Washatko, Alois

Alois Vashatko was born in the family of a local carpenter on August 25, 1908 in Celakovice , Austria-Hungary (now Central Bohemian Region , Czech Republic ). In addition to Alois, the family had four more children. After graduating with honors from the Pedagogical Institute in Hradec Kralove , Alois got a job as a teacher in Litomerice . However, a few months later Vashatko was drafted into the army, in which he graduated in 1929 with the rank of junior lieutenant of artillery. Then he continued his studies at the Military Academy in Border . He was sent to Olomouc , where he commanded the 2nd Battery of the 7th Artillery Regiment. There, in Olomouc, in 1937–1938, Alois graduated from the flight courses with the 2nd Aviation Regiment. Dr. Edward Benes , and in March 1939 Washatko became a qualified pilot. After that he commanded the 14th reconnaissance (observation) squadron on biplanes Letov Š-328 .

France

After the first disintegration of Czechoslovakia and the annexation of Moravia and Bohemia to Nazi Germany (the so-called Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia ), Washatko was forced to flee the country. He illegally crossed the Polish border in the Slovakian Beskids , and then, with the help of the Czechoslovak consul in Krakow , together with other immigrants sailed on July 28, 1939 from Gdynia on the steamer "Brave" ( Czech Chrobry ) to France .

After retraining at the fighter school in Chartres , Alois got into the French Air Force and flew as part of the CIC No. 6 groups de Chasse I / 5 at the Curtiss P-36 Hawk . Becoming the first successful Czechoslovakian pilot in the French campaign , before May 11, 1940 , Vashatko shot down about 15 enemy aircraft (12 confirmed victories) ^[2] .

UK

After the defeat of France, Alois went to Morocco , from where he arrived in Cardiff through British Gibraltar . In England, Washatko took part in the Battle of Britain as part of the 312nd (Czechoslovak) Fighter Squadron of the British Air Force ( eng. No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron ) and on October 8, 1940, shot down his first Junkers Ju 88 ^[3] near Liverpool ^[3] .

On June 5, 1941, Alois Vashatko was appointed commander of the first (lead) squadron, and since May 30, 1942, commander of the newly created Czechoslovak Fighter Wing. Together with Josef Frantisek and Karel Kuttelvasher , Vashatko is one of the most successful Czechoslovak fighter pilots.

Death

On June 23, 1942, not far from the English Channel , during the air collision with the German Focke-Wulfa Fw 190 , Alois Washatko was shot down by Wilhelm Reuschling ( him. Wilhelm Reuschling ) from the 7th Squadron of the 2nd Fighter Squadron Richthofen . The pilot's body was not found.

Alois Vashatko was posthumously awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel (after the Velvet Revolution - Colonel) and many Czechoslovakia (medals "For Bravery" and "For Merits") and allied awards, including the French "Military Cross" ( English Croix de guerre ) and the British Cross "For outstanding flight merit . " By the decree of Czechoslovakia’s President Václav Havel dated March 8, 1992, Alois Vasatko was posthumously awarded the rank of major general.

• Chevalier of the Order of the White Lion, 1 degree (Czechoslovakia, 1949)
• three times a cavalier of the Czechoslovak Military Cross of 1939-1945 (28/10/1940, 10/07/1941, 14/11/1941)
• Chevalier of the Military Cross , France
• Chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor , France (4.7.1940)
• Cavalier of the Cross For Outstanding Flight Merit , United Kingdom (06/23/1942)
• Commander of the Order of Milan Rastislav Stefanik , Czechoslovakia (1992)

• Vrána A. Letec Alois Vašátko: 1087 dní odboje štábního kapitána letectva Aloise Vašátky . - Praha: Toužimský & Moravec, 2006. - 212 p. - ISBN 9788072640782 .

• Alois Vashatko (Rus.) On the website of the aviation encyclopedia "Corner of the sky . "
• Alois Vašátko (Czech) on Praha 14 .