Remembering Karel Kuttelwascher

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If my father-in-law Karel Kuttelwascher (whom I never met) had not died in 1959 but was still alive, he would have been 95 today. This morning, in the village where he was born – Svaty Kriz, near Havlickuv Brod, in what is now the Czech Republic – a memorial stone was unveiled in the presence of his twin daughter, Vee (my wife) and Mari.

According to a phone call from Vee, there was a substantial attendance with both radio and television plus a band. There was even a flypast from two Gripen jets. Vee made a short speech – in Czech.

The reason for his memory still being so potent in his native country is that Karel Kuttelwascher – known simply as Kut to his wartime comrades in the Royal Air Force – was the top-scoring Czech fighter pilot of World War II with 18 confirmed kills. You can read a summary of his exploits here.

Of course, he was not alone. Some 2,000 Czechs and Slovaks served with the RAF in the course of the war. You can check out an article on their brave record of service here.

Footnote (25/9/11): A report and a set of photographs on this Czech web site.

© 2011 Roger Darlington

A biography of Karel Kuttelwascher is here

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Slideshow photo’s by kind courtesy of Czech Spitfire Club

Czech TV coverage of the event here

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Jan Sigmund

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Jan SIGMUND

* 21/09/1923
† 08/09/2011

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With sadness we must advise that

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LAC Jan SIGMUND [788323]

WW2 Fitter II E with 312 Sqn. RAF

died

after a long illness on 8 September 2011 at Newcastle, UK.

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Po dlouhé nemoci dne 8. září 2011 v Newcastle ve Velké Británii

zemřel

LAC Jan SIGMUND [788323]

příslušník 312 perutě. RAF. Mechanik II E

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Rest in Peace

Čest jeho památce

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Pavel Dreveny

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Pavel Dřevěný

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* 8 February 1916

† 13 July 1944

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Pavel Dřevěný was born on 8 February 1916 in the village of Dolní Bojanovice, about 8 miles West of Hodonín in Moravia. At the time of his birth this was part of the Austro Hungarian Empire, but after the end of World War 1 it was now in the newly formed country of Czechoslovakia.

By the time he was 11, the worldwide depression of 1926 was having a serious economical effect on his village. His family, along with other families from the village decided that they would emigrate to Canada.

The Dřevěný family travelled to Margo, a small settlement in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan where there was an existing Czech community. The family wanted to farm there but conditions there were very difficult and much hard work was required to cut down and clear trees to before they could build a dwelling and farm the land. The weather was harsh and the long winters meant it was only possible to sow corn in mid May which had to be harvested before the snow came during September. The harsh conditions initially took its toll on the new Czech farmers but those who managed to hold out were able to improve their farms and gradually prosper. These conditions formulated Pavel to become a industrious and hard working young man.

After leaving school he went to work as a mechanic at ‘Pacific Ocean’, a nearby wood working factory. Shortly after WW2 broke out, Pavel went to work at an armament factory in Toronto.

Although many of the Czechoslovaks in Canada were now Canadian citizens they still had strong ties with their homeland now under Nazi occupation. Some of the Czech émigrés started fund raising to help raise finance to support the Czechoslovak military who were fighting in England and Russia. On 26 June 1942 the Czechoslovak émigré community in Margo had a meeting which was attended by Čeněk Hutník, the Commander of the Czechoslovak Military Mission in Montreal. were he gave a presentation about the lack of men in the Czechoslovak military forces in England. Pavel Dřevěný and his friend Josef Kubát were the first to volunteer.

Czechoslovak recruits from the emigre community in Canada.

Czechoslovak recruits from the emigre community in Canada.

In December 1942 Pavel left home to join the military. He took his front door key with him as a ‘good luck’ token. On 1 January 1943 Pavel was in Montreal and with his friend Josef Kubát, they enlisted into the Air Force. They were first sent to England for basic training. On completion of this they were then sent to 111 OTU, based in the Bahamas for air-crew training. They were based at ‘Windsor Field’ airfield where they commenced training as air gunners on four engined Liberator aircraft. During the training period, 111 OTU was on parade and inspected by the Duke of Windsor who was the Governor of the Bahamas.

111 OTU being inspected by the Duke of Windsor, 24/02/44.

Pavel completed his training, and with the rank of Sergeant, returned to England and was posted to 311 Sqn., based at Predannack. The role of 311 Sqn was to protect the Western end of the English Channel from enemy shipping and also anti-submarine patrols in the Bay of Biscay.

On 13 July 1944, shortly after Pavel arrived at Predannack, 3 Liberators, BZ717, BZ732 and FL966 took-off for a anti submarine patrol in the Bay of Biscay. Liberator, BZ717 ‘L’, was crewed by W/O Ludvík Košek, pilot, F/O Karel Novotný, co-pilot, Sgt. Jan Hornung, navigator, W/O Václav Tarantík, WO/AG, F/Sgt Rudolf Němeček, WO/AG, Sgt Václav Čapek, WO/AG, Sgt Ján Filip, WO/AG, Sgt Pavel Dřevěný, AG, Sgt Miloslav Maňašek, Flt/Eng.

Due to bad weather the patrol had to be aborted and the aircraft re-called. As Predannack was fog-bound the aircraft had to be diverted to RAF Exeter. Two of the Liberators, flown by W/O Karel Pospichal and F/O Leo Linhart landed there safely. However Liberator BZ717 was not so fortunate. For some reason W/O Ludvík Košek decided to instead of flying to Exeter at a safe height through the clouds with the assistance of radar and navigational aides, he tried to descend below the clouds to identify his position where he encountered fog. He was flying at a height of approximately 80 metres in a hilly area. At 13:15 the aircraft hit a hill, near the village of Marlborough, crashed and caught fire. There were no survivors from the crash.

The crew, with the exception of Sgt Miloslav Maňašek, were buried at Weston Hill cemetery, Plymouth.

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Not Forgotten – France

Pihen-les-Guines Communal cemetery, Pas de Calais

There are now over 30, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, a small number are unidentified.

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FEJFAR Stanislav, 29, F/Lt, 313 Sqn., Pilot

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* 25/11/12, Štikov, Jičín

† 17/05/42, Boulogne, France

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Shot down, in Spitfire Vb, RY-S BL973, between Guines and Audembert, France, by fighters while escorting bombers on raid to Boulogne.

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Grave ref: Row C. Grave 8.

