Spitfire replica unveiled marking 70th anniversary of return of Czechoslovak WWII airmen

A full-size replica of a Spitfire, the legendary fighter plane and symbol of the Battle of Britain in WWII was unveiled at Hradčanské náměstí by Prague Castle on Friday to mark the 70th anniversary of the return of Czechoslovak airmen. The unveiling ceremony was attended by Prague Cardinal Dominik Duka, veterans and others. Pilots who served in the RAF returned to Prague not immediately in May of 1945 but in August. When the communists came to power in 1948 the airmen were portrayed as enemies of the state, jailed and persecuted. Some 2,500 had served in the RAF.

Author: Jan Velinger