezslav Rosik´s piloting qualities are proven by his Qualification List. From Oct 1, 1931 he acted as a test pilot qualified for nocturnal flights.
Another milestone came by in Rosik´s service career in Apr 1932. He was posted to Italy to win his spurs. From Aug he became a Cz Military and Aviation Attache in Rome. Vitezslav held this post of a diplomat till late 1935. Having returned to Prague he became the University of Warfare´s Professor. His specialization was Tactical AF. In Sep 1937 Rosik´s next posting took place at the MoD´s Aviation Dpt again.
At times of Nazi Germany´s grave peril for the Czechoslovakia GHQ Lt Col Vitezslav Rosik acted as a Head of the Air Force Supreme Command´s Dpt of Operations. In 1939 he was elected a Chairman of Cz Airmen Association. Following WWII broke out he left his Motherland via the Balkans route on Nov 16, 1939. He got conscripted in France on Jan 5, 1940 alotted the number of A-4457. He was assigned to the Cz Air Force´s HQ in Paris. Following the fall of France GHQ Col Rosik commanded a UK bound transport of Cz thirty eight airmen departing from Bordeaux on June 19, 1940.
On July 1, 1940 he took over command of the Cz AF unit in South Lanc. Afterwards he was appointed a CO of the Cz RAF Depo at Cosford. He joined the RAFVR on Aug 2 alotted the Service No of 85215.
In June 1941 Vitezslav was assigned to the Cz Inspectorate in London, later to MoD. He was given a post of No 3 Dpt´s Head and then No 4 one. In Dec 1944 GHQ Lt Col Rosik was promoted to a HGQ Col. He was discharged from the RAF on Mar 3, 1945 and posted to a Czechoslovak Military Mission within the Allied Expedionary Force´s HQ. First he acted as its chief and from May 1 to late Sep 1945 as its commander. His next posting took place in Berlin as a Deputy of the Cz Military Mission´s CO. Simultaneously GHQ Col Rosik was appointed CO of this mission within the American Occupation Zone in Frankfurt upon Main. But in July 1946 he was seriously injured in a car crash. He was cured in Prague. Having recovered he renewed working in the Cz Air Force early 1947. He underwent a course for Senior Commanders and late May he became an Active Stations´ Master. From July 31 he took over the post of No 1 Air Force´s Territory. After Feb 25, 1948 - the Communist coup – GHQ Col Rosik was sacked and sent for his leave on Mar 11.
He resigned himself neither to his retirement nor to the new totalitarianism. He left his Motherland for the second time heading for UK again. He was lucky to meet his old friend Lt Col Bohuslav Tobyska AFC a former No 311 Bomber Sqn´s pilot. Bohuslav was offered a job by an Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I. The pilot was to advise him on the Ethiopian Civilian Aviation. Tobyska took his office early June 1949. At one of his inteviews with the Emperor Tobyska asked Haile Selassie for permission to bring in his friend from UK GHQ Col Vitezslav Rosik to be assisted by him. Tobyska recommended him for his qualities and experiences. Both came to light in Rosik as during WWII at the Cz Inspectorate in London as after the end of hostilities while he worked as a respected military diplomat with Allied Military Missions. Not three month elapsed and Bohuslav Tobyska welcomed GHQ Col Vitezslav Rosik at the Addis Abeba early Sep 1949. They both did they best not only in developing Ethiopian Aviation but with devotion also forming new Ethiopia.
GHQ Col Vitezslav Rosik passed away in Ethiopia on May 9, 1955. He is burried at the Addis Abeba Cem. His friends had the text chiselled as follows :
YOUR MERITS FOR YOUR NATIVE COUNTRY WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN REST IN PEACE IN EXILE
GHQ Col Vitezslav Rosik´s Awards:
Czechoslovak Military Memory Medal with F-GB Clasps
Cz Merit MedalČeskoslovenská medaile Za zásluhy I. st.
Československý válečný kříž 1939
Author´s Gratitude :
Mr Zdenek Carda who lives in Ethiopia deserves our thanks for finding a final resting place of GHQ Col Vitezslav Rosik. We also are obliged to him for both the pictures posted above with his consent.
The author:
Ph. D. Ladislav Slamecka, member of the Cz Legionaries Association´s No 1 Brno Branch
NOTE
The Czech Embassy to Ethiopia had this grave neatened and the letters gilded.
The Rememberance Ceremony was attended as by the Ambassador Mr Hejc and the Military Attache Col Carda as the British one.