Perzhina, Frantisek

Frantisek Perzhina was born in a peasant family on April 8, 1911 in the village of , Břeclav district of the South Moravian Region (at that time Austria-Hungary ). After five years of primary and three years of high school, Frantisek enters the school, where for three years he masters the profession of a machinist , and after six months he works in his specialty ^[11] .

After seeing the air parade in Brno, Perzhina decided to become a pilot and eagerly responded to the recruitment of Czechoslovak air forces ^[12] . October 1, 1929, he began his studies at the Aviation School in Prostejov , where the first mastered Frantisek aircraft were the training biplanes “Letov Š-10” (licensed analogue of the Austro-Hungarian ), and . After completing the courses, Frantisek took the oath in September 1931 and was assigned to the 5th observation squadron of the 2nd aviation regiment with the rank of pilot of the 1st class ^[11] .

Czechoslovak Air Force

At the beginning of 1932, Perzhina was sent to four-month fighter courses in Cheb , where he mastered air-to-air and air-to-ground interactions on new types of biplanes and monoplanes , in particular on the Avia , and , where he studied aerobatics . At the end of the course and returning to the unit, Perzhina was attached to the 34th fighter squadron , based in Olomouc , and when she was transferred to another airfield, which replaced her 36th (during this relocation, Perzhina met another future Czechoslovak pilot ace Josef Frantisek ) ^[13] .

In 1937, Frantisek Perzhina represented the Czechoslovak Air Force at the IV International Air Show in Zurich ^[3] , where he met with German pilot aces of World War I Ernst Udet and Erhard Milch . The German team was equipped with Heinkel He 51 biplanes and the new Messerschmitt Bf.109 . Perzhina took third place in spatial maneuvering and fourth in route flight (losing in both cases to German colleagues) ^[11] .

After returning, Perzhina won aerial shooting competitions in Czechoslovakia and was sent to continuing education courses. In the 36th fighter squadron, Perzhin served until 1938. After the German occupation of Czechoslovakia began, the formation of new air force squadrons began, and Frantisek was appointed senior pilot of the 52nd fighter squadron, in which he took part in the border conflict with Hungary , carrying out reconnaissance raids without engaging in clashes ^[11] .

On June 24, 1939, František, who reached the age of 28 ^{[note 1]} , married Anna Klimeshova ( Czech Anna Klimešová ), and on June 26 ^[3] already went to Poland (though without a wife who could not leave the country for problems with documents) in order to join the French Foreign Legion . After the first collapse of Czechoslovakia and the annexation of Moravia and Bohemia to Nazi Germany as a protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia , many Czechoslovak little pilots who managed to leave the country before the dissolution of the Air Force did so ^[7] . By the beginning of the German invasion of Poland, Perzhina was already on his way to North Africa ^[13] .

French Air Force

After France declared war on Germany, the French Ministry of Aviation provided the opportunity for the transfer of pilots of foreign legion to the French Air Force ^[11] . On December 1, 1939, after the training center ( CIC No. 6 Chartres ), where Perzhina mastered piloting the Curtiss H75-C1 , Frantisek was assigned to the 1st squadron of the 1st fighter group of the 5th fighter squadron ( Groupe de Chasse 1/5 ^[14] , also called “Storks” - French les Cigognes ^[15] ), based at 112 airbase in , near Reims ( Marne department). Most French squadron pilots, including its commander, Captain , as well as Frantisek, took part in the Zurich air show in 1937. Pergina took the French pseudonym Francois Rinopé ( French: François Rinopé ), since it was believed that the Germans treated French prisoners of war better than Czechoslovakians ^{[11] [16]} .

Since May 10, 1940, with the beginning of the implementation by Germany of the Manstein plan ( Gelb plan ) against the countries of modern Benelux ( Belgium , Holland , Luxembourg ), as well as France , Perzhina shot down four enemy planes on the first day of the clashes in two sorties ^{[17 ]} . When Frantisek shot down the fifth plane the next time, he became the first Czech ace in World War II ^[2] . Having destroyed two more planes the next day, Perzhina received a promotion and, thanks to coverage of his exploits in the media , became known throughout France ^{[9] [18]} . Within three weeks in May 1940, Frantisek Perzhina officially shot down 11 enemy aircraft (and probably two) ^[7] .

