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No.312 Sqn RAF

Name : No.312 Sqn RAF Founded : 29th August 1940 Disbanded : 15th February 1946 Country : UK Fate : After the war the squadron moved to Prague in August 1945 before being disbanded on transfer to the Czechoslovak air force in February 1946 More Details : Czech Non multi sed multa - Not many men but many deeds Known Code Letters : , DU,

No 312 Squadron was formed at Duxford on 29 August 1940 with Czechoslovak personnel as a fighter unit. Equipped with Hurricanes, it was sent to Speke to defend Merseyside,. Its first victory was a Junkers Ju 88 above Liverpool by Alois Vašátko, Denys Gillam and Josef Stehlík on 8 October 1940.[1]On 3 March 1941 312 Sqn moved to RAF Valley and began flying convoy patrols over the Irish Sea. During April and early May, 1941, the squadron was briefly stationed at RAF Jurby, Isle of Man. No. 312 Squadron transitioned to Hurricane IIs in May 1941, and to Spitfires in October Defensive duties occupied the squadron until May 1942, when it began escort missions from south-west England. it flew in cover of the Operation Jubilee raid on Dieppe in 1942, losing one aircraft. From June to September 1943 it was based on the Orkneys before joining Second TAF's operations in preparation for the invasion of France. It converted to a fighter-bomber role in April 1944 and supported the landings in Normandy remaining in the UK after Second TAF moved to France. In July 1944 the squadron moved to East Anglia and undertook long-range escort duties for the rest of the war. Following the end of the war the squadron moved to Prague in August 1945 before being disbanded on transfer to the Czechoslovak air force in February 1946

Known Service Details :
Pilot or Aircrew	Rank	Start of Service	End of Service	Known Dates	Aircraft	Airframes	Notes
B Budil	Flight Lieutenant	unknown	19th April 1944		Spitfire	MK248	Taken prisoner.
O. Hanzlicek	Sergeant	unknown	10th October 1940		Hurricane	L1547	Killed in Action
J. Keprt	Sergeant	unknown	unknown	10th September 1940	Hurricane	L1644
F Miejnecky	Pilot Officer	unknown	unknown	23rd March 1944	Spitfire	MJ893
R Ossendorf	Warrant Officer	unknown	unknown	21st May 1944	Spitfire	MJ907
T. Rowland	Flight Sergeant	unknown	unknown	10th June 1944	Spitfire	MJ940
V. Slouf	Sergeant	unknown	unknown
J. Stehlik		unknown	unknown	08th October 194			Together with Pilot Officer Alois Vašátko and F/L Denys Gillam, Sgt. Stehlík scored 312's first victory, a Junkers Ju 88 Wk No. 4068 coded 'M7+DK', of 2/KGr. 806 above Liverpool on 8 October 1940. He claimed a further victory on 14 March 1941 when he shared in a shoot down of a Ju88 over the sea. During offensive flights over France he added a damaged Bf109 and on the 10 July 1941 a probable Bf 109. He left operational flying in October 1941
J. Truhlar	Sergeant	unknown	unknown	09th July 1941	Hurricane	Z3023

