CZECH AIRMEN

Evening Star, Issue 23811, 15 February 1941, Page 11

CZECH AIRMEN

ONE THOUSAND !N BRITAIN MANY HARD BLOWS STRUCK AT ENEMY (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 13. Czecho-Slovak airmen stationed in Britain, who .already number about 1,000, while many more are being trained, have struck hard at the enemy during the past six months. They have taken part in the bombing of Berlin and 24 places in the Ruhr, in North-western Germany, and enemyoccupied territory. Their fighters shot down 44 enemy planes, or 59 including probables. PART OF R.A.F. The Czecho-Slovak Air Force comprises bombing and fighting squadrons, and over 40 Czecho-Slovak pilots are distributed among the various English squadrons, whereas the Czecho-Slovak Army has been constituted as an independent body working in conjunction with the British Army. The Air Force is under British command. The squadron leaders, however, are Czechoslovak, and a Czecho-Slovak inspectorate has been set up in the Air Ministry. The language used in the service is English. ADVENTUROUS ESCAPES. Most of the pilots come from Prance, though some reached England from Czecho-Slovakia, via Scandinavia, before the outbreak of war. Many had adventurous escapes, including some who lied to Poland, where they fought against the Germans, and then reached France, via the Balkans, Turkey, and Syria. There they reformed into fighting units, but they had to flee a third time when France collapsed. Some of them simply crossed the Channel, while others had to go via North Africa. Here they were given new training. Though the language difficulties were they were soon overcome, and within a few weeks they went into action. Hurricanes flown by Czecho-Slovak pilots scored the best bag in the great air battle over London.