Remembrance ceremony for the 'Czech cloverleaf' in the Battle of Britain Museum in Kent
25.09.2024 / 13:24 | Aktualizováno: 30.09.2024 / 13:35
On Tuesday, 24th September, the Czech Defence Attaché, Brigadier General Vratislav Beran, visited the Battle of Britain Museum in Kent, to celebrate four Czechoslovak WWII fighter pilots: Josef František, Josef Balejka, Matěj Pavlovič and Wilhelm Kosarz. Those four formed a "Czech cloverleaf" within the 303 Squadron and hugely helped it to become the most prominent of all Polish squadrons, with just Josef František shooting down 17 enemy planes in 28 days and being awarded not only the Distinguished Flying Cross with bar, but also Polish Virtuti Militari and Czech Order of the White Lion (in memoriam).
This October marks the 110th anniversary of Josef František's birthday and therefore whole group from his birthplace, Otaslavice, arrived to the museum to lay flowers at the memorial of the four. The Speeches by the Mayor of Otaslavice, Mr. Hýbl, Mr. Ambros (KVH Otaslavice), Brig. Gen. Beran (the DA) and Group Captain Jim Nichols were augmented by traditional regional songs and videos about Otaslavice and Josef František.
The Defence Attaché also used this opportunity to lay wreaths to Battle of Britain Memorial in Capel-le-Ferne and Josef František's memorial in Epsom, place of his fatal crash