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. The monuments have different shapes and sizes. One of the typical forms is the memorial plaque located on the houses where the pilot was born or where they lived for some time.
Plaque Inscription:
ZDE ŽIL ŠTÁBNÍ ROTMISTR – PILOT
CS. LETECTVA VE VELKÉ BRITÁNII
KAREL WEISS
*28.12.1909 †21.1.1942
POLOŽIL SVUJ ŽIVOT V BOJI PROTI NEPRÍTELI
JAKO VERNÝ SYN SVÉ VLASTI A STATECNÝ
OBHÁJCE NAŠÍ CTI, IDEÁLU A SVOBODY.
CEST JEHO JMÉNU I PAMÁTCE
OBCANÉ SOBEŠIC
Karel Weiss (* 28.12.1909 Brno-Sobešice – † 21.1.1942 North Sea at Helgoland), Colonel in memoriam.
In the first half of 1941 he moved to Operational Training Squadron of 311th Bomber Squadron in East Wretham.
Karel Weiss flew as 2nd pilot of the Wellington KX-D bomber (DV515) to air raid to Bremen (the captain of the airplane was Sgt Miroslav Plecitý, the navigator Zdenek Skorepa, the radio operator Sgt Stanislav Rouš, the front shooter Sgt Ladislav Nemecek and the rear shooter Sgt Cenek Král).
Upon return, his airplane was probably shot down by a German fighter, crashed into the ocean and the entire crew perished. Flyers' bodies were never found.
Source and more information: (
visit link)
=========================================================
Do cs. zahranicního vojska byl prezentován 14. 4. 1940 v Marseille. Osobní císlo: Z; F-2889; RAF/787819.
Po príchodu z Francie do Velké Británie byl odeslán koncem srpna 1940 na základnu RAF v Hendonu, kde zahájil zdokonalovací pilotní výcvik. V první polovine roku 1941 prešel k Operacní výcvikové letce 311. cs. bombardovací perute v East Wrethamu, kde prodelal pilotní výcvik na bombardovacím letounu Wellington.
V srpnu 1941 pak prešel k operacní letce "tristajedenáctky" a od pocátku zárí do 21. 1. 1942 uskutecnil 14 operacních letu ve funkci druhého pilota. Práve 21. 1. 1942 W/O (v cs. hodnosti štábní rotmistr) K. Weiss letel jako 2. pilot bombardéru Wellington KX-D (DV515) k náletu na Brémy (kapitánem letounu byl F/Sgt Miroslav Plecitý, navigátorem F/O Zdenek Skorepa, radiotelegrafistou Sgt Stanislav Rouš, predním strelcem Sgt Ladislav Nemecek a zadním strelcem Sgt Cenek Král).
Pri návratu byl Plecitého letoun nad Severním morem severozápadne od Helgolandu pravdepodobne sestrelen nemeckým stíhacem, zrítil se do vody a celá osádka zahynula. Tela letcu nebyla nikdy nalezena.