Pilots and Aircrew for : No.312 Sqn RAF
A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name.
Name	Info
Ambrus, J. Click the name above to see a profile of Ambrus, J.	Ambrus, J.
Bartos, J. Click the name above to see a profile of Bartos, J.    Died : 13 / 2 / 1941	Bartos, J. Killed February 13th 1941
Budil, B Click the name above to see a profile of Budil, B	Budil, B On 19th April 1944 his No.312 Sqn Spitfirre Mk.IX MK248 was shot down by Fw190s of JG26 and he baled out near Mechelen, and was taken prisoner. A claim of a Spitfire matching the time and location was made by Major Karl Borris of JG26.
Chabera, F. Click the name above to see a profile of Chabera, F.	Chabera, F.
Comerford, H. A. G. Click the name above to see a profile of Comerford, H. A. G.	Comerford, H. A. G.
Duda, J. Click the name above to see a profile of Duda, J.	Duda, J.
Dunscombe, R. D. Click the name above to see a profile of Dunscombe, R. D.    Died : 31 / 5 / 1941	Dunscombe, R. D. Missing believed killed May 31st 1941**
Hanzlicek, O. Click the name above to see a profile of Hanzlicek, O.    Died : 10 / 10 / 1940	Hanzlicek, O. Sergeant O.Hanzlicek a Czech of No 312 (Czech) Squadron was killed on the 10th of October 1940 when his Hurricane I (L1547) caught fire in the air and he baled out but died. His Hurricane I crashed into the River Mersey off Ellsmere Port.
Hlobil, A. Click the name above to see a profile of Hlobil, A.	Hlobil, A.
Ievers, N. L. Click the name above to see a profile of Ievers, N. L.	Ievers, N. L.
Jaske, J. A. Click the name above to see a profile of Jaske, J. A.	Jaske, J. A.
Jones, C. A. T. Click the name above to see a profile of Jones, C. A. T.	Jones, C. A. T.
Keprt, J. Click the name above to see a profile of Keprt, J.	Keprt, J. Sergeant J.Keprt a Czech from No 312 Squadron was flying his Hurricane I (L1644) when it caught fire near Cambridge on September 10th 1940.
Kruml, T. Click the name above to see a profile of Kruml, T.	Kruml, T.
Miejnecky, F Click the name above to see a profile of Miejnecky, F	Miejnecky, F On 23rd March 1944, his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ893 of No.312 Sqn was damaged in a force landing at Manston after combat with Fw190 near Ostend.
Ossendorf, R Click the name above to see a profile of Ossendorf, R	Ossendorf, R On 21st May 1944, his Spitfire Mk.IX MJ907 failed to return from an armed reconnaissance mission to Le Havre. Recovered after the D-Day invasion.
Slouf, V. Click the name above to see a profile of Slouf, V.	Slouf, V. Sergeant Vaclav Slouf flew during the Battle of France and on their surrender flew to England and joined No 312 Czech Squadron in Duxford in 1940 as a Sergeant Pilot. He was decorated 20 times by 3 countries and became Squadron Commander in 1944 when he was awarded the D.F.C. After the war he and other Czechs returned home, he was a pilot with CSA, (Czech Airlines) When the communist took power he returned to England and re-joined the RAF. He died in 1978 and was buried in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset.
Stehlik, J. Click the name above to see a profile of Stehlik, J.    Died : 30 / 5 / 1991	Stehlik, J. He started pilot training at the Elementary Pilot School in Prague in 1936. The next year he studied at non-officer school and later at the fighter school in Hradec Kralove. Until the German occupation he served as pilot instructor at No. 3 Air Regiment at Spisska Nova Ves. On 5 June 1939 he crossed the border with Poland . When the war began he was transferred to Chartres for training. On 1 December 1939 he was posted to Groupe de Chasse III/3 which was equipped with the Morane 406 and later re-equipped with the Dewoitine D-520. With these aircraft the unit took part in air battle over France. Stehlik he shot down four enemy planes solo and four more shared. Later in 1940 in the United Kingdom under the 312th Fighter Squadron and fought in the Battle of Britain. Together with Pilot Officer Alois Vašátko and F/L Denys Gillam, Sgt. Stehlík scored 312's first victory, a Junkers Ju 88 Wk No. 4068 coded 'M7+DK', of 2/KGr. 806 above Liverpool on 8 October 1940. He claimed a further victory on 14 March 1941 when he shared in a shoot down of a Ju88 over the sea. During offensive flights over France he added a damaged Bf109 and on the 10 July 1941 a probable Bf 109. He left operational flying in October and after a course for instructors at Upavon he became an instructor at Hullavington and from January 1942-February 1943 he served at Elementary and Secondary Flying Training Schools in Canada. In April 1943 he returned to No 312 (Czech) Squadron where he made several combat flights over occupied Europe. In early 1944 he joined the 1st Czechoslovak independent fighter aviation regiment in USSR. He was the commander of the 1st squadron. He participated the Slovak National Uprising. During the war he flew the Morane Saulnier MS-406C.1, Dewoitine D-520C.1, Hawker Hurricane Mk I, Mk.IIA, Mk.IIB, Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB, Mk.VC and Lavochkin La-5FN. He was awarded five times the Czechoslovak War Cross, three Czechoslovak Medals for valor,the Medal of Merit (Czech Republic) I. and II. class, a commemorative medal of Czechoslovakian foreign armies (France, UK, USSR), he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, with three palm branches and two gold stars, the Médaille militaire (Médaille commémorative des services volontaires dans la France libre). He was awarded by the British the 1939-1945 Star with Battle of Britain Clasp, Air Crew Europe Star, Defence Medal and War Medal. he claimed 12 victories (5 solo and 7 shared), 2 destroyed on the ground, 1 probable victory in cooperation and 1 enemy machine damaged
Truhlar, J. Click the name above to see a profile of Truhlar, J.	Truhlar, J. Sergeant J.Truhlar of No.312 Squadron was taken prisoner on July 8th 1941. His Hurricane (Z3023) was shot down over St Omer.
Tyson, F. H. Click the name above to see a profile of Tyson, F. H.	Tyson, F. H.
Vasatko, A. Click the name above to see a profile of Vasatko, A.    Died : 3 / 6 / 1942	Vasatko, A. Killed June 3rd 1942
Vesely, V. Click the name above to see a profile of Vesely, V.	Vesely, V.
Vrana, A. Click the name above to see a profile of Vrana, A.	Vrana, A.
Vybiral, T. Click the name above to see a profile of Vybiral, T.	Vybiral, T.