No. 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF was a Czechoslovak-manned bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. It was the RAF's only Czechoslovak-manned medium and heavy bomber squadron. It suffered the heaviest losses of any Czechoslovak formation in the RAF. In the Second World War 511 Czechoslovaks serving in Allied air forces were killed. Of these 273 (53%) died while serving with 311 Squadron. After the end of the war, 311 Squadron was disbanded as an RAF unit and became the ''6 letecká divize'' ("6th Air Division") of the reformed Czechoslovak Air Force.

History

Bomber Command

The squadron was formed at RAF Honington in

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

on 29 July 1940, although RAF records give the official date as 2 August. It was crewed mostly by Czechoslovaks who had escaped from

German-occupied Europe German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...

. Some were airmen who had trained with the Czechoslovak Air Force, escaped to France, served in the

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...

in the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

and then been evacuated to the UK. Others were soldiers who had served in

Czechoslovak Army The Czechoslovak Army (Czech and Slovak: Československá armáda) was the name of the armed forces of Czechoslovakia. It was established in 1918 following Czechoslovakia's declaration of independence from Austria-Hungary. History In the fi ...

units in the Battle of France, been evacuated to the UK and then volunteered to transfer to the RAF Volunteer Reserve in order to serve in 311 Squadron. The squadron was equipped initially with Wellington Mark I medium bombers, which were soon succeeded by Wellingtons of Marks IA and IC. From 16 September 1940 the squadron was based at RAF East Wretham in Norfolk as part of Bomber Command's

No. 3 Group No. 3 Group (3 Gp) of the Royal Air Force was an RAF group first active in 1918, again in 1923–26, part of RAF Bomber Command from 1936 to 1967, and part of RAF Strike Command from 2000 until it disbanded on 1 April 2006. No. 3 Group was fi ...

, whose commanding officer was Air Vice-Marshal John Baldwin. He said 311 Squadron "put up a wonderful show" and had "the finest navigators in Bomber Command". On 18 January 1941 HM King George VI and his consort

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022 ...

visited the squadron at East Wretham. Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1972-019-88, Beuteflugzeug, Vickers Wellington

On 6 February 1941 six of the squadron's Wellington Mk IC aircraft took part in a raid on Boulogne-sur-Mer in

German-occupied France The Military Administration in France (german: Militärverwaltung in Frankreich; french: Occupation de la France par l'Allemagne) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zo ...

. On the return flight one aircraft, L7842/T, suffered navigation problems. Then it ran low on fuel, its commander Plt Off František Cigoš mistakenly judged that they were over England and he landed at Flers in northern France. Both the aircraft and its crew were captured. The '' Luftwaffe'' repainted KX-T in German markings and transferred it to its ''Erprobungsstelle'' (experimental and test facility) at Rechlin–Lärz Airfield in Mecklenburg. On 20 June 1941 the squadron gave a dinner for the President of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile, Edvard Beneš. Other guests included Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk and Defence Minister, General Antonín Hasal-Nižborský. Czech Wellington crew WWII IWM CH 2187

311 Squadron was with Bomber Command for 19 months. In that time it flew 1,029 sorties, attacked 77 targets, dropped of explosive bombs and 95,438 incendiary bombs. It attacked targets in Germany, Italy, and occupied Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Its most frequent targets were Cologne, Hamburg and Kiel in Germany and

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Brest and Boulogne in France. The squadron deployed 318 airmen formed into 53 aircrew. 94 were killed on operations and 34 were captured: a loss rate of more than 40%. Unlike crews derived from England or the Commonwealth nations, there were no Czechoslovakian replacement crews arriving to fill the ranks of the lost. To keep the squadron functional, it would have to be put to a different use.

Coastal Command

At the end of April 1942 the squadron was transferred from Bomber Command to Coastal Command in to undertake maritime patrols. It moved to RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland on 28 April and began maritime patrol training on 1 May. The squadron was made part of

No. 19 Group RAF No. 19 Group was a group of the Royal Air Force, active from 1918, and then from 1941-1969. History It was formed in April 1918 as No. 19 (Equipment) Group in York, but disbanded in June. Second World War It was reformed in early 1941 as No. 1 ...

, moved to RAF Talbenny in Wales on 12 June and undertook its first

anti-submarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...

patrol on 30 June. Its Wellingtons lacked air to surface vessel (ASV) radar, but despite this between June 1942 and April 1943 the squadron achieved the highest success rate of any Coastal Command squadron. Throughout July and August the squadron's Wellingtons remained in Bomber Command's Temperate Land Scheme camouflage: dark green and dark earth above, and black below. This was unsuitable for maritime patrols, but not until September 1942 were the aircraft repainted in Coastal Command's Temperate Sea Scheme: dark slate grey and extra dark sea grey above, and white below. In April 1943 the squadron was partly re-equipped with five Wellington Mark X aircraft. This could carry two torpedoes or of bombs, but it was primarily a Bomber Command variant, not designed for maritime patrol work. Air Vice-Marshal

Karel Janoušek Karel Janoušek, (30 October 1893 – 27 October 1971) was a senior Czechoslovak Air Force officer. He began his career as a soldier, serving in the Austrian Imperial-Royal Landwehr 1915–16, Czechoslovak Legion 1916–20 and Czechoslovak Army ...