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A symbolic urn, No 45, is also interred at the Airman’s Memorial, Prostějov, Czech Republic

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Pihen-les-Guines is a village 10 kilometres south-south-west of Calais and about 3 kilometres east of the main road from Calais to Boulogne. Pihen-les-Guines Communal Cemetery is on the south side of the village.

GPS Location:- N 50 52 15, E 01 47 19

View Map Location

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Calais Canadian War Cemetery, Leubringhen, Pas de Calais

Calais was liberated by the Canadian First Army early in September 1944 as they advanced up the French coast into Belgium in pursuit of retreating German forces. Most of the burials in the cemetery relate to this period of fighting. Calais Canadian War Cemetery contains 704 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 30 of them unidentified. There are also six Czech and 19 Polish war graves.

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KULHÁNEK Jaroslav, 34, F/Lt, 124 Sqn., Pilot

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* 03/11/07, Prague

† 13/03/42, North France

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Shot down in Spitfire Vb ON-L BL758, near Offrethun, 10km SouthEast of Boulogne, France.

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Grave ref: 3. E. 3.

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Leubringhen is a village halfway between Calais and Boulogne. The Calais Canadian War Cemetery is on the east side of the Calais-Boulogne road (A16/E402), 14 kilometres from Calais. From Calais, leave the motorway at Junction 9 and head towards St Inglevert. From St Inglevert take the D244 road for Leubringhen. After approximately 1 kilometre, take the first left turn, which will take you over the motorway, and follow the road for approximately 250 metres. The cemetery parking area will be found on the left.

GPS Location:- N 50 51 41, E 01 44 20

View Map Location

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Boulogne Eastern Cemetery

Boulogne, was one of the three base ports most extensively used by the Commonwealth armies on the Western Front throughout the First World War. It was closed and cleared on the 27 August 1914 when the Allies were forced to fall back ahead of the German advance, but was opened again in October and from that month to the end of the war, Boulogne and Wimereux formed one of the chief hospital areas. Until June 1918, the dead from the hospitals at Boulogne itself were buried in the Cimetiere de L’Est, one of the town cemeteries, the Commonwealth graves forming a long, narrow strip along the right hand edge of the cemetery. In the spring of 1918, it was found that space was running short in the Eastern Cemetery in spite of repeated extensions to the south, and the site of the new cemetery at Terlincthun was chosen. During the Second World War, hospitals were again posted to Boulogne for a short time in May 1940. The town was taken by the Germans at the end of that month and remained in their hands until recaptured by the Canadians on 22 September 1944. Boulogne Eastern Cemetery contains 5,577 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 224 from the Second World War. The Commonwealth plots were designed by Charles Holden.

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KAUER Jaroslav, 25, F/Sgt, 310 Sqn., Pilot

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* 08/03/19, Dlouhomilov, Šumperk

† 23/12/44, Bologne, France

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Missing during combat patrol near Bolougne, France, his Spitfire IXc F, MH8322 crashed into English Channel.

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Grave ref: Plot 10. Row B. Grave 14A

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A symbolic urn, No 31, is also interred at the Airman’s Memorial, Prostějov, Czech Republic

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PAVLOVIČ Matěj, 26, F/Lt, 303 Sqn., Pilot

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* 07/03/15, Vlkovice, Horažďovice

† 20/04/41, English Channel

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Shot down at 27,000 ft. near Le Tourquet, France in Spitfire IIA RF-V, P7859.

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Grave ref: 26 Plot XIII Row A Grave 19

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A symbolic urn, No 15, is also interred at the Airman’s Memorial, Prostějov, Czech Republic

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ZAUF Miloslav, 25, Sgt, 313 Sqn., Pilot

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* 01/01/15, Brodek u Přerova, Přerov

† 18/03/42, North France

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Shot down, in a Spitfire VB, AA869, near Boulogne, France.

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Grave ref: Plot 12. Row E. Grave 8.

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Boulogne-sur-Mer is a large Channel port. Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, one of the town cemeteries, lies in the district of St Martin Boulogne, just beyond the eastern (Chateau) corner of the Citadel (Haute-Ville). The cemetery is a large civil cemetery, split in two by the Rue de Dringhen, just south of the main road (RN42) to St Omer. The Commonwealth War Graves plot is located down the western edge of the southern section of the cemetery, with an entrance in the Rue de Dringhen. Unusually, the headstones are laid flat in this cemetery. This is due to the sandy soil. Car parking is available along the Rue de Dringhen.

Visiting information here

GPS Location:- N 50 43 26 E 01 37 19

View Map Location

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Etaples Military Cemetery, Etaples – Pas de Calais

During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the northern or the southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven general, one stationary, four Red Cross hospitals and a convalescent depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. convalescent depot remained. The cemetery contains 10,771 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915. 35 of these burials are unidentified. Hospitals were again stationed at Etaples during the Second World War and the cemetery was used for burials from January 1940 until the evacuation at the end of May 1940. After the war, a number of graves were brought into the cemetery from other French burial grounds. Of the 119 Second World War burials, 38 are unidentified. Etaples Military Cemetery also contains 662 Non Commonwealth burials, mainly German, including 6 unidentifed. There are also now 5 Non World War service burials here. The cemetery, the largest Commission cemetery in France, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

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POSLUŽNÝ Ondřej, 32, F/Lt, 32 Sqn., Pilot

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* 05/08/14, Brno

† 25/06/42, Stella Beach, Calais, France

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His Hurricane IIc, Z3088 GZ- Failed to return from an operational flight over France, body washed up on Stella Beach, near Touquet, France.

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Grave ref: 46. D. 6.

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A symbolic urn, No 48, is also interred at the Airman’s Memorial, Prostějov, Czech Republic

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Etaples is a town about 27 kilometres south of Boulogne. The Military Cemetery is to the north of the town, on the west side of the road to Boulogne.

