He was nicknamed ´Hatchet´
A life story of F/O Otakar Korec
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Otakar Korec born on Nov 26, 1908 at Nejdek, KIA in France nr Amiens on Jun 5, 1940. This signature ´F/O Otakar Korec´ is dated Sep 25, 1936
Otakar called Ota was the youngest of Jakub and Bozena Korecs´four children. He was born on Nov 26, 1908 at the town of Nejdek. The Korec family had moved there from the village of Zbynice nr Susice. Otakar´s father born in 1867 served at Nejdek as His Emperor´s gendarme. Later between the World Wars Jakub Korec was promoted to a Senior Gendarme. First a daughter Helena was born to the Korecs in 1902. Afterwards a son Emil one year later, another son Ladislav in 1906 and in 1908 the youngest one called Otakar were born. Originally he was baptized Otokar Arnost Korec (1). The note of the Korec family´s moving to Prague early 1913 was found in the same record. Otakar´s parents as well as his brothers and the sister lived in the Otakar´s native house at Nejdek nr Carlsbad for about ten years. Ota had been born at 110, Railway St. This house exists no longer nowadays.
Jakub Korec moved together with his family to Prague in 1913. They lived at 53 Slezska St in the Kralovske Vinohrady District. Little Ota started attending his five grade elementary school here. The Prague Archive´s records revealed Ota had studied at No II Czech Grammar School in No XII Prague District of Karlin for five years from the school year of 1919/1920 to one of 1924/25 (2). His last Mark Record here dated June 22, 1925. Otakar left this school for the Prostejov Military Aviation School attended by him in the 1926 – 1927 time frame. Otakar Korec passed his leaving exam at No II Czech Grammar School as an extension student on Feb 20, 1934.
On Mar 1, 1925 Otakar Korec became a cadet of No 1 Training Unit of the Prostejov Aviation School as a LAC. He completed his course of elementary flying on Sep 18, 1926 and launched the one of single-seat advanced flying on Nov 22, 1926. Otakar graduated from the Prostejov Aviation School on Jun 2, 1927, amassing 86 hrs 5 mins of flying time. He flew the types of S-10, A-1, A-26, B-9, B-10, G.L., Hanriot, B-22, B-3, A-18, B-21, S-20, A-125, A-12 by 472 bumps.
From 1933 to 1935 Otakar furthered his studies at the Hranice in Moravia Military Academy. On July 2, 1935 he was commisioned as a flying officer. His Military Academy Assessment says : ´Cheerful, straightforward, sociable, of great dilligence. Conduct very good and tactful´(4)
At the end of the 1933/34 school year Col. Otakar Zahalka took over the Military Academy from Brigadier Hnevkovsky. He was promoted Brig on Jan 1, 1935.
´Drill´at the Academy was very strict and demanding. Otakar Korec was assessed in thirty subjects. Academy education was free of charge for the cadets, fully covered by the state. In addition they were paid four Czech crowns a day. They were obliged to serve for further six years (6)
Having been graduated from the Hranice Military Academy Otakar Korec undewent the courses as follow
1/ In 1936 one of Command at the Prostejov Aviation School
2/ The one for an observer at the Observer Corps Training Unit with No 2 Air Regiment stationed in Olomouc in the same year.
3/ From Jul 26, to Oct 23, 1937 the one of night and instruments flying with No 2 Air Reg in Olomouc. We can read the assessment : ´His marks are excellent, he took the third place among fifteen´ (5)
4/ A year later a course for military vehicles´ drivers, also with No 2 Air Reg in Olomouc.
´F/O Otakar Korec was nicknamed ´Hatchet´in No 2 Olomouc Air Reg. Nobody had an idea where this nickname came from. It might have something with his fierce gesticulation of temperament in common. It made him often wave his hands around him as if fencing in a case of a dispute or a disagreement over st. Or his nickname came from the shape of his head ? It was on a thick neck, his hair was of a crew cut and his pointed chin looked as a broad axe from a sideview. A round face, exotic looking eyes underlined by his tanned skin. A round mouth and a nicely formed nose gave their owner attractivity. Young fighter pilot was known for his athletic figure, a straight light pride stride and a optimistic spirit. It was enough for Otakar to fly a fighter plane, do aerobatics and perform the tasks of school or his flight´. (9)
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L to R : Korec, Dolezal, Mrazek + Korec, Mrazek, Binter in Apr 1939
Having graduated from the Military Academy in 1935 Otakar Korec was a career soldier with No 2 Air Reg in Olomouc. This unit was named ´ Dr Edvard Benes No 2 Air Reg´on May 22, 1937. Otakar´s appointments here were : with No 7 Flight, in 1936 No 36 one, a year later with No 35 Flight as its CO, in the same year was posted to No 51 Flight and given its interim command. In 1938 he became No 36 Flight´s CO.
