Sgt. Vlastimil Machácek - Prague, 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 Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (visit link) . 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:
Z TOHOTO DOMU ODEŠEL
ROKU 1939 DO ZAHRANICÍ
CSL LETEC VLASTIMIL MACHÁCEK
BOJOVAL A PADL ZA SVOU VLAST
VE VEKU 34 LET V ANGLII 24.IV.1942
CEST JEHO JMÉNU, PRÁCI I PAMÁTCE.

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Vlastimil Machácek (25. 4. 1908 - 25. 4. 1942) byl synem inspektora Císarsko-královské železné dráhy v Ceské Trebové. Když otce v roce 1911 preložili na pražské reditelství, celá rodina se prestehovala do Prahy. Vlastimil se vyucil u firmy Kolben-Danek. Jako vyucený také krátce v této továrne pracoval. Zamestnání prerušil odchod na povinnou vojenskou službu. V jejím prubehu se rozhodl pro novou životní dráhu – vojáka z povolání. V roce 1927 nastoupil do školy leteckého dorostu v Prostejove, kterou ukoncil v roce 1929 hodností desátník – letec. Po studiu byl prevelen do Prahy k 1. leteckému pluku T.G. Masaryka jako stíhací pilot. Zde absolvoval v roce 1931 kurs nocního létání na jehož konci je jmenován polním pilotem a povýšen do hodnosti cetare-pilota.

Po obsazení republiky nemeckou armádou se dlouho nerozmýšlel a odešel do zahranicí bojovat proti okupantum. Do Anglie se dostal oklikou pres Polsko, Turecko, Sýrii a Egypt. Brzy po svém príchodu je prijat do rad RAF. Zapojil se do operacních letu 1. nocní stíhací perute. Absolvoval tri lety nad Kanál a okupovanou Francii. Ctvrtý let již nedokoncil. Jeho letoun Hurricane c. BE – 573 se ztratil z obrazovek radiolokátoru a již nikdy se nenašel. Rotmistr Vlastimil Machácek byl prohlášen za nezvestného, pravdepodobne mrtvého. Je vzpomenut na panelu c. 88 v památníku letcu v Runnymede (Anglie). Za bojovou cinnost byl vyznamenán Ceskoslovenským válecným krížem 1939 a Polským válecným krížem.

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