Related articles

Czech LifeAn Englishwoman who has lived in Prague for over six decades – ‘war bride’ Ivy Kovandová

Ivy Kovandová is one of the few remaining so-called war brides in the Czech Republic. ‘War brides’ are Englishwomen who married Czechoslovak pilots or soldiers stationed in the UK during WWII – an estimated 10,000 soldiers and about 2,500 pilots from Czechoslovakia fought alongside the allies, and many of them married local women. Some of those women accompanied their husbands back to their native land after the war. But most left Czechoslovakia due to the strain that the arrival of the communist regime placed on their lives, or simply because they felt lost and homesick. Ivy Kovandová, however, still lives in her cozy apartment in Prague’s Vršovice neighborhood and says she has never even considered leaving. Just a few weeks ago, she celebrated her 90th birthday. I recently visited Ivy at her home, where she told me all about her adventurous life over cake and coffee. More

Current AffairsCommonwealth representatives mark Remembrance Day in Prague

The military section of Prague’s Olšany Cemetery filled with foreign uniforms on Sunday as soldiers of the Commonwealth of Nations marked Remembrance Day, and commemorated the sacrifices of their countrymen who lost their lives on Czech territory during the Second World War. More

NewsRAF Museum marks Czechoslovak pilots in Battle of Britain

From the ArchivesCzechs, Slovaks and Poles among “The Few”

When Nazi Germany occupied Bohemia and Moravia in March 1939, many Czech and Slovak professional soldiers and airmen decided to escape from the country, rather than hand over arms to the Germans. Six months later war broke out and many of them joined the French armed forces. When France was occupied, they escaped to Britain. This was how the Royal Air Force’s 310 and 312 Czechoslovak Fighter Squadrons came to be set up in July and August 1940, and they went on to play an important role in the Battle of Britain. They were also joined by the 311 Bomber Squadron. Just before Christmas in 1942, the BBC’s Czech service broadcast a special programme featuring the airmen and their British and Polish colleagues to help raise morale back home. More

SpecialUnique WWII recordings found in an attic

Every year in May, ceremonies take place on town and village squares across the Czech Republic to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II. Since the fall of communism, a particular effort has been made to remember the Czechs and Slovaks who fought in the British armed forces, whose role was long neglected by the communist regime. Recently rediscovered recordings offer a unique and highly atmospheric insight into the life of the Czechoslovak RAF pilots. David Vaughan has more. More

Czech HistoryThe story of a Czech WW II airman and his remarkable dog

Many countries have had famous war animals, one remembered in Great Britain this year was Antis, an Alsatian belonging to Czech airman Václav Robert Bozděch. 60 years ago, in 1949, the animal was awarded the PDSA Dickin medal, the animals’ Victoria Cross, for bravery and outstanding service during World War II. The dog and his owner, part of a six-man crew, flew more than 30 bombing missions over occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, evading formidable German defences, always lucky to make it back. As his and his owner’s fame grew, Antis went from being a valued mascot for his crew, to a symbol of courage for all in the RAF. More

Current AffairsOne of last surviving Czech WWII airmen Jan “Fighter” Wiener dies at 90

Jan Wiener, a hero of World War II, has died in Prague at the age of 90. Mr Wiener fought with Britain’s RAF before, like many of his peers, being imprisoned by the Communists after the war. Charismatic and a wonderful storyteller, he had in recent times been sharing his remarkable experiences with today’s young generation. More

NewsCzech foreign minister honours WWII Czechoslovak troops in UK

Czechs in HistoryThe story of a Czech WW II airman and his remarkable dog

Many countries have had famous war animals, one remembered in Great Britain this year was Antis, an Alsatian belonging to Czech airman Václav Robert Bozděch. 60 years ago, in 1949, the animal was awarded the PDSA Dickin medal, the eqivalent of the Victoria Cross, for bravery and outstanding service during World War II. The dog and his owner, part of a six-man crew, flew more than 30 bombing missions over occupied Europe and Nazi Germany, evading formidable German defences, always lucky to make it back. As his and his owner’s fame grew, Antis went from being a valued mascot for his crew, to a symbol of courage for all in the RAF. More

Current AffairsCzech World War II pilot dies aged 88

Early Thursday morning, Brigadier Stanislav Hlučka, a revered Czech pilot who served in the RAF during the Second World War, died aged 88 in a military hospital in Prague. We take brief a look at the life of this much-decorated anti-Nazi resistance fighter, who found himself imprisoned by the communists after the 1948 coup.  More