On Sep 30, 1938 F/Os Otakar Korec and Karel Mrazek were members of No 2 Air Army´s personnel. The Czechoslovak Air Force as well as No 2 Air Army were commanded by G/C Jaroslav Plass. Korec and Mrazek served with No III/2 Field Fighter Sqn commanded by W/C Vaclav Liska. F/O Korec was No 52 Field Flight´s CO. This unit consisted of ten Avia B-534 biplane fighters and eleven pilots – an Allert one. His classmate – F/O Karel Mrazek commanded No 33 Fighter Flight at this time. It comprised nine Avia B-534 aircraft and twelve pilots. (10)
On May 21, 1938 a Forces Allert was declared. Readiness of the Czechoslovak Air Force was not ceased following the May Mobilization, but went into standby on May 17, 1938. During the All-nation Mobilization on 23 Sep,1938 No 2 ´Dr Edvard Benes Air Reg´ was disbanded. Each flight was deployed in a different arfield situated in Central Moravia.
On Sep 28, 1938
No III/2 Sqn´s Commander – Staff Cpt Josef Duda
No 33 Flight – comanded by F/O Karel Mrazek – stationed nr Tovacov (B 534 biplane fighters)
No 35 Flight - F/Lt Josef Machacek – Olomouc (B 534 aircraft)
No 51 Flight – commanded by F/O Otakar Korec – Prostejov (B 534 biplane fighters)⃰
The eyewitness recalled roar of aircraft engines near the Ludvikov farming estate nr Tovacov already on the second day of the Mobilization. The Cz Air Force was provided with quarters, workshops and a supply depot here. The aircraft number was estimated between fourty and fifty. (11)
The Flight usually comprised eleven pilots, about twenty flight mechanics, about twenty sentries and an auxiliary staff such as drivers, medics, cooks…etc. All the flight´s personnel consisted of about fifty.
On Oct 7,1938 following the Allert was No 2 Air Reg´s HQ re-instated and the unit was commanded by W/C Kveton. But due to the Munich Agreement was the action area of the Olomouc-based airmen lessened very much. F/O Karel Mrazek was the No 2 Air Reg´s Duty Officer on the ´Tragical Night´ from Mar 14 on 15, 1939. He had to answer the phone from the Olomouc Corps´ HQ on Mar 15 shortly after the noon. Mrazek heard the news on the Occupation of Bohemia and Moravia by Hitler scheduled at 6 am. He was tasked to inform the Regiment´s CO W/C Kveton immediately and make all the oficers and crewmen gather at the airfield. They were to await the Wehrmacht´s arrival here. The Germans came at the Neredin airfield at 7 am and requested all the weaponry and equipment. No III/2 Fighter Sqn was commanded by W/C Vaclav Liska so he was tasked to give the airfield in to the Germans. All the flights were banned on Mar 15. On the following day all the carreer officers had to hand in their pistols to the Germans. All the buildings of the Stefanik barracks at Sibenik were one by one given in to the occupants from Mar 22, 1939. Till the end of March, 1939 nearly all the 1937 year conscripts were dismissed. One by one each squadron and flight was disbanned from May 1939. The Officers were placed on their endless leave on May 19. On Aug 1 each member of the Cz Forces was barred from wearing his uniform. Early July 1939 the Air Reg´s liquidation entered its final phase. W/C Vaclav Liska issued his No 100 G. B. Order on July 31. Afterwards he left his Motherland and took part in organizing clandestine escapes there. (12)
In No II part of Otakar Korec´s assessment for 1938 we can also read :
´Gifted,very smart, of correct consideration and constant decisions. He continuously extends his general education by reading. Military theoretical knowledge : tactical as well as aeronautical and administrative ones very good. He is of a nice appearance which he likes to mantain as well as doing sports. Assessed as a capable tutor and instructor who undestands his subordinates. Energetic and decisive. A good ability of acting as No 1 Flight´s Officer. Very good as a Section Leader. Also his Pilot´s Assessment deserves mentioning. ´His flying is bold, but reasonable. A very good fighter pilot. Good at flying at night and the instruments. Good at gunnery. He is competent to command a Flight of fighter planes´.
