Václav Robert Bozděch
| Václav Robert Bozděch | |
|---|---|
| Born |
15 July 1912 Soběkury, Austria-Hungary |
| Died |
27 February 1980 (aged 67) Devon, United Kingdom |
| Allegiance |
 Czech Republic |
| Service/branch |
 Czechoslovakian Air Force Armée de l'Air Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1935– ? |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | |
| Other work | Author |
Colonel Václav Robert Bozděch (15 July 1912 – 27 February 1980) was a Czech fighter pilot of World War II. He was a British Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron gunner and commander of training centers.
Early life
He was trained as a locksmith. Before the war he became a soldier by profession and trained air gunners.
World War II
He arrived to Great Britain through Poland and then France, where he served in the French Air Force a short time. In the UK, he served first as a gunner 311th Czechoslovak Bomber Squadron. After having flown his first tour he became an instructor and commander of the training centres.
Bozdech was accompanied during WWII by a German Shepherd dog he found as a puppy after a crash landing in the French Air Force, who he and his fellow Czech airmen named Antis, after a well-known Czech aeroplane. Their story was later told in a few books.
Post WW II
After the war he returned to Czechoslovakia and worked at the Ministry of Defence. He also wrote and released several books - Gentlemen of Dusk and Duel with Destiny. Later he went into exile a second time, and returned to the UK, where he married and rejoined the RAF. He never returned to his homeland. In the context of rehabilitation after 1989 he was posthumously promoted to the rank of colonel.
References
The story of a Czech WW II airman and his remarkable dog, Czech radio