WORKED HIS WAY TO FIGHT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 78, 15 July 1942, Page 6

WORKED HIS WAY TO FIGHT

CZECH AIRMAN

REMARKABLE STORY

A 22 year old Czech airman told recently, in a BBC broadcast, the truly remarkable story of his three years of travel in an effort to join his county's free fighting men. His mother is still in Czechoslavakia. his father in Russia, and his sister in Ecuador. He has had no news of them since he left Czechoslovakia. At the outbreak of war he was working in a Warsaw factory, having left his native Bohemia when the Germans took possession. He was caught by the Germans in Warsaw, "after they had shot me a little bit," he said, and he had to work for them. His job was to fetch drinking -water from outside the town and carry it to the hospital. One day he went as usual —but did not return. He escaped to Russia. For eight months he worked in Moscow, till he had saved enough to travel further. In Manchuria, the Japanese arrested him. When they set him free he had no money, so he did various jobs in China. "The, Chinese," he said, "are very nice, good, educated people. I made some money, and then I' wanted to join the Czech Army. But with my Czech passpor! the Japanese wouldn't let me go. They always made trouble when they saw my Russian visa. So I bought another passport from a foreigner and had to change my name. '•I got to Singapore, and was interned while the British authorities found out which of my passports was the right one. Later I was set free and told that I could get to Kngland to join the Czechs.'' And so at last he came to tioin the Czech Air Force. The total distance he had travelled is greater than twice round the world.