| CAST | Czech And Slovak Things | http://www.geocities.ws/czechandslovakthings/ |
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There are graves of Czechoslovak servicemen, mostly airmen, scattered throughout Britain. The sites shown below are some of the few I have visited. Brookwood
Cemetery The military cemetery at Brookwood, Surrey (just to the west of Woking) contains the graves of 48 Czechoslovaks who died while serving in Britain. Most of these, 45, are in the Czechoslovak section around a memorial to all Czechoslovak servicemen buried in the UK. The other 3 are in the RAF section a short distance away, easily distinguished by the characteristic shape of the Czechoslovak gravestones. Just outside the military cemetery is an area containing more than 60 graves of other Czechoslovaks who served with their forces and lived in Britain after the war. As well as access by road there is also a pedestrian entrance from Brookwood railway station on the north side of the military cemetery.
Pinner New Cemetery
N2771 Wellington KX-H Returning with heavy damage from a raid on Bremen, the aircraft collided with the cable of a barrage balloon and crashed on the tennis courts at Bentley Priory, Stanmore, headquarters of Fighter Command. The five crew members listed above were killed and are buried together in a communal grave, G4-17. A sixth, Por.F.Truhlář, survived, although with serious burns. Josef Strankmuller, nephew of Colonel Emil Strankmuller (a senior Czechoslovak intelligence officer), was selected to attend a training course at the Special Training School near Loch Morar, Scotland (STS 25). At this time the school was dedicated to running courses preparing Czechoslovak soldiers who would then form teams parachuted into Czechoslovakia for intelligence and resistance organisation purposes. Crossing a fast flowing 'torrent' during an exercise his foot caught between rocks and the force of water knocked him over, breaking his leg between knee and ankle. Alone, his partner was unable to help him, and by the time more assistance arrived Strankmuller was already dead. Northwood Cemetery
Although most Czechoslovak airmen served in the four Czechoslovak squadrons, some also served with other RAF units, including those of other allied nations. Sergeant Josef František was one of these men. Having joined the Czechoslovak Air Force in 1934, after the German invasion of the 'rump' Czechoslovakia in March 1939 František crossed the border to Poland in June. Originally intending to take a ship to France and join the Foreign Legion along with many other Czechoslovaks, František and a few others decided instead to take up an offer to join the Polish forces, continuing to serve as a pilot. After the invasion of Poland he flew to Romania and was interned, escaped, took a ship to Beiruit and from there to Marseille, arriving on the 20th October 1939. In France he remained with the Poles as a pilot and was supposedly credited with around 10 'kills' (along with several damaged aircraft), although details are not clear. With the fall of France he took a Polish ship from Bordeaux on 18th June 1940, landing at Falmouth 3 days later. František was sent to the Polish Depot, then on 2nd August to Northolt to join 303 (Polish) Squadron. After a short period of training on their Hurricane Mk.I aircraft, the squadron was thrown into action at the end of August. From the 2nd to 30th September František was credited with 17 certain 'kills' and one 'probable', being one of the most successful pilots in the Battle of Britian from any allied nation, and was awarded a number of Polish, French and British medals including the DFM (being the first foreigner in the RAF to receive this honour), later with bar. At 9.40am on 8th October 1940 Josef František was killed when his Hurricane R4175 "RF-R" crashed in Cuddington Way, Ewell,Surrey, while returning with the squadron from a 'routine' early morning patrol above the Essex coast. The reasons for the crash remain unclear. He was buried two days later in the Polish section of the cemetery at Northwood. For more details on František try.....
Flying with 242 Squadron from North Weald, Tomáš Kozák crashed during an operational night flight in co-operation with searchlight units at Duxford airfield. He is buried in the small military section of the graveyard at St.Andrew's Church, North Weald Basset, close to the airfield. At the old airfield entrance there is a memorial, dedicated on 3rd September 2000, to those airmen and women who served and lost their lives based at the airfield. There is also a commemorative obelisk on behalf of the two Norweigian squadrons based there during the Second World War, dedicated 'in gratitude to the Royal Air Force, to the RAF Station North Weald, and to the people of the district'.
With his squadron based at Churchstanton (just south of Taunton) and flying his Spitfire on a training flight practising an attack on a railway, the wing of his aircraft struck the rear wagon of a moving train not far from Taunton station (another source says Wellington). Buried in the cemetery of St. Mary's Church (in fact in the outskirts of the town on the A38 road to Wellington), grave number 2-5354 (the other source says 8346). No plan available at cemetery, but see map above.
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