Sgt. Bohumil Rysanek - Bob spent eleven days in the No 1 Ground Reconnaisance School at Summerside on Prince Edward Island nr estuary of St. Lawrence River between Nov 4 and 14, 1943. He underwent a course of special navigation over the sea here. He was also tasked to recognize warships in several seconds. As 1st or 2nd Navigator he carried out duty doing as Nos 2-7 Exercises, as a Dawn Patrol. Flying Anson here he added 31 hrs of flying time in his Flying Log Book and shots of the Sun, the Polaris, the Altair and Arcturus were taken by him fifty two times here, twenty times of which aboard of an Anson bomber.
Instead of his transfer to the Bahamas Bob was sent to the No 34 SFTS in Medicine Hat, Alta to instruct fighter pilot cadets their navigation skill not only at the Station theoretically. He made twelve day trips with six pilot pupils aboard an Anson in the Nov 27,1943 to Jan 29, 1944 time frame lasting 33hrs 45mins.
On Apr 17 Sgt. Rysanek had his familiarizing flight aboard a B 25 Mitchell bomber in No 111OTU in the Bahamas. The last trip on this type was on May 24, adding him 36 hrs 10 mins Day and 10 hrs 30 mins Night.
May 29, 1944 Bob flew Lib for the first time making twenty six trips with F/Lt Janousek to June 16. On June 26 he started flying with his captain to be F/Lt Slansky. The course was finished by him on Jul 19 assesssed < Good Average > 103.40 Day and 27.50 Night Flying hours and were amassed by Bob in No 111 OTU.
The first op in Tain with Czechoslovak No 311 Sqn with F/Lt Slansky on Sept 26, 1944. The last A/U Patrol – Crossover on June 1, 1945. Due to scheduled flight to Prague Formation Flying was practiced on June 7 and 8 for an hour. Bob was commisioned in June and his new Service Number was 197936.
He was assessed < well above the average > and < his constant good work qualify him to undertake any navigational task > by the Station Navigation Officer at RAF Tain on July 29, 1945. P/O Rysanek flew from Manston to Prague on Jul 31 and on five times in Aug - 3, 12, 14, 20 and 27. He was promoted to the rank of F/O on Sept 16, 1945.
Grand Total 582.40 and 202.00 hrs.
Awards for his serving with the RAF in WWII – 1939/45 Star, Atlantic Star, Defence Medal and War Medal.
Becuase of Alma`s Welsh origin Bob demobilized on Dec 18, 1945 and refused a plum job for the RCAF. On Oct 4, 1947 he applied for the British Citizenship. A friend offered an excellent job of Sales Manager to him. He was to import furniture from the Czechoslovak Republic to UK, but the Feb 25, 1948 Communist Coup put his effort to an end. So Rysanek started buying Post Offices in rundown areas of Ln and building them up. Sitting at the counter of one at the Golborne Rd North Kensington in Jan 1959 he and a clerk were endangered by a 21 year old armed robber. After his leaving with money, Bob chased him for half a mile until the police came and seized the robber.
Ex-Serviceman Bohumil Rysanek was promoted to the rank of Lt Col Ret on by the order of Cz Rep`s Minister of Defence on Aug 29, 1991.
This strong minded indiviadual passed away on Aug 2, 2008, but was not laid to rest in the Cz Ex-Servicemen`s Plot of the Brookwood Civilian Cem like dozens of his comrades. His and Alma`s ashes were scattered into the river at Ogmore Vale where Alma had grown up.