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Three nicknames of Major Gen Vlastimil Vesely DFC AFC

Birthday centenary of the town of Jicin´s honorary citizen.

On Sep 20, 1913 was born Vlastimil Vesely, who left his flat at No 470 Argonska St in the town of Jicin for WWII´s campaigns, as well as his brother Erazim.  Mr Ivan Medek wrote in his preface to the ´Towards the stars and into the clouds´ book the words ´Major General DFC AFC belonged to the most imporant Cz airmen of BoB…´                                                                                                                              The most of the Czechoslovak airmen left their Motherland to fight Hitler via Poland and France on the assumption that the war against Hitler was inevitable. Though having their wives, lovers, fiancees at home, they went, loyal to their Oath. A domicile of Jicin is seen on a Vlastimil´s passport photo taken by a Polish portrait photographer in the town of Krakow. This man was a Gestapo Secret Police agent so a complete amount of info on our pilots was had by the Germans ! 

Having signed for the Foreign Legion, Vlastimil sailed to Africa first. He was promissed to enter the French Air Force as soon as the war broke out. The events took this course and on July 5, 1940 Vlastimil chalked up the only victory of Czechoslovak airmen over the Italian AF. He attacked an Italian Savoia Marichetti 79 bomber near the Cape of Bon over the waves of the Mediterranean. He was awarded the French Military Cross for this kill.

After the fall of France Vlastimil together with other Cz airmen got to England via Casablanka and Gib. He could wage his war here at last. Trained for nocturnal ops in the 30s, his wish came true and he was posted to No 96 Night Fighter Sqn stationed at Cranage. On the night of Mar 12, 1941 was Vlastimil shot down by a Luftwaffe He 111 bomber due to inexperience and youth of his gunner. He did not react to his pilot´s orders to open fire. Vlastimil´s brother Erazim , who served as a navigator with No 311 bomber Sqn, was downed seven months later. They both survived the war, but Vlastimil could resume flying following his recovery. He was glad to be assigned to No 68 British-Czechoslovak Night Fighter Sqn late 1941 and later he also became a CO of its Cz Flight. Vlastimil flew extraordinary twin-engine aircraft Beaufighter with this unit and achieved his first achievements and kills of importace. On Apr 30, 1942 he downed four German aircraft and damaged another. On Jul 24 he gave a chase to a new type of Heinkel 177 German aircraft as far as to Holland. This uncommon ship was downed also thanks to Vlastimil´s outstanding radar operator Necas there.                                              

Pilots were assessed not only by the number of their kills, but also by the amount of their flying hours and abilitity of command. Having completed his flying Vlastimil was assigned to the Empire Flying School on Jan 12, 1944. Assessed exceptional, he placed the fourth from fourty three ones ! Later Vlastimil worked at the London Cz AF Inspectorate. During the 1945-46 time frame he was a Cz Air Attaché in Paris. Having promoted to W/C Vlastimil was appointed a CO of a Plzen Air Regiment on May 15, 1946. Following the Feb 25, 1948 Communist coup he was warned by his classmate – a Military Intelligence Service´s member. So Vlastimil left his country again and on Nov 8, 1948 was re-enlisted in the RAF. He served there till his retirement in 1968. He took a liking to living in Australia where he lived till his dying day of Dec 12, 2001.                                                                                                                       

Vlastimil was nicknamed ´Atya´by the sportsmen of Jicin, ´Heytman´by the airmen and ´Bill´abroad. On Mar 7, 1992 he was promoted Major General. A honorary citizenship of the town of Jicin was awarded to him in 1993 and afterwards Atya sent a symbolic Australian bumerang to a Jicin Mayor Mr Matyeyka….

Jaroslav Vesely