Żwirko, Wigura, and the heritage of Polish-Czech aviation traditions

W nowym numerze „Czech & Slovak Leaders” – największego czeskiego magazynu ilustrowanego w języku angielskim – ukazał się esej Mateusza Gniazdowskiego, poświęcony polsko-czeskim tradycjom lotniczym. Zapraszamy do lektury.

ŻWIRKO, WIGURA, AND THE HERITAGE OF POLISH-CZECH AVIATION TRADITIONS

Aviation was extremely popular in both Poland and Czechoslovakia during the interwar period. In Czech lands, everyone knew the saying ‘The sky is our sea.’ Aviation became not only a manifestation of modernization and independence aspirations but also a symbol of cooperation and broth- erhood in arms. Every year on August 28th, we celebrate Polish Aviation Day, commemorating Franciszek Żwirko and Stanisław Wigura, the two heroic figures of Polish aviation, connected to a significant episode in Polish- Czechoslovak relations.

Pilots competing in the Challenge were regarded as celebrities during the interwar period. Challenge 1932 was the third FAI International Tourist Plane Competition, and the Polish crew on the RWD 6 aircraft – pilot Lieutenant Franciszek Żwirko and one of its designers, engineer Stanisław Wigura – triumphed in Berlin, beating the favorites from Germany, as well as scores of crews from across Europe. Shortly after their victory, the Polish crew went to compete in Prague. On September 11th, 1932, during a storm, their plane crashed on the Czech side of the border, near Těrlicko (Cierlicko), in areas inhabited by the Polish minority. The funeral of the aviators turned into a national celebration but was also filled with numerous displays of Polish- Czech solidarity.

Despite the difficult relations related to border conflicts (a brief war had occurred in 1919 over Cieszyn Silesia), the passion for aviation and admi- ration for the heroes united both nations. At Prague airport, upon hearing the news of the tragedy, a mood of mourning descended upon the crowds who had been waiting for the aviators. On September 12th, 1932, the coffins were transported to Český Těšín, escorted by nine Czechoslovak aircraft from the Olomouc squadron, and ceremo- nially handed over to the Polish army. The local population paid tribute to the aviators, accompa- nying them on their final journey to the state border. The first anni- versary of the disaster in Těrlicko was celebrated in harmony and an atmosphere of Polish-Czech rapprochement. In subsequent years, both Polish and Czech aviators achieved success in the Challenge, competing mainly against the Germans.

Poles, Czechs, and Slovaks cheered for each other in these competitions. The cooperation was also demon- strated by the fact that in 1934, a Czech crew (pilot Jan Anderle) flew a Polish RWD 9 aircraft with a Czech engine and secured 8th place. The Challenge of 1934 was considered a joint success against the Germans (Poles in the RWD took the first two places, as well as 7th and 15th). The Committee for the Construction of the Żwirko and Wigura Mon- ument collaborated with the Moravian-Silesian Aero Club in Brno. The monument was intended to commemorate the tragic accident but also to serve as “a testament to the feelings of the Polish minority in Czechoslovakia”, as well as a sign of “friendship

between nations.” The project was entrusted to Jan Raszka, a lecturer from the Krakow University of Technology, and Czech sculptor Julius Pelikán. Unfortunately, the monument was not installed due to the resurgence of Polish-Czech animosities, and then during the war the memorial site was van- dalized by the Germans. Finally, the monument was erected in 1950 on a stone pedestal adorned with the emblems of Poland and Czechoslovakia. The fact is, though, that it happened during the time of communist rule, when the slogans of “international friendship” distorted the meaning and phenomenon of aviation rapprochement between Poles and Czechs.

Nevertheless, aviation cooper- ation gained a new, solid foun- dation – it became a symbol of the Polish-Czech brotherhood in arms during World War II. Czech aviators, after the Nazi occupation of Czech lands, illegally crossed into Poland to form the nucleus of armed forces abroad. About 190 aviators remained in Poland; some served at the 1st Aviation Training Center in Dęblin and later fought in the Czechoslovak Reconnaissance Squadron. Three Czechoslovak aviators are buried in the cemetery in Dęblin. Others made their way to the West, where they served in Polish and Czech units.

Some served in Polish squadrons – a group of four Czech pilots made their heroic mark in Squadron 303. Czech pilot Josef František, at the time of his death in 1940, was the top ace of both Polish and Czechoslovak aviation and ranked 4th on the list of Allied aces. He was buried in a Polish cemetery in Northwood. The colorful history of Josef František continues to inspire aviation enthusiasts in both countries. In September 2024, on the 110th anniversary of František’s birth, two memorial plaques were unveiled – one at the Polish Air Force Museum in Dęblin, and the other in Prostějov – and a monument was erected in his hometown of Otaslavice. These commemorations also demonstrated that Polish-Czech aviation cooperation can be built on beautiful and solid traditions.

Text: H. E. Mateusz Gniazdowski, former Ambassador of Poland in Prague, President of the Polish-Czech Aviation Association

PHOTO: Archive