GPS Location:-N 50 32 06, E 01 37 23

View Map Location

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St. Valery-en-Caux Franco-British Cemetery, Seine-Maritime

During the Second World War, the town of St. Valery was three-quarters destroyed and was under German occupation from the end of May 1940 until liberated in 1944. In 1940 it was at the centre of important battles when Commonwealth troops, notably the 51st (Highland) Division, made their last stand fighting alongside the 2nd French Cavalry Division. The 51st (Highland) Division was practically wiped out, most of its members being taken prisoner. After the war, the French Government bestowed the Croix de Guerre on the town, and the order conferring the honour contained the words, “St. Valery . . . made illustrious by the heroic resistance of the 51st Scottish Division”. Facing each other on the cliffs that flank the town are, to the east the 51st (Highland) Division Memorial, and to the west the memorial to the French Cavalry, which were unveiled simultaneously. In the cemetery is a memorial to the 51st (Highland) Division erected by the local civil authorities, and a granite St. Andrew’s shield given, by the Marchioness of Huntley, is set into the base of the Cross of Sacrifice. The cemetery gates were the gift of the people of north and north-east Scotland. The cemetery contains 234 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 63 of them unidentified. There are also 218 French war graves.

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BOUDA František, 28, F/O, 21 Sqn., Navigator

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* 06/04/16, Vienna, Austria

† 21/06/44, France

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Mosquito VI. FB NT182 YH- did not return from a night offensive sortie to attack German ground targets around Mezidon, in the Normandy region of France. Exact reason for the aircraft loss is not known.

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Grave ref: Joint grave B, 31-32.

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STRÁNSKÝ Josef, 29, S/Ldr, 21 Sqn., Pilot

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* 10/12/14, Borová, Havlíčkův Brod

† 21/06/44, France

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Mosquito VI. FB NT182 YH- did not return from a night offensive sortie to attack German ground targets around Mezidon, in the Normandy region of France. Exact reason for the aircraft loss is not known.

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Grave ref: Joint grave B, 31-32.

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St. Valery-en-Caux is a small seaside town and holiday resort 32 kilometres west of Dieppe and 60 kilometres north-west of Rouen. The Franco-British Cemetery lies on the south eastern outskirts of the town about 200 metres from the church and adjoins the civil cemetery. Follow St. Valery town centre, and the first CWGC sign is on the right of the main road.

Visiting information here

GPS Location:- N 49 51 36, E 00 43 28

View Map Location

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Bayeux War Cemetery,  Calvados, Normandy

The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944. There was little actual fighting in Bayeux although it was the first French town of importance to be liberated. Bayeux War Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth cemetery of the Second World War in France and contains burials brought in from the surrounding districts and from hospitals that were located nearby. BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY contains 4,144 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 338 of them unidentified. There are also over 500 war graves of other nationalities, the majority German. The BAYEUX MEMORIAL stands opposite the cemetery and bears the names of more than 1,800 men of the Commonwealth land forces who died in the early stages of the campaign and have no known grave. They died during the landings in Normandy, during the intense fighting in Normandy itself, and during the advance to the River Seine in August.

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BAUER Jiří, 20, Sgt, 310 Sqn., Pilot

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* 03/11/23, Trutnov

† 28/06/44, Caen, France

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Did not return from operational sortie. His Spitfire IXe LF, NH570, probably shot down by flak near Caen, France.

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Grave ref: XV. M. 24.

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FAJT Linhart, 32, Sgt, 311 Sqn., Flight Engineer

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* 26/11/10, Jablonné nad Orlicí

† 18/11/43, Bay of Biscay

Liberator BZ872 went missing while on patrol over the Bay of Biscay, body washed ashore. Probably shot down by fighter.

Grave ref: VIII. C. 19.

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The town of Bayeux, in Normandy, lies 24 kilometres north-west of Caen. Bayeux War Cemetery is situated in the south-western outskirts of the town on the by-pass (D5), which is named Boulevard Fabian Ware. On the opposite side of the road stands the Bayeux Memorial.

Parking directly outside the cemetery is limited. When approaching the cemetery with the nearby D-Day Museum on your right, take the last exit at the roundabout just before the cemetery into ‘Chemin des Marettes’, where space is usually available to park.

GPS Location:- N 49 16 23, W 00 42 56

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St. Brieuc Western Communal Cemetery Cotes-d’Armor

The great majority of the sailors buried at St. Brieuc Western Communal Cemetery lost their lives when H.M.S. Charybdis was sunk off the Bord de la Rance in October 1943. There are now over 90, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over a third are unidentified.

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JEŘÁBEK Jan, 22, Sgt, 313 Sqn., Pilot

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* 08/11/19, Milevsko, Písek

† 15/07/42, English Channel

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Spitfire Vb, AD372, shot down by fighter over English Channel about 60km South of Bolt Head, Devon.

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Grave ref: Plot H. Row A. Grave 13

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STEFAN Benignus , 24, F/Lt, 313 Sqn., Pilot

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* 09/05/18, Hradec Králové

† 08/03/43, Rennes, France

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Spitfire Vc, AR547, shot down by fighter near Paimpol, France.

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Grave ref: Plot H. Row A. Grave 10

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St. Brieuc is the chief town and the seat of the Prefecture of the Department of the Cotes-d’Armor. The town lies 64 kilometres west of Dinard (Ille et Vilaine). The cemetery is 2 kilometres from the railway station, between the road to Brest and the road to the local aerodrome. From the Prefecture, follow the Rue de la Corderie onto the Rue J Nicolas and then into Rue Pinot where the cemetery entrance will be found on the right hand side.

Visiting information here

GPS Location:-N 48 30 58, W 02 47 07

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Creil Communal Cemetery Oise

Creil Communal Cemetery contains the graves of 53 Commonwealth airmen of the Second World War. There are also six First World War burials in the cemetery, six Czech and two Polish war graves.

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HRADIL Bohuslav, 26, Sgt, 311 Sqn., Pilot

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* 24/09/15, Bolelouc, Olomouc

† 03/03/42, Paris, France

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Wellington Ic, KX-Y Z1070, shot down near Creil whilst on bombing raid to Paris.

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Grave ref: Plot 2. Coll. grave 341-345

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KORMANOVIČ Imrich, 40, Sgt, 311 Sqn., Air Gunner

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* 23/10/01, Krmeš, Galanta

† 03/03/42, Paris, France

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Wellington Ic, KX-Y Z1070, shot down near Creil whilst on bombing raid to Paris.

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Grave ref: Plot 2. Coll. grave 341-345

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KOTRCH Jan, 24, Sgt, 311 Sqn., Pilot

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* 09/06/17, Sušice, Klatovy

† 03/03/42, Paris, France

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Wellington Ic, KX-Y Z1070, shot down near Creil whilst on bombing raid to Paris.

