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Auction: 20001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - conducted behind closed doors
Lot: 1029

An interesting Czech Pilot's long service group of five awarded to Master Pilot F. Radina, Czechoslovak Air Force, later No. 311 and 202 Squadrons, Royal Air Force, who completed a tour over occupied North-West Europe and later became a key Pilot for the Meteorological Flight

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45; Coronation 1953; Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., with oak leaf (M.Plt. F. Radina (788991) R.A.F.), good very fine (5)


Frantisek Radina was born on 4 October 1915 in Hostivice, Czechoslovakia, the son of Josef Radina. He undertook pilot training in the late 1930's and served in the skies above Poland before escaping to Britain at the fall of France in June 1940. Admitted to the R.A.F. in August 1940, he witnessed extensive operational night-raids with No. 311 Squadron, flying the Wellington Bomber over occupied Europe. Radina completed his first operational tour of 33 missions in mid-September 1941 and was transferred to ferrying duties between Canada and the United Kingdom. In 1943 he returned to No. 311 Squadron, and later served as an instructor on the B-24 Liberator from September 1943-September 1944 at No. 111 O.T.U. based at Nassau in the Bahamas.

Returning to England at the end of the war, Radina retrained as a military transport pilot and was transferred to No. 202 Squadron. He was awarded his British Naturalisation Certificate on 8 August 1951 whilst serving at R.A.F. Lindholme. Promoted Master Pilot on 4 July 1955, he later received a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air (London Gazette 1 January 1960, refers).

An article from the Belfast Telegraph, dated 31 July 1964, offers further detail regarding the career of Radina:

'Met. Squadron makes last trip over Atlantic

From "Belfast Telegraph" reporter, Des Morrow, 1 p.m. Friday - 600 miles west of Ireland.

We have reached the half-way stage of this historic flight in a Hastings aircraft of R.A.F. No. 202 Squadron - and for the last four hours we have been heading for the "worst weather possible."

Over the past 18 years, 202 Squadron, stationed at Aldergrove, has helped inform the people of the United Kingdom and Western Europe of the weather prospects by taking meteorological measurements out in the Atlantic in the centre of deep depressions and sometimes hurricanes.

We are on the last flight in the capable hands of 49-year old "master pilot" Frantisek Radina. He's known as "The Master" for he has taken these Hastings aircraft more than half-a-million miles in search of "trouble."

When I say trouble I really mean it. For this in the squadron looking for the worst possible weather. That's where the "met" boys want their readings to help make their forecasts.

The men of this Coastal Command squadron will, within the next few weeks, be split, most of them going to Air Transport Command. No. 202 - one of the oldest squadrons in the R.A.F. will, however live on as a helicopter squadron. The code word for these Met flights is "Bismuth". The squadron has completed 4,150 of them, covering 40,000 flying hours. The Officer Commanding the squadron - Squadron Leader B. A. Spry - told me:

"We have never failed to make a flight, although there have been a few delays. We can justly claim we are the all-weather squadron"

Radina, a Czech who joined the R.A.F. with the fall of France in 1940, is completing his 443rd flight.

Ground Job

"I will probably be taking up a ground staff job," he told me.

He has completed some 4,000 flying hours in the Hastings aircraft used by the squadron. There was only one occasion that his Hastings did not take off. That was when the runway was like a skating rink:

"It was going down the runway broadside," he said.
Yes - this is the last one. But for the men of No. 202, their experiences out over the wide wastes of the Atlantic will never be forgotten. They weren't heading for the calm weather after all.

Orders were:

"Head for the rough stuff."'

Frantisek Radina died on 28 March 1968, having returned to his homeland in retirement. On 1 June 2006, he was appointed an Honorary Citizen of Hostivice by the City Council, for his 'active participation in the fight for freedom'.


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Sold for
£1,400

Starting price
£280