On May 14, the 5th Squadron was deployed to Saint-Dizier on the Marne , and when the Luftwaffe concentrated their attention on Paris in June 1940, the Pergina Squadron was thrown to intercept enemy bombers ^[19] . On June 3, news came that one and a half hundred enemy planes were moving towards the city, and the Perzhina squadron was lifted into the air for interception. In that battle, Frantisek’s plane was shot down, and he himself was wounded. Perzhina was hospitalized, but with the Germans approaching, he was forced to flee to Paris ^[3] , and then to the (department of the Seine and Marne ), from where he went to Carcassonne . There, having received a 1/5 plane at the location of the GC, he crossed to Oran to join the forces of the “ Fighting France ”. For the first air victory Perzhine relied on the “ Military Cross ”, but already in the ranks of the “French Liberation Forces” Frantisek was awarded the Legion of Honor and received the next “Military Cross” with a “bronze palm branch”. From Oran, he traveled by train to Casablanca , from where he crossed to the UK ^[7] .

British Air Force and return to Czechoslovakia

After a 29-day voyage, Frantisek Perzhina entered the location of the 312th Czechoslovak fighter squadron of the British Air Force ^[20] , however, almost immediately upon arrival, he suffered an attack of appendicitis and was hospitalized in Ili . After his return to service, the squadron was transferred to Ayr ( Scotland ) ^[11] . Alois Vashatko , a colleague František from the “Storks”, who at that time was also a holder of the Order of the Legion of Honor and the French Military Cross with the “bronze palm branch”, was the best Czechoslovak ace and the fifth most successful among the French Air Force (Perzhina at that time with 11 confirmed and 2 probable victories was the second highest among Czechoslovakia) ^[21] .

As part of the squadron ^{[Note 2],} Perzhina was involved in escorting bombers. On June 3, 1942, while escorted, he shot down another enemy aircraft (the second victory was not confirmed) ^[22] . Then, during the year, Frantisek served as an officer in the artillery sector, and spent the rest of the war at the headquarters of fighter aircraft ^[11] , where he trained the Czechoslovak air units ^[3] .

After the war ended, Perzhina returned to Czechoslovakia on July 19, 1945, where his wife was detained since 1942. Having received the post of head of the artillery school, Perzhina continued to engage in aerobatics and, together with British colleagues, developed methodological material for post-war training in the Air Force ^[23] . With the coming to power of the Czechoslovak Communists and the beginning of the Cold War, Perzhina was suspected of loyalty to the West. In this regard, and after the conflict in December 1948 with the Deputy Minister of National Defense František was dismissed from the army on March 1, 1949 ^{[7] [11]} .

Return to the Royal Air Force and Emigration

In April 1949, Anna and Frantisek, together with their friend, pilot Karel Radou ( Czech Karlem Radou ), who provided a sports plane, fled from Czechoslovakia. During a flight to West Germany , a fuel malfunction occurred and the plane made an emergency landing in Passau , not far from the Soviet sector ^[23] . For some time, Anna Perzhinova was undergoing treatment in Wiesbaden , then the couple went to the UK, where Frantisek signed a five-year contract with the Royal Air Force ^[7] .

Being over 36 years old, Perzhina could not fly in combat squadrons, but constantly piloted small planes. Frantisek served on the Royal Air Force rifle team and during one of the shooting competitions he met with Marshal Arthur Tedder , who suggested that he extend the contract. Knowing that he would not be able to get a rank higher than major , Perzhina refused, and he and his wife emigrated to Canada ^[7] , where Frantisek, although he received a civil aviation pilot license, could not find a job as a pilot because of his age and worked for about 5 years the production of fiberglass fishing boats ^[11] .

In 1959, Frantisek and Anna received visas from the United States of America (citizenship was filed back in 1949, but since there were no quotas for Czechs, they had to wait almost 10 years) and moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where Perzhina got a job at Webber Aircraft Company ( Eng. Weber Aircraft LLC ) in Burbank . Initially, Frantisek was in the department for the creation of ejection chairs . Subsequently, the unit, led by Frantisek of more than 300 people, was engaged in the production of toilets and kitchens for the Douglas , Lockheed and Boeing aircraft (in particular the Boeing 747 ) and the design of capsule seats for the Gemini space program. On March 15, 1979, Frantisek Perzhina retired and moved with his wife to Arizona , from where, due to too hot climate, he later moved to Las Vegas ( Nevada ) ^[11] .