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Grave ref: Plot 2. Coll. grave 341-345

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STRACHOŇ Přibyslav, 22, Sgt, 311 Sqn., Air Gunner

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* 12/12/19, Velké Pavlovice, Břeclav

† 03/03/42, Paris, France

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Wellington Ic, KX-Y Z1070, shot down near Creil whilst on bombing raid to Paris.

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Grave ref: Plot 2. Coll. grave 341-345

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SVOBODA Josef, 30, Sgt, 311 Sqn., Wireless Operator/Air Gunner

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* 20/01/12, Vienna, Austria

† 03/03/42, Paris, France

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Wellington Ic, KX-Y Z1070, shot down near Creil whilst on bombing raid to Paris.

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Grave ref: Plot 2. Coll. grave 341-345

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TOLAR Alois, 27, P/O, 311 Sqn., Navigator

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* 09/01/15, Brno

† 03/03/42, Paris, France

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Wellington Ic, KX-Y Z1070, shot down near Creil whilst on bombing raid to Paris.

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Grave ref: Plot 2. Coll. grave 341-345

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A symbolic urn, No 43, is also interred at the Airman’s Memorial, Prostějov, Czech Republic

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Creil is a town 32 kilometres south-east of Beauvais and 44 kilometres north of Paris. The Cemetery, known locally as the Cimetiere de Verdun, is situated south of the centre, between the Rue Leon Blum (N16) and the Rue de Verdun. The main entrance is in the Rue de Verdun.

Visiting information here

GPS Location:- N 49 15 20, E 02 28 36

View Map Location

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Mazargues War Cemetry Marseilles, Bouches-du-Rhone

Marseilles was the Base of the Indian troops in France during the 1914-18 war; and throughout the War the Royal Navy, the Merchant Navy, British troops and Labour units worked in the port or passed through it. Four of the town cemeteries were used, in the main, for the burial of officers and men of the Commonwealth forces who died at Marseilles. At ST. PIERRE CEMETERY, on the East side of the town, the bodies of Hindu soldiers and labourers were cremated in 1914-16. LE CANET OLD CEMETERY and LE CANET NEW CEMETERY, on the North side, were in 1917-19 the places of burial of Indian soldiers and Indian, Egyptian and Chinese labourers. MAZARGUES CEMETERY, on the South-East side, was used less in the War; but before the Armistice an Extension was made, to which were removed, a little later, the bodies or ashes from the four Town cemeteries and from PORT ST. LOUIS-DU-RHONE COMMUNAL CEMETERY. There are now 1,487, 1914-18 and 267, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. The cemetery covers an of 9,021 square metres.

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BONK [BAK] František [Franciszek], 21, W/O, 304 Sqn., Wireless Operator/Air Gunner

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* 13/10/23, Víťazovce

† 27/07/45, Chonas L´Amballan, France.

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On a return flight to North Weald, his Warwick aircraft caught in a lightening storm and crashed near the village of Chon l’Amballan, killing all onboard.

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Grave ref: Plot X Row A Grave 6

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Marseilles is the chief town in the Department of the Bouches-du-Rhone. Mazargues is a southern suburb (the 9th Arrondissement), some 6 kilometres from the centre of Marseilles. The cemetery is located 200 metres south of the ‘Rond-Point de Mazargues’ on the main road (the D559) to Toulon via Cassis. The address of the cemetery is No.24 Avenue General de Lattre de Tassigny.

Visiting information here

GPS Location:- N 49 15 20, E 02 28 36

View Map Location

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The assistance of Ministerstvo obrany České republiky [Ministry of Defence, Czech Republic], the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, The War Graves Photographic Project and other valued contributors, with this article, is very much appreciated.

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311 Squadron

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311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF

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by

Pavel Vančata.,

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History of the successful Czechoslovak bomber squadron in the RAF during WW2.

No. 311 (Czechoslovak) Bomber Squadron was established as the second Czechoslovak combat squadron within the Royal Air Force during the summer of 1940, and became the only wholly Czechoslovak bomber squadron in the RAF. The Czechoslovak pilots flew Wellingtons and B-24 Liberators on operations, and returned to their homeland with the latter at the end of the war.

A complete operational history of the unit with many BW photos of planes and personnel, complete listing of killed and POW airmen and the first ever published complete list of flying personnel.

The book contains: Superb color illustrations of camouflage and markings, rare black and white archive photographs. It is essential reading for aviation enthusiasts, historians and scale aeromodellers.

Publisher:	Mushroom Model Publications
Published:	re-scheduled to Autumn 2013
ISBN:	9788361421436
Format:	Softback, 128p with illustrations, colour artwork plus B & W photos
Language:	English
Price:	£13.99

Photo recognition help

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Can you help please?

Můžete mi pomoci, prosím?

A problem experienced by most people who have family or research interests in Czechoslovak RAF matters, is that within their photographic album or archive are photographs which include unidentified airmen or airwomen.

Ze zkušeností víme, že mnozí lidé nachází v rodinných albumech fotografie československých zahraničních letců, nebo žen v RAF, která nejsou edintifikována jmény.

Often we are asked if we can assist with identification. Sometimes we, or our contributors, are able to provide a identification.

Tito lidé se nás dotazují, zda jsme schopni s touto identifikací pomoci. Někdy nám zase oni pomáhají identifikaci zjistit.

Unfortunately in some cases we are unable to do so from within these resources. To try and assist in these situations we have opened a new feature on our site, details of which are here.

Bohužel, v některých případech, nejsme schopni ani za jejich pomoci identikaci neznámých osob na fotografii zjistit a proto jsme otevřeli novou funkci na našem webu, jehož podrobnosti uvádíme zde.

It would be appreciated if you could go to that page and see if you are able to identify anybody in the photographs there.

Byli bychom rádi, kdyby jste přešli na tuto stránku a zjistili, jestli jste schopni identifikovat někoho na uvedených fotografiich, zde.

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Not Forgotten – UK – Northwood

Northwood Cemetery,  Ruislip, Middlesex.

Many of the 63 Second World War Commonwealth burials at Northwood Cemetery were from the Royal Air Force station at Northolt, the premier fighter station for the defence of London and a famous Battle of Britain station. A wing of the Polish Air Force operated from Northolt at this time and 54 Polish airmen are also buried in the cemetery. Many of the Second World War graves will be found in the war graves plot in section H, the rest are scattered throughout the cemetery. Northwood Cemetery also contains five graves from the First World War.