, Inspector-General of the Czechoslovak Air Force, eventually convinced the UK Air Ministry to re-equip the squadron with Consolidated Liberator heavy bombers, as these had radar and a longer range, both of which made them more suitable for maritime patrols. Retraining flights began on 25 May and continued until August. On 26 May 1943 the squadron moved to RAF Beaulieu in Hampshire. On 4 August it celebrated its third anniversary. Guests again included President Beneš and Foreign Minister Masaryk. They included also General

Sergej Ingr Sergius is a male given name of Ancient Roman origin after the name of the Latin ''gens'' Sergia or Sergii of regal and republican ages. It is a common Christian name, in honor of Saint Sergius, or in Russia, of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, an ...

, who had succeeded General Hasal-Nižborský as Defence Minister, and the head of Coastal Command, Air Marshal John Slessor. German freighter burning in Bay of Biscay Dec 1943

German freighter burning in Bay of Biscay Dec 1943

On 21 August 1943 the squadron began maritime patrols with Consolidated Liberator GR Mk V aircraft and continued anti-submarine work, but now over the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...

. On 10 November Liberator BZ774/D, led by Flt Sgt Otto Žanta, attacked with rocket projectiles (RP's) off the

Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...

n coast. The submarine ran aground and her crew abandoned her. On 27 December 1943 Liberator BZ796/H, led by Plt Off Oldřich Doležal, attacked the German

blockade runner A blockade runner is a merchant vessel used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait. It is usually light and fast, using stealth and speed rather than confronting the blockaders in order to break the blockade. Blockade runners usuall ...

in the Bay of Biscay. Doležal's crew set the cargo ship on fire with five RP's and a bomb, and she sank the next day. Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Coastal Command CH18520

Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Coastal Command CH18520

In February 1944 the squadron was re-equipped with nine Liberator C Mk VI aircraft. On 23 February it moved to RAF Predannack in Cornwall. On 24 June Liberator FL961/O led by Fg Off Jan Vella, along with the s and , attacked and sank just west of the English Channel. On 7 August 1944 the squadron transferred to RAF Tain in Scotland and its area of operations changed from the Bay of Biscay and Western Approaches to the North Sea. In September its rôle was changed from day to night anti-submarine patrols. On 27 October Fleet Air Arm aircraft from damaged , forcing her to run aground on the coast of German-occupied Norway. Two days later two 311 Squadron Liberators, FL949/Y led by Fg Off Josef Pavelka and BZ723/H led by Sqn Ldr Alois Šedivý, damaged the grounded submarine with salvos of RP's. Later two Halifax heavy bombers of No. 502 Squadron RAF finished off ''U-1060'' with

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...

s. In February 1945 the squadron was re-equipped, again with Liberator C Mk VI aircraft but now equipped with anti-submarine Leigh Lights. In March the entire squadron took part in the "Chilli-II" and "Chilli-III" raids on German submarine training areas in the Baltic. Scholz R StokeRow StJohnE

311 Squadron was with Coastal Command for 38 months, in which time it flew 2,111 sorties. By the end of the war 247 of its men had been killed, either in combat or in accidents. 33 of its members were released from German prisoner-of-war camps. One PoW, Plt Off

Arnošt Valenta Arnošt Valenta (; 25 October 1912 – 31 March 1944) was a Czechoslovak Army officer who became a Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve radio operator. He was murdered by the Gestapo in March 1944. Capture Valenta was a radio operator with the Czec ...

, was murdered by the Gestapo in March 1944 for taking part in the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III.

Peacetime transport

After the

End of World War II in Europe The final battle of the European Theatre of World War II continued after the definitive overall surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allies, signed by Field marshal Wilhelm Keitel on 8 May 1945 in Karlshorst, Berlin. After German dictator Adolf H ...

, on 26 May 1945 the Czechoslovak government-in-exile formed the ''Letecká dopravní skupina'' ("Air Transport Group"), and recruited most of its personnel from 311 Squadron. Its initial aircraft were two Avro Anson C XII aircraft bought from the RAF. On 12 June 1945 the unit began flights to Ruzyně Airport, Prague. By October the ''Letecká dopravní skupina'' had also acquired a number of Siebel Si 204D aircraft seized from Germany as war reparations. On 25 June 1945 the remainder of 311 Squadron was transferred to

RAF Transport Command RAF Transport Command was a Royal Air Force command that controlled all transport aircraft of the RAF. It was established on 25 March 1943 by the renaming of the RAF Ferry Command, and was subsequently renamed RAF Air Support Command in 1967. ...

