Josef František

[cardboard_killer]

[80 years ago today] Czech fighter ace Sergeant Josef František of No. 303 "Warsaw-Kosciuszko" Squadron RAF is killed one day after his 26th birthday when his Hurricane crashes whilst landing at RAF Northolt. The cause is attributed to pilot exhaustion. He had flown with the Czechoslovak, Polish, French, and British air forces. František has a score of 17 confirmed kills (including nine Bf-109s during the height of the Battle of Britain) and one probable. His awards include the Czechoslovak War Cross, Czechoslovak Medal of Merit, Polish Cross of Valour (with three bars), Polish Silver Cross, French Croix de Guerre with palm leaf, and the British Distinguished Flying Medal (with one bar).

 

[J2_Trupobaw]

He pretty much killed himself in stunt intended to impress his girlfriend, a disturbingly fitting final to his long history of insubordination, individualism in the air and general unreliability that left him flying with roaming commission because he was seen as a  weak link of any flight he joined. He was great killer, bad soldier an horrible teammate, a true patron ace of online flight simmers.

Edited November 6, 2020 by J2_Trupobaw