Included amongst these Polish airmen are 2 Czechoslovak pilots – Josef František and Vilém Košař – who flew with 303 Sqn and 302 Sqn respectively of the Polish Air Force.

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FRANTIŠEK Josef, 27, Sgt, 303 Sqn., Pilot

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* 07/10/13, Otaslavice, Prostějov

† 08/10/40, Ewell, Surrey

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Killed in crash when returning from combat patrol.

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Grave ref: section H, grave no. 246

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A symbolic urn, No 63, is also interred at the Airman’s Memorial, Prostějov, Czech Republic

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KOSARZ [Košař] Vilém, 32, Sgt, 302 Sqn., Pilot

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* 20/06/08, Karviná

† 08/11/40, Mayfield

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Shot down in aerial combat

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Grave ref: section H, grave no. 274

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Northwood Cemetery, is located in Chestnut Avenue, Ruislip, Middlesex, which is off the A404 Pinner to Rickmansworth road.

GPS Location:- N 51 36 04, W 00 25 01

View Map Location

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The assistance of Ministerstvo obrany České republiky [Ministry of Defence, Czech Republic], Clive Lewis and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission with this article is very much appreciated.

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Czech Victory at Sea

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German blockade runner ‘Alsterufer’ sunk 27th December 1943

by John. P. Rennison

Christmas cheer was in short supply in the corridors of the Reich Chancery on Boxing Day 1943. During the year the fortunes of war had begun to turn decisively against the Third Reich. The American juggernaut had begun to roll and even Goebbels couldn’t blind the German public to the daylight armadas of B-17′s and B-24′s that swarmed across the country, and the running sore caused by the nightly raids of R.A.F. Bomber Command was becoming more and more difficult to staunch.

Any feeling of “goodwill towards men” harboured by Grand Admiral Dönitz must have evaporated when he received the news of the sinking of the battlecruiser ‘Scharnhorst’ in the Battle of the North Cape. Had he known that within hours the Allies were to receive a further gift, courtesy of the Kriegsmarine, he would no doubt have concluded that St. Nicholas had been “got at”! The feeling of disgruntlement was not however confined to the Admiral alone. The crew of the S.S.’Alsterufer’ were feeling a little uneasy also.

‘Alsterufer’ was an armed supply ship of the German Navy and had worked in conjunction with. the surface raiders ‘Scheer’ and ‘Atlantis’, supporting them in their endeavours against Allied shipping, mainly in the South Atlantic. She also operated further afield, as in this case on 27th December when she was returning from a trip to Kobe, Japan. Her skipper, Captain Piatek, had hoped to reach France before Christmas, but had been delayed by bad weather. He must have smiled wryly, when he thought of his cargo; apart from much-needed war supplies he had on board 6,000 bottles of beer. However, ‘Alsterufer’ was approaching an area fraught with danger, the Bay of Biscay. The last thing he needed while travelling through R.A.F. Coastal Command’s “pond” was an intoxicated crew, so the trip to Bordeaux would be a “dry” one.

His uneasiness was not unfounded. British Intelligence had been keeping tabs on the ship for some time and her passage around Cape Horn had been noted. Squadrons of No. 19 Group, Coastal Command, had been on standby for several days prior to the 27th and were impatiently awaiting ‘Alsterufer’s’ appearance.

F/Lt. Baveystock and his crew in Sunderland “T” (EJ 137) of No. 201 Squadron were having a busy time over the Christmas period. A 14-hour patrol on Boxing Day was followed by another long session on the 27th. They had been airborne for 8 hours when they spotted ‘Alsterufer’ making 15 knots north-east of the Azores at position 46.40 N. 19.30 W. There was no response to the recognition signal and Baveystock realised that he had found the long-awaited blockade runner. A message was sent requesting assistance and the crew settled down to shadow the enemy vessel. Capt. Piatek was also busy at ‘Alsterufer’s’ radio, sending out a frantic plea for sea and air support. He was promised both and for the time being he relaxed a little.

After shadowing for some time Baveystock decided to put some salt on ‘Alsterufer’s’ tail and dropped two bombs and two depth-charges from 3,000 ft. Unfortunately there was a good deal of cloud about and the crew were unable to ascertain the extent of any damage. A fair volume of flak was put up by the ship and one cannon shell hit the aircraft and rattled around inside like a pebble in a can. Baveystock later picked it up, intending to keep it as a souvenir.

A few minutes after 11.30 Alsterufer came under attack from a second Sunderland, “Q”" of No. 422 Squadron, R.C.A.F. The aircraft overshot on its first bombing run but gave the ship a peppering with its 0.303-in. machineguns. A second run was made and two bombs were dropped from 1,500 ft. Only one was seen to explode after overshooting the target by some 40 yards. A good deal of hardware was again thrown skywards by the ship’s guns and some damage was done to the aircraft, although it later returned safely to base.

By this time Baveystock’s aircraft was running dangerously short of fuel and after being relieved by F/Lt. Stack (later Air Chief Marshal Sir Neville Stack) in Sunderland “U” (EK579), he turned for home. Unable to reach Castle Archdale, he put the aircraft down near the Scillies with a scant 60 gal. in the tanks.

Enter No. 311 Squadron

Stack decided to have a go at ‘Alsterufer’ himself and dropped a 500-lb. bomb from 4,000 ft. Once again cloud interfered and no results were observed. At one stage in the proceedings a giant six-engined Blohm and Voss By 222 flying-boat attempted to intervene and was promptly shot up by a Liberator that was in the area.

Around 1600 hours G.M.T. a second Liberator arrived, “H”‘ of No. 311 (Czech) Squadron, with P/O. Oldřich Doležal at the controls. The aircraft had left Beaulieu at 1016 to join in the search for the enemy vessel. Apart from Doležal the crew consisted of F/Sgt. Jindra Hahn; Radar Operator/Air Gunner, F/O. Zdeněk Hanuš; Navigator/Bombardier, W/O. Josef Kosek; Air Gunner, F/Sgt. Marcel Ludikar; Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, Sgt. Bedřich Prochazka; co-pilot, F/Sgt. Ivan Schwarz; Wireless Operator/Air Gunner and Sgt. František Veitl; Air Gunner.

