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Auction: 14003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 310

A Good Second War Fighter Ace's Campaign Group of Fourteen to Hurricane, Spitfire and Morane Pilot, Flight Lieutenant J. Kucera, Czechoslovakian Air Force and Royal Air Force, Who Followed Up His 3 Victories During the Battle of France, With 2 Destroyed and 2 Damaged During the Battle of Britain. Having Converted to Mosquitos, He Carried Out 44 Photo-Reconnaissance and Special Courier Operations With 544 Squadron, August 1944-March 1945
a) Czechoslovakia, Republic, War Cross 1939, bronze, with three gilt linden sprays on riband
b) Czechoslovakia, Republic, Bravery Medal, bronze, with two gilt linden sprays on riband
c) Czechoslovakia, Republic, Military Merit Medal, First Class, silvered-bronze, with silver star on riband
d) Czechoslovakia, Republic, Army Commemorative Medal, two clasps, Francie, Velka Britanie, bronze
e) Czechoslovakia, People's Republic, Military Order of the Red Star, breast Badge, 43mm, silvered and enamel
f) Czechoslovakia, People's Republic, Medal for the 20th Anniversary of C.S.S.R. Liberation, bronze
g) Czechoslovakia, People's Republic, Victorious February 25th Anniversary Commemorative Medal, silvered
h) 1939-1945 Star, with Battle of Britain Bar
i) Air Crew Europe Star, with copy Atlantic Bar
j) Defence and War Medals
k) France, Republic, Croix de Guerre, reverse dated '1939-1940', bronze, with three bronze palms and two silver stars on riband
l) France, Republic, Combatant's Cross, bronze
m) France, Republic, War Medal 1939-1945, two clasps, Grande Bretagne, Liberation, bronze, good very fine or better, with the following related items:
- French l'Armée de l'Air Pilot's Flying Log Book (14.9.1939-19.6.1940)
- R.A.F. Pilot's Flying Log Book (8.8.1940-17.8.1948)
- French Movement Order, for recipient and two others to join Groupe I/9, dated 13.12.1939; Three R.A.F. Movement Orders and two Czechoslovakian Movement Orders
- R.A.F. Brief Statement of Service and Certificate of Discharge, dated 24.9.1941
- Letter of appreciation from the Air Ministry on the ocaision of relinquishment of commission, dated 3.6.1946
- Czechoslovakian Red Cross Card, dated 12.7.1943
- Czechoslovakian Military Identity Pass, dated 20.7.1948
- Two Invitations from the BBC to broadcast in Czechoslovakian, dated 30.4.1942 and 29.6.1942, with original carbon copies of both scripts and a later typed transcript in English
- A Fine Photograph album from various stages of recipient's career, a mixture of original and copied photographs; correspondence from recipient in later life and other ephemera (lot)

Flight Lieutenant Jiri Kucera (1914-1980), born Roudnice nad Labem, Czechoslovakia. He served in 43 and 50 Fighter Flights of Air Regiment 4, Czechslovakian Air Force, prior to the German occupation of his country in March 1939. Kucera escaped to Poland, and from there made his way to France. He joined the Foreign Legion, and with the outbreak of the war was seconded to l'Armée de l'Air.

Battle of France - Early Success
Kucera was posted as a pilot to the fighter Groupe de Chasse I/6. Flying Morane 406's he was quickly into action, Destroying an He. III, 18.5.1940. Nine days later Kucera Destroyed two Hs. 123's in one combat.

When the French capitulated, Kucera went to North Africa, boarded a British ship at Casablanca, reached Gibraltar and then sailed in a convoy to Britain.

Kucera joined the R.A.F. upon arrival in England. He was initially posted as Sergeant to the newly formed 310 (Czech) Squadron, August 1940. He coverted to Hurricanes at No. 6 O.T.U., before being posted for operational flying with 238 Squadron (Hurricanes), Middle Wallop, 12.9.1940.

Battle of Britain - Adding To The Score
As part of 10 Group the Squadron was heavily engaged in the battles over London throughout September 1940. Flying several patrols daily it did not take Kucera long to add to his score. On the 26th September he Destroyed a Bf. 110, and Damaged two others. His Combat Report gives the following:

'I was Red 3 and followed section to attack in line astern. I attacked 4 Me. 110's and fired at one 3 two second bursts from quarter developing to astern at 300 yards range. No apparent effect. Then I continued attack on second E/A firing 2 three second bursts from quarter at 200 yards. Lots of smoke came out of E/A but I could not watch as there were others behind me.

I then broke away circled and went into attack another Me. 110 firing 3 four second bursts from astern and below 200-300 yards. One of these E/A gave out large lot of smoke but again I broke away. Then I continued firing at second E/A and fired very long burst possibly 5 secs from astern at 300 yards closing to 100 yards. E/A gave out flames from port engine and dive. I broke away and climbed up to attack.'

Four days later Kucera Destroyed a He. III south of Portland. After destroying the aircraft he was, however, nearly on the receiving end himself:

'About at tea-time, when 238 Squadron scrambled to intercept the approaching enemy bomber formation somewhere in the Southampton area. I took off as "Red Two" in Sqn Ldr Fenton's section and had the duty to catch the "Pip-in".

