Country United Kingdom | Branch Royal Air Force | |
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Active 29 July 1940 – 15 February 1946 Allegiance Czechoslovak National Liberation Committee Role Bomber, maritime patrol, transport Motto(s) (Czech): Na množství nehleďte
("Never regard their numbers", Hussite battle cry) | ||
No 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF was a Czechoslovakia-manned bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
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At the end of the war, it disbanded as an RAF unit and became part of the reformed Czechoslovak Air Force.
History
It was first formed at RAF Honington on 29 July 1940, equipped with Wellington I bombers and crewed mostly by Czechoslovak aircrew who had escaped from Europe. It was transferred from Bomber Command to Coastal Command in April 1942 to carry out maritime patrol work. It re-equipped with Consolidated Liberator bombers in June 1943 and continued in anti-submarine work but now over the Bay of Biscay. The squadron was responsible for the sinking of the German blockade runner Alsterufer on 28 December 1943 prior to the Battle of the Bay of Biscay.
Following the end of the war, in June 1945 the squadron was transferred to RAF Transport Command and began flights between the UK and Czechoslovakia. The squadron continued flying from UK bases until it was disbanded in the UK at RAF Milltown on 15 February 1946, but since 21 August 1945 actually flew from Prague.
Aircraft of this squadron used squadron code letters "KX" on their Wellingtons, and later "PP" on their Liberators.
Legacy
In 1964, 311 Squadron veteran Richard Husmann as Filip Jánský published his novel Nebeští jezdci, portraying the lives of Czech and Polish airmen in the wartime RAF. In 1969 the film was released, having been made the previous year around Klecany airfield. In the same year the book was published as Sky Riders in English.
A cafe commemorating the No. 311 Squadron RAF was opened in Brno in 1999. It is called Air Cafe and exhibits a small but interesting collection of memorabilia connected with the Czech manned squadron.