After the Republic of Czechoslovakia ceased to exist also Otakar Korec came to conclusion to leave his Motherland and fight for freedom abroad where it would be feasible. This decision was becoming a plan during clandestine meetings with the other airmen headed by Karel Mrazek in Olomouc. Korec belonged to ones of utmost decisiveness and in addition was a resident to Prague. So he was tasked by the others to make contacts with the Airman Association´s staff who were said to assist with escapes. So Otakar went to Prague and met the Cz AA´s Chairman F/Lt Cerny and its Secretary Sgt. Josef Maly. Korec brought demanded info and a contact to miners in Ostrava. But the airmen from Moravia preferred another route – a hike via the mountains. The airmen in Mrazek´s and Korec´s group were between twenty five and thirty. They were sold on flying.
One should appreciate that nobody made these young airmen flee abroad. They were driven to fly, fight and free their country by their patriotic upbringing, oath sworn to the Republic and a loss of their career in the Forces. But the worst for them – Officers - was a humiliation of giving their arms and country in to the enemy. They agreed on crossing the border line in two groups of five men. The first will be headed by Karel Mrazek, the second by Otakar Korec.
The former one headed by Mrazek consisted of F/Os Egon Nezbeda, Felix Zboril, Stanislav Zimprich and Infantery´s 2nd Lt Karel Podrouzek;
The latter one lead by Otakar Korec comprised Bedrich Dvorak, Frantisek Fajtl, Rudolf Fiala and Bohuslav Kimlicka. Both the groups were guided over the frontier by Mr Cyril Mach – a schoolmaster at the village of Horni Becva. Mrazek´s group crossed the border on May 29, 1939, Korec´s one on July 11. NOTE : Cyril Mach met his death in a fight for the Prague Broadcaster on May 5, 1945.
Frantisek Fajtl later recalled their crossing the border in his book ´Recollections of the fallen comrades´ as follows :
´Everything went exactly to plan. We arrived at the hamlet of Hutisko-Solanec in the Beskyda Mts as tourists with backpacks. In addition Korec had a pistol in his pocket. Having come to the ´Behind Hill School´, a lonely house situated at the end of the village, Ota made his decision. Only he and F/O Bedrich Dvorak would go and speak to the Schoolmaster Mr Mach. We were to stay at the rear in reserve in case something might go wrong´ (13)
Mr Cyril Mach guided the group willingly and devotedly as far as the border line. The Korec´s Five found themselves in Poland as the evening approached, somewhere between the villages of Horni and Dolni Lomnas.
July 11, 1939
The group was met and stopped by the Polish border guard at Dolni Lomna. The refugees signed a record and were driven to the town of Tesin. The group spent several days in a school held in ´a house arrest´ as it was called by Fajtl. Korec – the group leader - was asked about ten days later to come to report to a nameless Polish major. Ota returned infuriated, his patriotism suffered. Conduct of the Polish major made Otakar furious already at the moment of being asked to speak not in Czech but in German. A detailed description was given by Korec to his four colleagues, so this ´story´ was mentioned also by Fajtl after WWII.
Having crossed the Polish border their destination was the Cz Consulate in Krakow. The were accomodated in a ´Turisticzny House´ Spending a part of the summer of 1939 here, they were dissatisfied with an offer to enlist in the French Foreign Legion for five years. The were spending their free time on doing sports, above all playing football. Even a ´squad´ was set up by all the emigrees who resided to the Turisticzny House. Nevertheless their mind was employed by enlistment in the ´French Foreign Legion´
On July 26, 1939 the five airmen lead by Korec embarked a Swedish liner Castelholm in the Polish port of Gdynia and set out for France. Battered by the elements they arrived at the French port of Calais five days later ie on July 30.
On Sep 3, 1939 Great Britain as well as France declared war on Germany. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and GHQ agreed on forming the Czechoslovak troops on the French soil.
On Sep 28, the first Cz military unit was established in France – No 1 Czechoslovak Reserve Bt. A day later No 1 Czechoslovak Bt came into existence and became the nucleus of the further units.