Some of the Czech aircrew of Liberator BZ796, from left to right:-
F/Sgt. Ivan Schwarz, F/Sgt. Jindra Hahn, F/Sgt. Marcel Ludikar, P/O Oldřich Doležal, F/O. Zdeněk Hanuš and Sgt. Bedřich Prochazka.

Jindra Hahn had picked up a contact on the ASV radar at an unprecedented 60 miles. It had to be ‘Alsterufer’, there were no other ships in that immediate area. By this time the rain cloud was making things difficult from a bombing point of view. However, Doležal decided to approach the target above the cloud for maximum concealment. Suddenly through a break in the cloud one of the crew spotted the vessel.

Sgt František Veitl.

The Liberator broke through the cloud in a 30-deg. dive, with the bomb doors open and went straight for the German ship. As the aircraft went into the attack, Marcel Ludikar began to transmit an “Operational Immediate” message to base, but the No. 19 Group half-hourly broadcast swamped his signal for some two vital minutes.

He finally got the message away after the attack, which Olda Doležal later described thus:

“I estimate that when we sighted the blockade runner, she was travelling at about 15 knots. As we went in to the attack, she opened fire at us with all guns-it was heavy all right. My navigator, who is also the bomb-aimer, did some fine work. We saw one bomb hit the ship aft of the funnel. Immediately vivid red flames shot out and rose about 200 ft. We flew around for five minutes and saw that the flames had spread the whole length of the ship.”

Liberator GR V, 'H' BZ796 which attacked the Alsterufer

The Liberator had ploughed through a spectacular array of pyrotechnics, including wire-trailing rockets, to deliver its attack. The smell of cordite provided the backdrop to the busy thump of the guns as the gunners opened up whenever the opportunity offered. At 800 ft. the first of several rockets were unleashed, the final pair being fired at 600 ft. Two bombs were also released from this height, one of 250 lb. and the other of 500 lb. Like fiery darts five of the rockets struck home against the stern of the vessel and one of the bombs hit the stern, causing the gush of flame seen by the crew. It seemed to those watching that the Lib. finished its dive by pulling out right over the ship and passing between the funnel and the mast.

W/O. Josef Kosek stretched out from the beam gun position to take photographs during the attack

The Liberator had not come through unscathed however; flak fragments had damaged the starboard outer engine, which had begun to run raggedly. After a lingering look at the stricken ship, during which Josef Kosek took some dramatic photographs, Doležal turned for home. The weather was closing in and with engine trouble he couldn’t afford to take any chances. Some time later Marcel Ludikar intercepted a wireless message from a Halifax, which said that ‘Alsterufer’s’ crew had taken to the boats. In fact the doomed ship remained afloat for several hours and the final blow was administered by Liberators “F” and “L” of No. 86 Squadron.

German destroyers sunk

A rescue force of destroyers sent out by the Germans was put to flight by the cruisers H.M.S. ‘Glasgow’ and ‘Enterprise’ with the aid of Coastal Command aircraft. The German force of six “Elbing” and five “Narvik”-class destroyers, lost three of its number (Z27, T25 and T26) to the cruisers’ guns and the remainder beat a hasty retreat, abandoning ‘Alsterufer’ to her fate. Shortly after 8.00 in the evening, she slipped beneath the waves, her last position being 46.32 N. 18.35 W. Most of the survivors gave grudging praise to Doležal and his crew for the tenacious manner in which they had pressed home their attack despite the heavy barrage of anti-aircraft fire.

Doležal and his crew arrived safely back at base after 12 hours in the air, and were welcomed by the C.O., W/Cdr. Nedvěd. They found that the station personnel had already begun to celebrate the victory. Coming as it did one day after the loss of ‘Scharnhorst’, the sinking of ‘Alsterufer’ must have caused some consternation among the “Brass-hats” in Berlin. Conversely, it was a tremendous boost for all members of No. 311 (Czech) Squadron.

P/O. Oldřich Doležal and F/O. Zdeněk Hanus were awarded immediate DFC's for this successful attack

The original article is adapted from an extract of the book The Sky is Our Ocean by the author and B. M. Rijnhout, published in Dutch by Wyt Uitgevers of Rotterdam.

Article reproduced from the July 1982 edition of Air Pictorial (now called Aviation News) with kind permission from the publishers, Key Publishing Ltd. www.aviation-news.co.uk

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Pavel Svoboda remembers

Recollections of W/O Pavel Svoboda, Air Gunner with 311 Czechoslovak Sqn:-

W/O Pavel Svoboda.

I was born on 28 June 1916 at Bohuslavice u Kyjova, Hodonín, Czechoslovakia.

In 1939, I was studying at the Law Faculty of Masaryk University, Brno, Czechoslovakia. I was arrested by the Gestapo on the 17th November 1939 in the Kaunic Hall of Residence. Together with 500 students from Brno taken to Prague to join 673 university students from Prague, and under military escort taken to Sacheenhausen Concentration Camp nr. Oranienburg. (On the train for 36 hours without water or food).

Treatment and life in the camp was very hard. Through Hitler’s amnesty for Christmas 1939 I was released together with 24 other students from Prague and Brno Universities. Reached home (Bohuslavice) on the 24th December and on the 31st December crossed illegally into Hungary and later to Yugoslavia. From there, with the help from the French Authorities, I made my journey through Greece and Turkey to Beirut.

From there by ship to Marseille and to the Czech Military Depot at Agde. After the French capitulation evacuated from Port Vendre (nr. Perpignon) by the Royal Navy to Gibraltar. From Gibraltar in convoy to Liverpool and set foot on British Soil for the first time Sunday afternoon (warm and sunny) 10th July 1940.

Within a few days joined the Royal Air Force at Gloucester (my number:787399) and was sent to our Depot at Cosford. From Cosford to air-gunner course at Dumfries – from Dumfries to Honington to join 311 Bomber Squadron. From Honington was transferred with 311 to satelite airfield at East Wretham.

From there I flew, as a Air Gunner, on 37 operations over Germany and Italy and was shot down over Bremen on the 28th December 1941. Our Wellington aircraft, KX-B, T2553, crewed by Sgt Alois Šiška pilot, Sgt Josef Tománek, pilot, F/O Josef Mohr, Navigator, F/O Josef Ščerba, Wireless Operator, Sgt Rudolf Skalický, Rear Gunner, and myself, as as Front Gunner.

Sgt Alois Šiška.

