RAF Service
Introduction Emigration - September 1939 Ambulance Driver during the Air Raids Message on War Return to Prague, My Flat“Probably the most enjoyable work we did was dividing boxes of chocolates and cigarettes that our fellow countrymen in America and Canada sometimes used to send us. We had to add up all we had and it made no difference whether someone was and officer or an ordinary private. Each got either two packets or three. Whole cartons they were and some of the Canadian ones (cigarettes – ed.) had 25 to a box. That sometimes lasted a whole week and then the following week there was more, enormous boxes, wonderful. It was unique what those countrymen did for us. That was the good work. The sadder part of our work was having a crew go missing, or finding out that where they crashed. Of course, that was what the clergymen did, according to what religion they were. They had to put it together somehow and then tell us. We then had to report what had happened to Headquarters in London. It was necessary but sad work....One wanted a holiday, the other wanted to get married, others still needed leave because their girlfriends were pregnant and they had to visit them in a hurry. They could chose to either marry or make other arrangements. There’s a whole list of who got married and when, it takes up at least three pages in Přislušníci československého letectva RAF, I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, it’s a blue book and it’s all there in alphabetical order or according to wedding dates. That was one thing. And then of course there were other things. The boys took a plane, for example, and wanted to go to London for a medal or award, put two pigs on board and the plane crashed because they didn’t tie the pigs down. You can imagine what that meant. Of course the case was investigated immediately, they wanted to know what happened and who put the pigs on board... and the Commander in Chief had to deal with all that. It wasn’t easy for them, it was hard work. I think it was harder for them than flying.”
