W/C Alois Vašátko - Celakovice, Czech Republic - Specific Veteran Memorials on Waymarking.com

About Czechoslovak pilots during WWII
On 15 March 1939 Germany occupied Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), the Luftwaffe confiscated all Czechoslovak Air Force aircraft. Emigration was strictly controlled and former air force personnel were not allowed to leave the country. But many Czechoslovak airmen got themselves smuggled into Poland. Of these a few joined the Polish Air Force but most continued to France. (visit link)

After France capitulated to Germany on 22 June 1940, many Czechoslovak airmen escaped to the United Kingdom. The RAF quickly created new squadrons formed of Czechoslovak pilots. The first fighter unit was No. 310 Squadron RAF (visit link) and immediately joined in the Battle of Britain (visit link) . A bomber unit, No. 311 Squadron RAF (visit link) a further Czechoslovak fighter units No. 312 Squadron (visit link) and No. 313 Squadron (visit link) soon followed.

Many of the Czechoslovak pilots died during WWII. Their memorials are located in many places in Western Europe, but also in Czech Republic.




Alois Vašátko DFC (25 August 1908 – 23 June 1942) was a Czechoslovak artillery officer who became an air force pilot. In the Second World War he was a fighter ace, first in the French Air Force in the Battle of France and then in the Royal Air Force.

In the French Air Force Vašátko shot down at last 12 enemy aircraft in May and June 1940. In the RAF he shot down another 14 enemy aircraft between October 1940 and his death in June 1942. He commanded No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF from June 1941 and RAF Fighter Command's Czechoslovak fighter wing from May 1942.

France awarded Vašátko the Croix de guerre 1939–1945 with seven palms, two gold stars and one silver star, and made him a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. The United Kingdom awarded him the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Vašátko was killed in action in June 1942 by a mid-air collision over the English Channel between his Supermarine Spitfire and an enemy Focke-Wulf Fw 190.

Source and more information: (visit link)
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Plaque Inscription:
ZDE SE NARODIL
25. VIII. 1908
ŠTKPT. ALOIS VAŠÁTKO
VELITEL
CSL. LETEC. STIH. PERUTI
V ANGLII
PADL V BOJI ZA VLAST
DNE 23. VI. 1942

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Date Logged Log User Rating   05/28/2019 zdezde visited it