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One of last Czechoslovak wartime RAF pilots Liškutín dies

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Prague, Feb 19 (CTK) – Miroslav Liskutin, one of the last two surviving Czechoslovak fighter pilots who served with the British RAF in wartime, died in Britain on Monday, aged 98, the Czech military has announced on Twitter.

Liskutin lived in Britain for many decades.

“The retired Brigadier-General Miroslav Liskutin died today. A hero who took part in the fighting from 1940, making 131 sorties above the enemy’s areas and spending 465 hours in air combat,” the military wrote.

Czech Chief-of-Staff Jiri Becvar said he was sincerely saddened by the news.

“The Czech military has lost a significant figure of World War Two – a member of the 312th and 313th Czechoslovak fighter squadrons in Great Britain. May he rest in peace,” Becvar said.

Last year, President Milos Zeman promoted Liskutin to the rank of general for heroism.

In April 1939, Liskutin left the Nazi-occupied Czech Lands for France via Poland, Sweden and Britain. In France, he joined the Foreigner Legion with which he underwent a half-year training in Africa.

After the fall of France, he got to Britain, where he completed his training as a fighter pilot and joined the 145th RAF squadron in combat as of August 1941. Later he was transferred to the 312th Czechoslovak squadron and in May 1945 to the 313th Czechoslovak squadron.

His 131 sorties made him one of the most extensively operating Czech fighter pilots in WW2.

After the February 1948 communist coup in Czechoslovakia, he returned to Britain.

The last surviving Czech pilot who served with RAF during the war is Emil Bocek, who will turn 95 on Sunday.

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