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.
Plaque Inscription:
Z TOHOTO DOMU V CERV-
NU 1939 ODEŠEL DO BOJE
ZA VLAST
ROTNÝ LETECTVA
JOSEF KOŠNAR
NAR. 3.IX.1916 V PECKÁCH.
DNE 5.VI.1940 PADL V LE-
TECKÉ BITVE V PROSTORU
U AMIENS VE FRANCII.
POLOŽIL SVUJ ŽIVOT V BOJI
PROTI NEPRÍTELI JAKO VER-
NÝ SYN SVÉ ZEME A STATECNÝ
OBHÁJCE NAŠICH SPOLEC-
NÝCH IDEÁLU A SVOBODY.
The memorial plaque is located on the wall of childhood home of Josef Košnar.
Josef Košnar (*03/09/16, Pecky - †05/06/40, Amiens) was a Czech pilot, a member of Armé del Air . He was shot down during combat patrol, in MS406 no 144, near Camronne.
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JOSEF KOŠNAR
3. 9. 1916 Pecky – 5. 6. 1940 Francie
Josef Košnar se puvodne vyucil strojním zámecníkem, v roce 1937 uspel v konkurzu zamereném na piloty turistických letadel. Jako mnoho dalších odbojáru utíká v roce 1939 do Polska a dále do Francie. Tady absolvoval výcvik k zarazení do funkce operacní pilot-stíhac. Potom je zarazen na vlastní žádost k jednotce III/7 v hodnosti Caporal – chief.
Dne 5. 6. 1940 se zúcastnil úkolového letu na frontu v prostoru Amiens, z kterého se nevrátil. Dodatecne bylo zjišteno, že zahynul pri leteckém souboji s neprítelem, jeho letoun Morane 406 videli svedci padat v plamenech k zemi. Po válce došlo k exhumování Košnarových ostatku a ty pak byly preneseny na vojenský hrbitov v Arrasu do hrobu c. 175.
V roce 1947 obdržel letec in memoriam Ceskoslovenský válecný kríž 1939 a byl povýšen do hodnosti štábní rotmistr letectva. Josef Košnar má v Peckách pametní desku na rodném dome a podle neho je rovnež pojmenována jedna z místních ulic.