Miroslav Štandera facts for kids

Miroslav Štandera (born October 5, 1918 – died February 19, 2014) was a brave Czech fighter pilot. He flew planes for both the French Air Force and the Royal Air Force during World War II. He was one of the last two Czech pilots who fought for the Allies throughout the entire war. He was also the very last Czech pilot who had flown for France during that time.

Miroslav Štandera's Life Story

Early Years

Miroslav Štandera was born on October 5, 1918. In 1936, when he was 18, he joined the Czechoslovak Air Force. After finishing aviation school, he became a pilot.

Fighting in World War II

When Germany invaded and took over Czechoslovakia in 1939, Štandera had to leave his home country. He went to France and joined the French Air Force. He fought against German pilots during the Battle of France in May 1940. In June 1940, Štandera was badly hurt during a plane fight, but he managed to crash-land and survive.

After France was taken over by Germany, Štandera was moved to the United Kingdom for medical care. There, he helped start the No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF. This was a special Royal Air Force squadron made up of Czech pilots who had left their home country. In 1940, he was one of 87 Czech fighter pilots who helped defend the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain.

Throughout the war, he flew twin-engine fighter bombers. He went on nighttime bombing missions into Germany and parts of France that Germany had taken over. In total, Štandera flew for 1,320 hours in combat during World War II. He also helped protect Allied planes and soldiers during the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944.

Life After the War

After World War II ended, Miroslav Štandera went back to Czechoslovakia. However, the new Communist government took over in 1948. They removed him from the Czechoslovak Air Force. This happened because they wanted to get rid of people who had worked with Western European countries during the war.

So, Štandera left Czechoslovakia again in 1948 and went back to the United Kingdom. There, he rejoined the Royal Air Force. He retired from the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1955.

After leaving the RAF, Štandera became a silversmith in Britain. He learned the trade and worked on repairing silver items like teapots. He stopped working in the early 1980s.

In 1984, Štandera moved from Britain to Bavaria, which is in West Germany. He returned to the Czech Republic in 1994. He lived with his daughter's family in Plzeň.

Honors and Later Years

In 2000, President Vaclav Havel gave Štandera the special rank of brigadier general. He also received two Czechoslovak War Crosses and three Czechoslovak Bravery Medals for his service in World War II. In 2006, he was given the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, which is a high honor.

Miroslav Štandera passed away in Plzeň, Czech Republic, on February 19, 2014. He was 94 years old. His funeral was held at the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew in Plzen on February 26, 2014.