On Oct 2 an Agreement on a renewal of the Czechoslovak troops placed on the French soil was signed in Paris. As far as the Cz. airmen concerned were, these ones were deployed to various garrisons within the French territory as well as in Northern Africa while the war broke out.
Lt Jindrich Bartos came to No 104 French AF Reg´s barracks at Dugny Bourget about 8 – 12 km from Paris on the 20th following their arrival in France. Bartos was the classmate who graduated from the Hranice Air Academy in 1935 too. Coincidentally he also came to France aboard the liner Castelholm a month later. Above all the French language was ´honed´ in their free time. As walks to Paris and back as sports were done by them too. They were caught by the Allert´s Declaration here at Dugny. Nevertheless they were made to get conscripted at the French Free Legion´s barracks. We can read in the Prague Military Archive ´s particular file on a member of the Cz troops abroad in WWII as follows : ´Otakar Korec, conscripted on Oct 2, 1939 in Paris´.
´Anyway we are not going old with you, chaps´ Hatchet commented on a five-year contract confirmed by us with both our signature and fingerprint. ´The war has been in process, we will be alotted our aircraft and adieu…´ In three day Ota´s prediction was becoming to come true. (14)
Korec together with the others remained in France to undergo conversion onto the Morane 406, Bloch 150 and American Curtiss P-36 aircraft. Lts Korec, Bartos and Fiala were posted to the Chatres Training School situated about 90 km SW of Paris. Korec and Bartos were alotted the best fighter planes American Curtiss Hawk. Fajtl departed for the Avord air base. Their stint at Dugny was celebrated by a send-off party for which were also invited Lts Frantisek Dolezal and Jan Zirovnicky.
They also met an ´Air King´ there as our pre-war most famous aerobat was nicknamed. F/O Frantisek Novak´s excellent aerobatic skill had been eyewitnessed by them with pleasure. At his own request Novak acted at Chartres as a Traffic Controller due to his state of health´s further deterioration following a stomach surgery. Having gone under knife for the second time Frantisek Novak died on Apr 27, 1940. Otakar Korec, Frantisek Fajtl, Rudolf Fiala, Jindrich Bartos and the others took part in Novak´s funeral ceremony on May 3, 1940. The mourners walked along the street of a Paris Neuilly suburb.
A week later the events of the Otakar Korec´s life gained a momentum.
Blitzkrieg
On May 10 the German HQ launched the Fall Gelb Campaign.
Fajtl is cited here from his ´Recollections of all comrades´ Book. ´The German Phoney War turned into the Lighting one´ It was characterized by the same features as Wehrmacht´s reckless Polish campaign. Both the Belgian and Dutch Armies were knocked out in several days. A French front line nr Sedan was broken by German armed units and the stands were overcome by them one by one. The BEF was enflanked from their French Ally, driven to the shore nr Dunkerque and encircled. Despite the heavy casualties three hundred thousand men in arms had to be evacuated over the North Sea to England. Hitler´s Luftwaffe commanded by Goering gained air supremacy and the French sky was dominated by them´(15)
On May 11, 1940 was Lt Otakar Korec ordered to move to the front. The next posting with No I/3 Group de Chasse at S.P. Garre regulatrice Vénissieux was also announced to Lt Jindrich Bartos and Sergent Frantisek Glauder. Fajlt recalled to see Otakara Korec for the last time on that day.
A basic tactical unit of the French Air Force was the Groupe de Chasse (GC), consisting of two or three sqns. About twelve aircraft were in each squadron. An Escadre de Chasse consisted of two or three Groupes de Chasse. So No GC I/3 was the first Groupe de Chasse ie Sqn of No 3 Escadre ie Wing.
Korec-Bartos-Glauder posted to No I/3 GC
F/O Jindrich Bartos was born on Nov 16, 1911. Otakar´s classmate. They graduated from the Hranice Military Academy in 1935 as F/Os. He met his death on Feb 13, 1941 while practicing a mock dog fight over Talagre nr Prestatyne aged not 30. He was laid to rest to No 392 grave of the West Derby Cemetery in Liverpoool,
Sgt, following his commission P/O Frantisek Glauder was born on Oct 23, 1909. He lost his life on a training flight over a Coltishall station nr Norwich on Sep 13, 1942 aged nearly 33. He was burried into No 279 grave of the Scottow Cem (16)
All the aspects of life in France were affected even on the first day of a staggering Wehrmacht´s onslaught. The journey of the ´Three ´ - Korec, Bartos and Glauder to No I/3 Group de Chasse was influenced too. It took whole six days due to the unit´s moves and bombardment.