Homecoming

After the start of the “ velvet revolution ” in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the removal of the Communists from power, Frantisek and Anna visited their homeland in 1990 ^[24] , and then decided to return permanently ^[25] . They moved in March 1993 and settled in the area of Rzepa (Prague-17). The achievements of Perzhina were widely recognized for the first time, on June 9, 1994 Colonel Perzhina was awarded the rank of Major General for outstanding services, and on May 8, 2001 - Lieutenant General ^[4] . On October 29, 1997, Frantisek received the highest state award of the Czech Republic, the Order of the White Lion (IV degree), from the country's President Vaclav Havel ^{[26] [27]} . At the celebration of the 95th anniversary, Frantisek received a commemorative letter from President Havel, and from the Minister of Defense the Spitfire model , which he used to fly, and the award sword ^{[18] [28]} .

At home, Anna and Frantisek were often invited to various events as guests of honor. Perzhina became an honorary member of the Association of Pilots ^[25] , and in 2000, together with , Milan Mikulecku and Zdenek Dvořák, founded the ^[29] . On March 3, 2005, the city council of declared him an honorary citizen of the city (Frantisek personally accepted this status on April 20) ^[30] .

On December 1, 2003, the 42nd Czech Air Force fighter squadron was renamed and received the nameMajor General Frantisek Perzhina (now it is the at the in Caslav ) ^[10] , and Perzhina himself became its honorary commander and patron ^[31] .

On April 21, 2006, Anna's wife died, and the health of Frantisek himself deteriorated so much that a few days later he was hospitalized in a military hospital in Prague. On May 6, 2006, at the age of 95, Frantisek Perzhina passed away ^[32] and was buried in his native village of ^{[33] [34]} .

Frantisek Perzhina with 12 confirmed victories over enemy aircraft ^[13] is considered the fourth among Czechoslovak fighter pilots of World War II. In this list, it is preceded by:

• Karel Kuttelvasher (20) ^[35]
• Joseph František (17) ^{[36] [37]} ;
• Alois Vashatko (15) ^[38] .

In the French campaign, Perzhina is considered the second Czechoslovak pilot after Vashatko, who has 12 victories in the ranks of the French Air Force, and Frantisek has only 11 ^{[8] [38]} .

During his service in the air forces of various countries, Frantisek was awarded ^[40] :

  Legion of Honor Officer , France ^[21] ;

  Four times cavalier of the Czechoslovak Military Cross of 1939-1945 ;

  Cavalier of the French Military Cross with four palm trees, two silver and two gold stars ^[21] ;

  Three times the holder of the medal “ For courage before the enemy ”, Czechoslovakia;

  Cavalier " Stars 1939-1945 " with the sign of a participant in the Battle of Britain , Great Britain;

  He was awarded the medal " " I degree , Czechoslovakia;

  Awarded , Great Britain;

  Awarded the Commemorative Medal of the Czechoslovak Army Abroad with Planks for Service in France and Great Britain, Czechoslovakia;

  He was awarded the , France;

  Cavalier of the star " ", UK;

  Officer of the Order of the White Lion , Czech Republic ^[26] .

In 1995, the biographical book General of the Sky was published, written by another Czechoslovakian Second World War pilot, Frantisek Feitl , with whom Perzhina fought together during the French campaign and the Battle of Britain ^[1] . A great introduction to it was written by the former commander of Perzhina, Air Force General , in which he described the heroism and determination of Perzhina during his service in France ^[23] .

The name of Perzhina is not only the 212nd squadron of the Czech Air Force, but (since September 1, 2002) one of the schools in Prague in the area where Frantisek and Anna lived ^{[10] [41]} . On May 6, 2010, a memorial with a commemorative inscription and a silhouette of Spitfire ^{[42] [43] [44]} was inaugurated in the courtyard of the school.

On October 27, 2006, in Morkuvki, in the presence of the Army General of the Czech Republic , the museum dedicated to Frantisek Peržina was inaugurated, where a collection of documents, photographs, uniforms and awards, aircraft models and memorabilia related to the life of the pilot was presented ^{[33] [45] [46]} .

In November 2011, a commemorative gold coin worth 100 New Zealand dollars with a bas-relief of Frantisek ^[47] was issued in Niue , and in 2017 two sets of 4 coins were issued dedicated to Czechoslovakia's pilot aces in World War II - Karel Kuttelvasher , Alois Vashatko , Josef Frantiseku and Perzhin (silver with a face value of 1 ^[48] and gold - 10 New Zealand dollars ^[49] ).

On the anniversary dates of František Peržina, exhibitions dedicated to him are held in the Czech Republic ^[50] , and ceremonies and memorial days are held at the grave and memorial ^{[30] [43] [44] [51] [52] [53] [54]} .

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