Ing. Luboš Toušek

"In 1944, a four-engine plane from the Bomber Command was shot down over Olomouc. I was at home having lunch when suddenly the sirens started blaring. We didn't pay much attention to it, but then there was a big bang - it was the anti-aircraft guns firing. Suddenly, there was a huge explosion, and the plane exploded. We immediately jumped to the windows. It was cloudy with a fairly low cloud cover. We could see four huge black comets - they were the individual engines of the disintegrated plane coming down. One engine fell between Bystrovany and Bělidla. It was quiet for a while, then more parts flew down. We recognised the wing; it was flying like a leaf in the wind. After another moment of silence, small mushrooms emerged from the clouds - parachutes of parachutists. It was a big deal for us. It was shared among the boys afterwards, and it was true that one parachutist's parachute either didn't open or burned. The story went that a friend was carrying him in his arms, but he couldn't hold him anymore and let go. He then fell and died. We boys couldn't go there, the Germans wouldn't let us in. We peeked from the side streets. We saw a dead paratrooper being carried from the farmhouse. He was deformed, and only his overalls were left. That's the memory."