Klvaňa, Jaroslav

Jaroslav Klvaňa

I recently met my former classmate David years later. We talked, as usual, about everything possible. In the end, there were some interests and hobbies, and to our surprise we found that we both rank aviation and aircraft at the forefront, with great emphasis on our former pilots from World War II. Among the speeches, David dropped a note that his grandfather was most likely with the Air Force and that he fought in the ranks of the famous "Three Hundred and Eleven". At the same time, however, he lamented that he had very little information about his grandfather and would like to know something more about his fate. I kind of caught on and started an extensive search. I involved my friends, former pilots, I also asked for help in the Central Military Archive in Prague at the Invalidovna. My friend Falke sent some photos, Honza Lehovec searched just like me in the books (Pajer - The Wings Are Headed for Germany, Rajlich - In the Sky of Proud Albion, Joy - Nights over Germany), but we didn't get much information. Nevertheless, I continue to search and in case I find out any new facts, I will publish them ...
I also mentioned in one of the contributions that Colonel Petr Uruba remembered David's grandfather, who met him both at the 311th Squadron and later in the POW camp. I asked Mr. Uruba in a letter if he would be so kind as to remember in the peace of his home, now I am anxiously awaiting what information I will receive from him.

Jaroslav Klvaňa was born on August 9, 1914 in the village of Tvrdonice in the Hodonín region. He trained as a shoemaker at the Baťa company and then joined the full-time military service. After the occupation of the republic, he decided to flee abroad and so at the beginning of March 1940 he left with four of his friends by train to Bratislava, then across the Hungarian border and to Budapest. However, he was arrested and imprisoned. After his release from prison, he was escorted back to Slovakia.
He did not hesitate and tried to cross the border, which was already successful. He gradually got through Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey and Syria to Beirut. From there he traveled aboard the ship Mariette Pacha to the French port of Marseille, where he landed on May 14, 1940. Here he was assigned to the formed air group in the camp Agde. Soon, however, he had to set out again with the other comrades-in-arms. France surrendered and the last hope was given to English soil. After moving to England, he was accepted on July 24, 1940 into a voluntary reserve of the Royal Air Force (RAF VR - Volunteer Reserve). After completing the prescribed training, he was assigned to the 311th Czechoslovak Bomber Squadron as a deck gunner. He served with the "Three Hundred and Eleven" for almost two years, almost until the end of its deployment within the Bomber Command. As a rear gunner, he flew in the crew of Sgt. Couples.
On April 14, the crew, consisting of the pilot: Sgt. Vladimir Para, Co-pilot: Sgt. Oldřich Havlík, navigator: F/O Milan Zapletal, radio operator: Sgt. Josef Taláb, front gunner: Sgt. Pavel Varjan, rear gunner: Sgt. Jaroslav Klvaňa, with his Wellington Mk.IC No. Z1098 matriculation KX-U as "Uršula" for the bombing raid on Dortmund. the machine started as the sixth in the order at 22:25 and despite the initial difficulties with the climb, it headed for enemy territory. The crew dropped their cargo to the target and turned to return to England. The card turned. Above the Ruhr, "Ursula" came under heavy anti-aircraft fire. Wellington was intercepted by searchlights, all anti-aircraft cannons and machine guns within range were targeted, and was hit and damaged several times. The navigator was injured by shrapnel on his right hand. Pilot Sgt. The steam escaped from the dazzling glow of the headlights and descended from the range of the heavy fire. He continued on a ground flight, bothered by a light flak. The right engine suffered and stopped working, the machine began to sink.
The fate of the damaged Ursula was sealed over the territory of the Netherlands by a dose of cannons and machine guns of a German night fighter. According to surviving sources, it was Oblt. Siegfried Wandam, a member of I./NJG 1 from a base in Venlo, the Netherlands. The shooting was aimed directly at the cabin.Two bullets hit Havlík's face, pieces of his skull and brain scattering across the cabin. With half of his head shot, the co-pilot collapsed on the steering wheel and the plane crashed against the tops of the trees. In an instant he was on the ground (he landed at about 4:10 on the road from Maarheeze to Weert) and was engulfed in strong flames. When landing (impact?) On the abdomen, the plane crashed into a large tree. Severely wounded, Zapletal rescued the unconscious Couple with all his might and pulled him away from the flames. Klvaňa was hit by an impact and fell unconscious. The other three crew members were not so lucky. They died and are buried in a cemetery near the town of Woensel in the Netherlands.
When Klvaňa woke up, he tried to escape from the burning machine. Before that, however, he tried to find out how his crew members had turned out. He called, but no one answered. He didn't see anyone. He therefore went to a nearby forest and the next day towards the French - Belgian border. After moving to Belgium, he was detained by local gendarmes, but he explained his situation to them and they selflessly provided him with help in the form of civilian clothes, shoes and a bicycle. After four days, however, his luck left him and he was detained by a German patrol. He was taken to a prison in Brussels. He completed ten days of interrogations, visits to the crash site, threats and sweet talk and promises, but he said nothing and revealed the people who helped him. He was eventually taken to the Dulag Luft POW camp and later to the famous Stalag Luft III in Sagan. He lived to see the end of the war and his liberation at the Stalag IVB camp in Muhlberg. On May 5, 1945, he was sent to Cosford and assigned to unit no. 106 within the Czechoslovak Depot. He returned to his homeland on August 21, 1945.

The whole event is illustrated by a report by Josef H. Huskens, a Dutch policeman from Weert: (I quote from the book "In the sky of the proud Albion ...)" ... . Around 4:10 a.m., the plane, a British bomber, crashed 7-8 km northwest of the town of Weert, near the border with Budel County. The aircraft was shot down by a German night fighter. The whipping flames of the burning bomber were visible on the surrounding trees.
Five crew members were found near the wreck, three of them dead, their bodies badly burned. Two seriously injured pilots were taken to St. Petersburg Hospital. Jans Hospital. Depending on the type of aircraft, there must have been six people in it, so one was missing. The police stations were immediately informed and ordered to find and arrest him. The plane was guarded by a German guard, three dead bodies were taken away. The accident occurred in a sandy region overgrown with coniferous trees and no damage was caused. There were no casualties outside the crew ... "

Even Jaroslav Klvaňa did not escape the attention of the communists. Soon after, he decided to go abroad again. He returned to England via Germany, where he worked for the shoe company Hirsch. He finally died in England, on May 9, 1983, at the age of 69 ...

I would like to thank all my colleagues and friends for their help in the search, and I would like to send a special thank you to Col. Žikeš from UVA, who found some documents and sent me copies

Geachte heer


Ik ben het onderzoek naar de crash van de Z1098 Wellington 1C op 15 april 1942 in Weert, Nederland. 311 Squadron RAF.


Mijn vader was een getuige van de crash site.


Neem contact met mij, zodat we kunnen Exhange informatie. Mijn e-mail: Quin@scarlet.be


Vriendelijke groet

Překlad :


Vážení panové


Pátram o podrobnostech zřícení Z1098 Wellingtonu 1C dne 15. duben 1942 v Weert, Nizozemsko. 311 Squadron RAF.


Můj otec byl svědkem na místě nehody.


Prosím kontaktujte mě, abychom mohli vyměnit informace.


Můj e-mail: Quin@scarlet.be


Zdravím