RAF pilots remembered in Karlov district

The RAF airmen, who were born in the Karlov district, were remembered on Saturday 3 May at the memorial in Na Pomezí Street. The memorial commemorates the names of World War II pilots Oldřich Hořejší, Stanislav Peroutka, Miloslav Petr, Karel Pošta, Jiří Schwarz, Vilém Soukup and Jindřich Zářecký. Three of them died, four of them went back to Great Britain before communism.

Oldřich Hořejší and Vilém Soukup were pilots of the 311th Czechoslovak Bomber Squadron of the RAF during World War II, Stanislav Peroutka and Miloslav Petr were pilots of the 310th Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron of the RAF, Karel Pošta and Jindřich Zářecký were pilots of the 312th Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron. Jiří Schwarz was a student of pilot training in the 56th Operational Training Unit.

The idea of the memorial was conceived as a thank you to Miloslav Petro and his fiancée's family, whose members, after seeing a travelling exhibition on Czechoslovak airmen in the UK, decided to donate items from Miloslav's estate to the 276th Sqdn. (reenacted) RAF Military History Club. As the aviator's birth house no longer stands, the club members decided to place a plaque at the Sokol Hall, which is the only building left on the site, and dedicate the memorial to all pilots who came from Karlovo.