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L to R : Lts Hamsik and Korec at Chartres + Six-day journey of Otakar Korec to No GC I/3. Based on Frantisek Fajtl´s ´Recollection of the fallen comrades´ Book this map was made by the author.
May 11, 1940
Lts Korec, Bartos and Sgt Glauder left Chartres at 9.40 am and arrived at Lyon at 22.30 hrs.
May 12
At 09.00 hrs they departed to Venissieux by train. Their Squadron was not there. Having been sent to a Troyes marshalling railway station, at 14.10 hrs they were ordered there to go back to Dijon. Arriving at Dijon at 17.15 hrs Korec. Bartos and Glauder were welcomed by air-raid sirens.
May 13
They left for Troyes. Arriving there at about noon, the were told about cancellation of nearly all the trains. They entrained the one to Damblain after the midnight. At Troyes they were joined by Sous-Lieutenant Rochas posted to the same unit too. Our pilots welcomed his presence, Rochas was willing to gather all the needed information making their journey to No GC I/3 easier.
May 14
Departing at 00.25 hrs, they arrived at Damblain at 06.45 hrs. Not before at noon they were told of their unit´s move to Wez-Thuisy. At 17.45 hrs these four pilots left by car to the town of Nancy. Arriving there at 19.30 hrs they were caught by an air alarm and had to wait there till the morning.
May 15
They intended to join their unit which was to be stationed at Wez-Thuisy nr Reims. All the civilian trains were cancelled so they entrained a special Permission one. It stopped beyond the town of Vitry due to bombardment and afterwards was going very slowly between the stops.
May 16, 1940
Arriving at Reims 12.30 hrs they failed to find their squadron at Wez-Thuisy. They were told about its move to Meaux meanwhile, farther Southwards. They lent a car from the local HQ and set out for Paris. On the evening hours of May 16 they joined their unit at last. Lts Korec, Bartos and Sgt Glauder reported to the Group´s commander Cdt Thibaudet. After four days only ten Dewoitine D-520 fighter planes from original thirty ones were fit for action. The sqn suffered also causalties, four pilots were missing. Lt Otakar Korec and S/Lt Rochas were alotted to No 2 Flight, Lt Bartos and Sgt. Glauder to No 1 one (17)
No GC I/3 was the first unit equipped with Dewoitine D-520 aircraft. This was an only type able to match to German Messerschmitt Me 109s.
Despite such a tiring journey to the unit Korec saw action on the following day of May 17. On May 20 he set out for the town of Toulose by train to take a new Dewotine fighter plane there. Those were in scarcity in the French Air Force. Otakar flew her to GCI/3 on May 24 and went on operations on the following day.
´Each day prior to going to bed, sometimes also by day, F/O Korec took a small photo of a pretty Czech fair haired girl out of his chest pocket. A short glimpse into a black-haired girl´s smiling face sufficed and made him happy. He used to wish to be seen by her as sitting here wearing his overall fully allert as walking to an Officer Mess for his dinner clean and wearing his dark blue uniform incl a tie. His feelings of pride and conceit were left only to himself. Those were revaled only to the precious picture : ´Girl you can see what a warrior I am´ (18)
Otakar Korec belonged to the nineteen Czech pilots who flew D-520s in France. His No 126 aircraft was ´Blue Four´
The squadron usualy went on operations in twelve aircraft by four planes in three sections. Korec´s ´Blue Four´ placed him the fourth in the Blue Section. A Red Section was lead by the Sqn´s CO, the Blue Section by a commander of an A one and a B Section´s commander lead an Yellow one. Each Sqn had a call sign of its own. Blue Four ie the fourth ie the last aircraft in the Blue Section and the first from left within the Sqn´s layout. This plane also used to be under the utmost peril of a favorite dive of a Luftwaffe ´s Me 109 fighter plane out of sun or from dead astern. The German pilots flew their Me 109s in twos and protected each other from the latter.
On June 3, 1940 Czechoslovak pilots went on operations for the first time en masse. Luftwaffe´s air raids in large numbers of planes attacked the French rear. Their intention was to paralyze all the activity there and above all within the area of Paris. Fajtl described these days as fierce and uphill battle under strain to the limit. The pilots were in readiness for whole days and took off even five times a day.