We had climbed in a close line astern formation through a thin cloud layer and I had to keep a constant watch of the C/O's tail, being his No. 2 and was practically in the middle of the formation. Then suddenly there was a lot of excited talk over the V.H.F. and a call I clearly understood (at that time my English was very poor) "Tally Ho", and at the same time the C/O began diving with the whole squadron and I saw a large enemy bomber formation, a little below, almost in front of us heading in the opposite direction. There was a head on attack carried out by the whole squadron. As there wasn't any more time aside the leader I pushed more to get clearer of the leader and let lose my eight Browning's machine guns into the Jerries as they passed through my gunsight one after another, but being much lower I almost collided with a German bomber at the rear of their formation. So to avoid it, I pushed to pass him below and got into a dive and went through under the thin cloud cover. Then I pulled the aircraft out of the dive off in the western direction and started climbing quickly up because I had enough speed, with the intention of attacking the enemy formation once more from the side, from the sun direction.

Meanwhile the German formation dropped their bombs and was heading homewards. I was still climbing to gain some height superiority and before I turned my Hurry for the attack I searched thoroughly all the area around me, even looked into the sun through the gaps between my fingers to make sure that there was all clear of German fighters. Assuring myself that everything was clear, I made a sharp turn and pushed the aircraft into a dive; when it happened.

I felt a blow and the plane shook, I instinctively turned the aircraft over on its back, helping it with left rudder and caught sight by the corner of my eye of the belly of Me.110 passing over me at a high speed, which must have come from nowhere.

At the same time I felt a terrible heat in my cockpit and my first thought was, the aircraft being on fire. I hastily opened the cockpit, closed the fuel intake, switched off the ignition and tore off my helmet and threw it away as the disconnecting of the oxygen hose and the V.H.F. plug would have taken relatively too much time. I unharnessed myself and wanted to bale out, but it was quite impossible because of the high speed of the almost vertical dive of the plane. Having a quick look at the air-speed indicator, its needle indicating well over 400 mph. It all happened within a few seconds and my thought was to get the aircraft out of that deadly dive, but I had to give it all my effort to get the elevator into motion as it was blocked. When I succeeded it the aircraft went sharply out of the dive, I got the blackening in my eyes and when I regained my vision again I was almost at point of stalling... and was nearly shot out of the cockpit being unharnessed only holding fast the control column.

I made a quick check by looking behind, if there wasn't any smoke tail beyond the aircraft and I changed my mind for baling out... What had actually happened - what had been the cause of fire... The only evident thing was the torn-off surface of the left wing just above the four machine guns, laying there calmly uncovered... I tested the function of the undercarriage and flaps which operated well according to the signal lights and set for Middle Wallop and carefully landed as I wasn't sure whether perhaps a tyre hadn't been shot through.

After landing, almost deaf for having flown with my open cockpit and without helmet. I found in my right sleeve and in my right pant below the knee burned out holes, but my skin being untouched. When investigating the plane and the damages, we found three hits caused by 20mm cannon shells, one at the top of the left wing which caused the torn off of the fabric above the machine guns, the second one hit the elevator suspension tube and caused the blocking of it, and the third one hit the wing trailing edge, close to the fuselage, partially damaged the right wing fuel tank - the petrol still leaking out of it after landing - put on fire the leaking petrol out of it, cut off the necks of two oxygen bottles and so the petrol flames coming through the hole in the fuselage into my cockpit were supported by the leaking oxygen, caused the tremendous heat... Then the flame was probably blown off by wind when diving.

Beside that there was a great number of bullet holes in the wings and fuselage and a few of them in the armour plate in the back of the pilot's cockpit.' (Typed account refers)

On the 30th November Kucera was forced to crash land as a consequence of enemy action. His aircraft crashed at Buckland Ripers, Dorset. Kucera was injured as a result of the crash, and did not return to flying until May 1941. He was briefly posted to 501 Squadron, before transferring to the newly formed 313 (Czech) Squadron (Spitfires), Catterick, 25.5.1941.

The Squadron was primarily tasked with east coast convoy patrols, until its' move to Portreath in August. Kucera was commissioned Pilot Officer, 13.8.1941. Having moved with the Squadron Kucera carried out offensive sweeps and bomber escorts. The Squadron moved to Hornchurch in December 1941, and was tasked with Ramrods.

On 5.5.1942 whilst flying top cover for Bostons over Lille, Kucera was chased back across the Channel by six F.W. 190's. He was forced to make a crash landing in a field full of anti-invasion obstacles. Kucera returned to flying at the end of the month and moved with the Squadron to Church Stanton in June 1942. He shared a Damaged Ju. 88, over the Channel, 6.7.1942.

Kucera completed his second tour at the end of May 1943. He left the Squadron, and after postings to No. 9 O.T.U., No. 32 M.U., he converted to Mosquitos at No. 8 O.T.U. - P.R., Dyce Aberdeen.

Kucera returned to operational flying when he was posted to 544 (Photo-Reconnaissance) Squadron (Mosquitos), Benson, August 1944. He flew 44 photographic and Special Courier operations over Europe, between August 1944-March 1945. Kucera returned to Czechoslovakia, 16.8.1945, and joined the Czechoslovakian Army.

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