S/Ldr Josef Stehlík - In Four Airforces

[Airframes]

Hi Roman. I've just re-checked the info you posted on the JU88 crash, and located the spot more accurately now. On the 1:50,000 map I e-mailed you, you will see a symbol, underneath the words 'Bromborough Pool', that looks like a small black spot with a cross on the top; this represents a church with a spire, which I am virtually sure was not there at the time (I'll have this confirmed fairly soon). Go to the right of this church, and you will see a double line, representing a road, which bends 90 degrees to the left, towards north west, above the 'pink' looking rectangles representing a built-up area; none of these were there at the time, and it is in this approximate area where the JU88 came down.
A friend of mine, who works for the local Government Council, is going to see if he can access mapping for the period, which, at the time, would have been in Imperial measurement of one inch to the mile (UK Ordnance Survey maps changed, in stages, to metric measurement in the early 1980's). If he can do this, I should be able to correlate the information, possibly with period and current aerial photographs also, and establish a more accurate general location of the crash site. Also, I will make enquiries with the Liverpool Echo newspaper group (one of my former customers with my old civilian job), in order to establish if they have any photographs and articles in their archives that cover the crash, which I think there is a very good chance they MIGHT have, as the event was 'big news' locally at the time. If I am able to obtain this information, I should be able to assemble a nice little file on the incident. Depending on what I can find, I might go to the area (it's only about thirty miles from my house) and get some photographs. I doubt if it will be worth trying to photograph the crash site, as it is even more built-up now than is shown on the map, but a picture of the general area and the Bebington church might be worthwhile. If possible, from the information about the flight path you provided, I will try to draw a map overlay of the approximate route of the '88, and the Hurricanes, in order to roughly illustrate the course of the combat.
Cheers for now, Terry.

[Pisis]

Hey, this is getting super-interesting! Thank you for all the research, Roman!

Pisis, our former Czech president, Václav Havel met him in in May 1945 as a kid... Here is a part of the letter that Václav Havel sent to Stehlík´s wife Marie in 90´s:
'' Možná s budete divit, ale mám dodnes v živé paměti, jak Váš zesnulý manžel přistál s letadlem po 9. květnu 1945 v blízkosti Havlova a pak byl u nás na večeři. Bylo mi tehdy devět let a obdivoval jsem ho jako hrdinu a navíc se mi líbila ho anglická uniforma.''

Havlova? What's that?! Havel has always lived in Prague, as far as I'm concerned.

[Airframes]

A little bit more news. I've been able to look at the Ordnance Survey map for 1948 (the previous one was 1932 I think), and I can confirm that the church I pointed out was NOT there, and the whole area was open at the time of the JU88's crash-landing. The dock area was not as developed, and, when I am able to obtain a copy of the map, I should be able to mark the area fairly accurately. I tried to get a copy of the map in question on-line, but for some reason, the 'saved' item 'saved' as a totally different part of the U.K.! No problem though, as my Council friend should be able to get it, including prints, from his 'Official' source. I have also found three more interesting photos of the JU88, plus a photo of a painting of Gillam's Hurricane about to engage, and a photo of a model of the JU88, belonging to the son of one of the crew. Another photograph shows the newspaper page, with a picture of the wreck, and the three pilot's responsible for shooting it down. The accounts that accompany these pics are the same as yours, and you might have already seen the source. I found them at South Lancs Aviation. I tried to send a message using the e-mail address included on their web site, but I think it is printed incorrectly, and the 'phone was switched to fax. I will get to send a fax on Monday, and wait for a response; I am asking for copies of all/any photos they have. If you haven't seen this web site, when you view, go to the list shown as 'Accidents', scroll down to 'Speke', and you will find the listing under the date, October 1940. The list has mis-spelled the name of the Junker's base, it should read Caen-Carpiquet. Soon as I get anything further, I'll let you know.
Terry.

[seesul]

Hi Pissis and Terry,

just a side note...Joe Owsianik, my friend mentioned in my siggy, flew that B-17G that was shot down on August 29,1944. Loy Dickinson (former president of 2nd BG vets assn) was a navigator of the same plane and bailed out as well. He stayed in touch with a Czech man that helped him after Loy´s landing and visited our town (Slavicin) several times, for a first time in 1984 (we were still under communist goverment back then). As I learned out, Joe Stehlik became Loys interpretor during Loy´s first visit. Here´s a caption from the book ''The 2nd was first'':
''One morning, Mojmir (Loy´s Czech friend since Loy´s bail out) drove us into Slavicin to pick up his English speaking friend Josef Stehlik. Joe flew with the Czech RAF squadron and the last year and half against Germans. He was one of 22 Czech pilots sent to Russia to fight against the Germans. He was he most openly contemptuos of Russians of any Czechs we met.''
Source: The second was first , Second Bomb Group , books

Last week I sent an e-mail to Loy with some pics and stories of Joe Stehlik and Loy sent me back his answer with his story:

''How good of you to send this wondeful montage of our Czech friend Joe Stehlik. I need to tell you the story. Midge (my then wife) and I visited Slavicin and the Baca family in June of 1984. It was to be the first of many memorable visits to the Czech Republic, at that time, Czechoslovakia. Joe had entertained us with his stories about his exploits with the Czech Air Force then the British, Canadian and I think French air forces.. Corect me if I am wrong..

At the time we were preparing to leave for Vienna we were in the downtown area at a flower shop purchasing flowers to place at the commemorative grave site of the 28 flyers. Joe drove up on his little two wheeler, got off, came to Midge and on his knees he told us that he had just come from the doctors office and had learned that he was dying of a broken heart. It seems that the love of his life was leaving and he would have nothing more to live for.

It was one of those delicious moments I will not soon forget. He was a great guy and a wonderful human being. He died about 5 or 6 months before my next visit which was in August - September 1991. Thank you ever so much for the photos and the "bio" link.''