´Enemy´s activity was coming to its peak hour by hour .Ota with his compatriots Lieutenant Jindrich Bartos and Sergent Glauder and their French comrades found themselves in irreconcilable dog fights. They opened fire, broke away, returned to attack again. There was no time to judge if adversary was downed or damaged. Who wanted to verify outcome of his own fire at, was shot downed himself. ´Where did you fire ?´ an inteligent wondered. ´In my opinion here´ replied Ota and pointed at the map. Identifying the exact spot in that fierce dogfights of a huge dimension was very difficult, often out of question. Ota did not care whether the kill was credited to someone else. His nature lacked desire for fame and Ota used to stay in the background modestly. On the evenings he told his picture everything : ´We gave a good fight with the Nazis I peppered them too´and he went to bed with satisfaction´.
On June 5 a German offensive on river of Somme was launched. Korec was stationed at a Meaux Esbly airfield about twenty kms from Paris. The order to patrol and encounter E/A over the area of Amiens was given by the Sqn´s CO at 0820 hrs. Nine D 520s in three sections and eighteen MS 406 in three ones were tasked to do so. Their take off was scheduled for 0845 hrs.
Nine D-520s belonging to Nos 1-2 Flights of GC1/3 took off at 0845 hrs. Lt Otakar Korec got airborne flying his No. 126 D-520 for a free chase. No I/3 GC was to patrol between Amiens and Abeville. Korec flew his ´Blue Four´ Dewoitine in an Adjutant Bourbon´s Section at 12500 ft over MS-406s. A top cover was provided by Sous-Lieutenant Salva´s Section. Twenty nine pilots flying their fighter planes in the sections at the altitude ranging from 6500 to 16500 ft started doing their task. Korec´ s D-520 flew to the left of the Bourbon´s one. (20)
Otakar Korec failed to return on that day. His aircraft was hit and plummeted aflame. Nobody had an idea whether Ota succeded in taking the silk and escape and if he would turn up in several days.
Korec´s fighter plane crashed about 450 yds from the village of Argoeuves located about 3 miles NW of Amiens. The pilot aged thirty one must have bailed before because his body was found by the locals as far as three hundred thirty yds from the D-520´s wreckage. Based on eyewitness of the locals after WWII Korec succeeded to bail in time but was shot dead by an assaulting German fighter pilot while his parachute coming down was. Lt Otakar Korec was burried by the locals in their cemetery. A metal Cz. Pilot´s badge and his helmet were fastened to a wooden cross erected by them. The helmet was hidden by a mayor under the German occupation. (21)
Pressed by the German onrush No GCI/3 was made to retreat repeatedly. On June 17 this unit landed on the air base of Perpignan in Southern France. No GCI/3 ceased to exist here. Three Cz pilots ammassed seventy hrs with this unit within this quite short time frame and achieved three sure kills as theirs as shared ones plus a probable (22).
Lt Otakar Korec was originally laid to rest in the cemetery of the village in the vicinity of which he had been killed in action.
From June 17, 1940 ie only twelve days following Korec´s death the armistice talks were opened. All the Czechoslovak troops were withdrawn from the action and a preparation for their UK-bound evacuation was launched. Capitulation of Francie was signed on June 22, 1940 and all the Cz troops in France were disbanded. Over four thousand Cz men in arms sailed to England.
Several years later Otakar Korec was re-interred in a churchyard of a near village Condé-Folie. In 1952 once more - in a Czechoslovak Section of the La Targette Military Cemetery. His grave was allotted No 174 here.
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Cz Section of La Targette Military Cem + Otakar Korec´s graveyard
Awards :
- Otakar Korec was posthumously promoted to F/O in force from Oct 28, 1938
- In memoriam to F/Lt from Oct 28, 1939
- Posthumously to Staff Cpt from May 1, 1940
- On Oct 10, 1940 he was awarded the Czechoslovak Military Cross 1939 in memoriam.
On June 4, 2005 a plaque was unveiled on a huge stone in Otakar Korec´s native town of Nejdek nr Carlsbad. The stone was erected on the spot where his house used to be -HERE The event occured nearly sixty five years after the pilot had been downed and killed in action
Assistence of both Mr Jaroslav Popelka and the archives´ staff was much appreciated by the author Mrs Marika Korcova in Oct 2013.