's No. 301 Wing. It too flew transport flights to Ruzyně Airport, the first being on 30 July from RAF Manston in Kent, where the squadron was based from 3 August. On 21 August the squadron relocated to Ruzynĕ. The squadron first transferred military equipment and personnel from the UK to Czechoslovakia. It then repatriated Czechoslovak civilians. Czechoslovak runways were found to be unsuitable for Liberators. Therefore, in December 1945 all those of 311 squadron were returned to the UK, landing at RAF Valley in Wales. 311 Squadron was officially disbanded as an RAF unit at RAF Milltown in

Moray Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Between 1975 ...

, Scotland on 15 February 1946. Most of its personnel had transferred to the Czechoslovak Air Force in August 1945, and in Czechoslovakia the unit was officially disbanded on 15 January 1946, but its personnel were not officially discharged from the RAF until 30 June 1946. On 15 January 1946 311 Squadron became the Czechoslovak ''6 letecká divize'' ("6th Air Division") at Havlíčkův Brod in southeastern Bohemia. In May it was divided into ''Letecký pluk 24'' and ''Letecký pluk 25'' ("24th and 25th Air Regiments"). ''Letecký pluk 24'' was given the name ''Biskajsky'' ("Biscay") and initially equipped with Mosquito FB Mk VI

fighter-bomber A fighter-bomber is a fighter aircraft that has been modified, or used primarily, as a light bomber or attack aircraft. It differs from bomber and attack aircraft primarily in its origins, as a fighter that has been adapted into other roles, wh ...

s. ''Letecký pluk 25'' was given the name ''Atlanticky'' ("Atlantic") and equipped with Petlyakov Pe-2FT aircraft.

Squadron codes

This squadron displayed the squadron code letters "KX" and later "PP" on its Wellingtons and "PP" on its Liberators.

Commanding officers

Squadron bases

Aircraft operated

Vickers Wellington - RAF Bomber Command 1940 HU104763

Notable incidents

1942 Wellington crash

On 18 October 1942 Wellington 1C aircraft of 311 Squadron crashed and burst into flames at South Ruislip, Middlesex, on approach to RAF Northolt. The aircraft was ''en route'' to a debriefing and was carrying nine passengers as well as its usual crew of six. Everyone aboard was killed, along with four children and two mothers on the ground. American Aircraft in Royal Air Force Service 1939-1945- Consolidated Model 32 Liberator

American Aircraft in Royal Air Force Service 1939-1945- Consolidated Model 32 Liberator

1945 Liberator crash

On 8 October 1945 a Liberator B-24 GR.VI aircraft of 311 Squadron suffered an engine fire, crashed and burst into flames in a field at Elvetham, near Hartley Wintney, Hampshire. Five minutes earlier it had taken off from RAF Blackbushe on a flight to Ruzyně Airport, Prague. All 23 people aboard were killed: five crew, 17 passengers and one stowaway. The passengers included nine women and five young children, the latter ranging from 18 months to three years old.

Legacy

In 1964, 311 Squadron veteran Richard Husmann, writing as Filip Jánský, published his novel ''Nebeští jezdci'', portraying the lives of Czech and Polish airmen in the wartime RAF. In 1968 a film based on the book was released, having been made the previous year around

Klecany Klecany is a town in Prague-East District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,600 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Drasty, Klecánky and Zdibsko are administrative parts of Klecany. Geography Klecan ...

military airfield north of Prague. In 1969

Hodder & Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint (trade name), imprint of Hachette (publisher), Hachette. History Early history The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs ...

published an English translation of the book as ''Riders in the Sky''. In 1999 the Air Café commemorating No. 311 Squadron RAF opened in

Brno Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...

, South Moravia. It is in the early 17th-century Dietrichstein Palace, which also houses the Moravian Museum. The café exhibits a small collection of memorabilia connected with the Czechoslovak-manned squadron. In February 2016 the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron,

438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group The United States Air Force's 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group (438 AEAG) is assigned to the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing of USAFCENT and is stationed at Kabul Airport, Afghanistan. The 438th Air Expeditionary Group stood up on in Novemb ...

, USAF, Kabul, Afghanistan, was renamed 311th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, to follow in the traditions of the squadron, under Czech Air Force command. This 311 Squadron was disbanded in February 2019.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

* – movement and equipment history with Bomber Command * – movement and equipment history with Coastal Command
Air Cafe in Brno, a cafe to commemorate the Czech manned squadron with a small exhibition of memorabilia
{{DEFAULTSORT:No. 311 Squadron Raf 311 Military units and formations established in 1940 Military units and formations disestablished in 1946 311 Squadron