The aircraft was hit by flack over the target but we hoped to make it back to base. Over the North Sea, about 60 miles from the German coast the port engine caught fire, the propeller broke off, got embedded in the fuselage and cut the controlling links – we went into a spin at 24.000 feet and miraculously managed to hit the water nose down.

Sgt Josef Tománek.

We were shaken and slightly hurt, the aircraft was rapidly filling with water, but five of the crew managed with great struggle to reach the dinghy. Mohr and myself opened the astro-hatch and got out. We saw both our pilots standing on the wing, but Josef Ščerba and Rudolf Skalický were missing. I went back to the astro-hatch and started reaching down, the water was practically to the top of the fuselage and as I was searching in the water I caught J.Scerba floating but still partly concious. With the help of J.Mohr we dragged him out. We then tried again to find Skalický but in vain. All five of us settled in the dinghy, our aircraft disappeared under the waves and we started our long sea journey to land (60 miles away).

F/O Josef Mohr.

The night was cold and the sea even colder within our dinghy. We had managed to send SOS messages and to give our position and we felt very confident that the air-sea rescue would pick us up in the morning. But for two days we had low cloud with flurries of snow, but on the 31st December the visibility improved and in the early afternoon we saw Lockheed Hudson RB P (Wireless Operator Bill Palmers) from Cannock, Staffs. on patrol about a mile away. They saw our distress signal and came low overhead; they dropped us a parcel about 10 yards from our dinghy but we could not reach it. They stayed with us for about 20 minutes, waved to us and flew west to England.

F/O Josef Ščerba.

Next day we waited hopefully but nobody came. We had been in the water – icy seas with the spray breaking over our dinghy – for four days and our hopes were fading. During the night Tomanek died and in the morning we committed his body to the sea. Mohr died mid-day on the 2nd January and Ščerba was losing consciousness. Šiška tried to help me with the committal of Mohr’s body, but was too weak – so the body was left in the dinghy.

Sgt Rudolf Skalický.

During the night of 3nd – 4rd January Šiška fell asleep and I was not able to wake him. In the early morning of 3rd January it seemed to me that I could see something moving not far away to the East of us. I watched for about one hour before I was sure that behind the distant haze was a very faint line of coast. In great excitement I tried to share my good news with my friends. I shook Scerba for about 10 minutes but there was no response. I then started calling and shaking Šiška and after a few minutes he opened his eyes. After a lot of shouting and shaking he woke up. Gradually he took in what I was saying and he answered. He was staring in the direction I was pointing and said: “You are right, we will make it”.

By noon we came through the minefield, bumping into mines and expecting to be blown up – but nothing happened. About a mile away we saw german soldiers manning gun positions on the coast. They waited for us until we landed, took us to their barracks and called the doctor. He gave us first-aid and – to our surprise – saved Ščerba’s life.

For two weeks we were kept in the naval hospital at Alkmaar, most of the time delirious due to very high temperatures. When our temperatures returned to normal we were handed over to the Luftwaffe Lazeret in Amsterdam. After 8 weeks there with threatened amputations we were still not able to stand and were sent as stretcher cases to the rehabilitation hospital in Hohemark nr. Frankfurt. We stayed there to the end of June and I finished as a prisoner of war – still using two walking sticks – in Stalag VIII B. Lamsdorf. Ščerba went to Offlag III and Šiška was sent on crutches to a new re-habilitation centre.

I spent 2 years in the airforce compound of Stalag VIII B with 3 attempted escapes:

First escape in September 1942 with a mass break out of 26 Air Force and Army P.O.W. About half of us managed to crawl through the barbed wire fences when we were spotted by the guard patrolling the fences on the outside. I was about 25 yards from the fence when I heard “Halt” and gunfire from the guards and machine guns from the perimeter towers, and then there were searchlights and dogs. We were rounded up, taken to the camp prison, stripped and beaten (by Corp.Kysela) and locked up in solitary confinement for 28 days. We were then returned to our compound.

My second attempt to escape took place in July 1943 from a working party in a sawmill near Niesse in Upper Silesia. Unfortunately I was re-captured and returned to Stalag VIII B for punishment – the usual 28 days of solitary confinement. The third attempt to escape took-place at the end of September 1944, from a working party in a stone quarry near Sponau. I planned the escape with great care together with my friend Vernon Bastable from Winnipeg, Canada. The change over and arrangements for the escape which took place in the quarry were slow and and risky, but in the end with help from local workers our escape was successful. After a long march of 28 hours without stopping we reached the part of Moravia where I was born; I found many friends and joined the local partitsan group – Carbon – was supplied with military material through a Czech parachutist Major Frank Bogataj.

Just before Easter 1945, with another Czech officer, I was trapped and re-captured by the military police, handed over to the Gestapo and taken to their Head Quarters in Brno and held in the Kaunic Students Hall of Residence where I originally started my fight for freedom. Since 1940 this Student’s Hall of Residence had been used as a Gestapo prison where hundreds of Czech citizens were executed.

After about a week of interrogation I was taken to the main hall for transport to Germany, but in the chaos of evacuation I escaped and contacted a second group of partisans led by General Luza where I took part in actions and stayed until the liberation of my country on the 12 May 1945.

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Not Forgotten – Germany

Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen.

Reichswald Forest War Cemetery was created after the Second World War when burials were brought in from all over western Germany and is the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the country.

There are now 7,594 Commonwealth World War 2 servicemen buried or commemorated in the cemetery, of which 176 are unidentified and 78 are of other nationalities. Of those buried here 3,971 of these are airmen. Some of the airmen buried in the cemetery lost their lives in supporting the advance into Germany, but most died earlier in the war in the intensive air raids over Germany.

Their graves were brought in from cemeteries and isolated sites in the surrounding area.

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Six Czechoslovak RAF airmen are buried here, their Wellington, KX-L R1015 had taken-off from East Wretham, at 19:55, for a bombing raid on Hamburg. It was hit by flak over Holland causing the aircraft to crash at Andervenne, 17 km EastSouthEast of Lingen-Ems, Germany.

The crew were initially buried at Neuer Friedhof and, after the war, reinterred at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Their grave ref: collective grave 27, row F, 12-15.

