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 Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (
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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 (
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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.
Václav Jícha (* 10/02/14, Dnešice, Plzen - † 01/02/45, Turflaw, Scotland).
His two year compulsory military service commenced on 1 October 1935, and he was sent to the 64th Squadron of the 3rd Air Regiment ‘General M. R. Štefánik’ at Pieštany airbase in Slovakia.
Václav was selected for military pilot training and on 1 July 1936 he was sent on the training course to the Military Aviation Academy at Prostejov. He graduated from the course on 31 March 1937, with the rank of svobodník (LAC) and was posted for further training with the 43rd Fighter Squadron of the 1st ‘T.G. Masaryk’ Air Regiment at Prague-Kbely airbase.
Like many of his fellow airmen Václav could not accept the occupation and sought to help in the liberation of his homeland. It was rumoured that Czechoslovak military units were being formed in Poland under Gen. Ludvík Svoboda.
On the night of 13/14 May 1939 he escaped to Poland, then he continued to France. On arrival in France the Czechoslovak airmen were required join the French Foreign Legion for a five year period with the agreement that should war be declared they would be transferred to French military units.
He was assigned to GC I/6. GC I 6 took part in numerous aerial combats during the Battle of France and achieved modest combat success. During the six week battle, Václav flew 70 operational hours and achieved combat-success. When France capitulated, the Czechoslovak airmen were released from l’Armée de l’Air service.
On his arrival in England, Václav was accepted into the RAF Volunteer Reserve, at the rank of Sgt, and on 6 August, was posted to 310 (Czechoslovak) Sqn. On 1 March 1941 he was promoted to the rank of F/Sgt. Václav remained with 17 Sqn until 27 May 1941 when he was posted to the newly formed 313 (Czechoslovak) Sqn at Catterick. Václav was commissioned, as P/O, on 29 April 1941. During this period he had achieved four shared victories and 1 damaged.
His operational tour was completed on 17 August 1942 and Václav was then posted as a test pilot to 9 Maintenance Unit. On 1 February 1945, Václav was aboard a Avro Anson NK945 for a training cross-country flight. The aircraft took off at about 14:15 from RAF Kinloss en route to Berwick on Tweed, south-east of Edinburgh. The aircraft was piloted by F/Lt R.D. Fergusson with Václav as co-pilot and P/O A.S. Davidson, a flight engineer, as passenger. No more was to be heard from the aircraft.
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Plaque Inscription:
V tomto dome žil
a odtud odešel bojovat za vlast
pilot
plk. Václav Jícha DFC, AFC
* Dnešice 10.2.1914 + Soutra Hill, Skotsko 1.2.1945
The memorial plaque is located on the wall of house where Václav Jicha lived.