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BABÍČEK Zdeněk, 21, Sgt, 311 Sqn., Air Gunner

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* 07/11/19, Brno

† 15/09/41, Andervenne, Germany

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A symbolic urn, No 22, is also interred at the Airman’s Memorial, Prostějov, Czech Republic

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JARNOT Alois, 23, Sgt, 311 Sqn., Air Gunner

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* 16/06/18, Karviná, Český Těšín

† 15/09/41, Andervenne, Germany

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MIKLOŠEK Ján, 25, Sgt, 311 Sqn., Pilot

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* 01/02/16, Galanta, Velký Diosek

† 15/09/41, Andervenne, Germany

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SEDLÁČEK Mojmír, 27, Sgt, 311 Sqn., Navigator

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* 14/11/13, Hradec Králové, Dohalice

† 15/09/41, Andervenne, Germany

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SOUKUP Vilém, 27, Sgt, 311 Sqn., Pilot

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* 14/11/13, Hradec Králové, Dohalice

† 15/09/41, Andervenne, Germany

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A symbolic urn, No 25, is also interred at the Airman’s Memorial, Prostějov, Czech Republic

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ZIMMER Antonín, 27, Sgt, 311 Sqn., Wireless Operator

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* 14/11/13, Hradec Králové, Dohalice

† 15/09/41, Andervenne, Germany

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The Reichswald Forest War Cemetery is located at Kleve in the west of Germany close to the Dutch border, approx 130kms to the north west of Koln, and approx 25kms to the south east of Nijmegen. From the A57 motorway Koln to Goch take exit 2 (Ausfahrt 2) KLEVE / GOCH-WEST and follow the signs for KLEVE. After approx 2kms turn left onto the B504 and follow the direction KRANENBURG. Continue for approx 7kms and then turn right (CWGC sign) onto the GRUNEWALDSTRASSE, direction KLEVE Continue for approx 3.5kms and the cemetery can be found on the right.

Visiting information here

The cemetery address is:- Grunewaldstrasse 47533 Kleve Germany.

GPS Location:- N 51 44 21 E 06 04 48

View Map Location

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Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, Niedersachsen.

Sage was on the line of the Allied advance across northern Germany in 1945 but most of those buried at Sage War Cemetery were airmen lost in bombing raids over northern Euope whose graves were brought in from cemeteries in the Frisian Islands and other parts of north-west Germany. Sage War Cemetery contains 948 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 158 of them unidentified. There are also 23 war graves of other nationalities, most of them Polish.

At 22:52 on the night of 19 July 1941, Wellington bomber, R1371 KX-F of 311 Sqn, took-off from East Wretham for a bombing raid on Hanover. During the flight radio silence was maintained and the aircraft never returned. It is assumed that the aircraft had been damaged by flak or mechanical problems. The aircraft crashed into the Zuiderzee, north of Uithuizermeeden.

Sgt Miroslav Jindra is buried at Uithuizermeeden General Cemetery, Holland.

The bodies of Sgt Pavel Babáček, Sgt Jan Čtvrtlík and Sgt Václav Valeš were never found and they are commemorated on panel’s 30, 42 and 54 respectively at the Runnymede Memorial, UK.

Some time later the body of P/O Jaroslav Partyk was washed ashore on the German island of Borkum. Initially he was buried in the local Lutherian cemetry and post war re-interred at Sage War Cemetry.

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PARTYK Jaroslav, 24, P/O, 311 Sqn., Navigator

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* 16/12/16, Rakovník

† 20/07/41, Rottum, Holland

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Grave ref: 7. F. 4

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A symbolic urn, No 87, is also interred at the Airman’s Memorial, Prostějov, Czech Republic

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The small village of Sage lies in the north of Germany approx 56kms west of Bremen. From the A1 motorway Bremen to Osnabruck take exit 61 (Ausfahrt 61) WILDENHAUSEN-WEST / AHLHORN and follow direction B213 AHLHORN. Continue along the B213 for approx 8kms and go through the village of AHLHORN. Turn right at the roundabout direction L870 OLDENBURG (CWGC sign) and continue along the OLDENBURGERSTRASSE. The road name then changes to SAGERSTRASSE for approx 4kms. The cemetery can be found on the left.

The cemetery address is:- Sagerstrasse 26197 Grossenkneten-Sage Germany

Visiting information here

GPS Location:- N 52 56 12 E 08 12 30

View Map Location

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Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Berlin.

The site of Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery was selected by the British Occupation Authorities and Commission officials jointly in 1945, soon after hostilities ceased.

Graves were brought to the cemetery from the Berlin area and from eastern Germany*. The great majority of those buried here, approximately 80 per cent of the total, were airmen who were lost in the air raids over Berlin and the towns in eastern Germany. The remainder were men who died as prisoners of war, some of them in the forced march into Germany from camps in Poland, in front of the advancing Russians.

The cemetery contains 3,595 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 397 of them unidentified.

There are also 6 Non Commonwealth Foreign National burials and in addition there are 265 post war graves of men of the British Occupation Forces or their dependants, or of members of the Control Commission.

* Leipzig, Konigsberg, Iena, Dresden, Halle, Rostock, Teltow, Wismar, Mittenwalde, Neuburxdorf, Magdeburg, Grunberg, Doberitz, Buchholz, Halberstadt, Blankenburg, Gotha, Tannenburg, Potsdam, Weder, Tessau, Stralsund, Schweren, Munsdorf, Brandenburg and Schonwalde.

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BLÁHA Oldřich Dennis, DFM, 21, F/O, 44 Sqn., Air Bomber

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* 1922, London

† 02/01/44, Berlin

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Killed in Lancaster W4831 on bombing raid over Berlin.

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Grave ref: Collective grave 2. C. 7-10

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Berlin is the capital city of Germany and lies in the north east of the country.
From the A2 HANNOVER to BERLIN motorway follow the A10 BERLINER RING direction PRENZLAU / HAMBURG.
Continue for approx 27kms and take exit 26 (Ausfahrt 26) B5 BERLIN / SPANDAU.
Continue for approx 17kms following the signs for CHARLOTTENBURG along the HAMBURGER CHAUSSEE, which then becomes the HEERSTRASSE.
The cemetery can be found by turning right onto the parallel HEERSTRASSE road (CWGC sign) and continue for 300m.

Visiting information: here

GPS Location:- +52° 30′ 26″, +13° 13′ 27″

View Map Location

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The assistance of Ministerstvo obrany České republiky [Ministry of Defence, Czech Republic], the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, The War Graves Photographic Project and other valued contributors, with this article, is very much appreciated.