Abbadon the Despoiler
07-14-2008, 01:35 PM
Colonel Josef Bryks (18.march 1916, Lešany - 12.august 1957, hospital of uranium mine "Equality" in Ostrava) was Czech soldier and combat pilot who served in RAF, hero of Czech resistance to Nazi occupation and a victim of communistic terror.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Josef_Bryks.jpg/392px-Josef_Bryks.jpg
To the 2nd world war
Josef Bryks was one of the 8 children of František Bryks and his wife Anna (Nasvětrová). After his graduation on the commercial Academy in Olomouc, he entered the army school for the officers in Košice (1935). After school-leaving exams he continued to Military Academy in Hranice na Moravě, where he, during the studies (1936-1937), invaded flying school. After school he served as lieutenant with specialization as a air scout, but later was retrained for the fighters.
2nd world war
During occupation of Czechoslovakia Bryks helped to organize escapes of czechoslovak pilots to Poland. He married Maria Černá, sad to say, their daughter died 2 days after childbirth. Shortly afterwards Bryks himself escaped abroad (20.january 1940). However he was arrested Hungary, imprisoned for some time and than send to Slovakia. He was imprisoned under false name but only until his wife collaborated and informed nazis about his true identity.
Shortly after that he fled through Hungaria, Greece, Turkey and Syria to France where he didnt come in time to take part in fights and was evacuated to England.
At first he served with № 310 Fighter Squadron (http://www.gymfry.cz/zmp0405/dub/stranky_cz/310.html). In April 1941 Josef Bryks entered № 242 Squadron. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._242_Squadron_RAF) In the meantime he was trained as night fighter, but after it he carried out day missions over enemy terriotry anyway. He was shot down in northern France, near the city of Lille and after short covering up arrested by Germans (17.june 1941). His plane, Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIB, was presumably shot down by Adolf Galland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Galland), one of the best aces of the Luftwaffe.
After beying taken captive while suppressing of his identity Josef personated himself as british pilot and were taken to prison camp. If the nazis found out that he was czechoslovak he would have been executed as a traitor.
Here starts the most famous part of his path: he tried to escape 5 times, 2 times he almost managed it.
One time he tried to escape with Messerschmitt Bf 109, modifed for night dogfights (was caught during last few minutes), second time he managed to escape and joined Polish resistance movement in World War II but again he was captured and cruelly tortured, in addition his true identity was revealed because brittish side has sent the record of his promotion with his true name and his nationality to Germans by mistake. Germans sent him to Prague for the execution but Winston Churchill himself said to Hitler, after execution of many allied pilots, that he have many Luftwaffe pilots imprisoned in Canada and can execute 10 for every single allied one. This has saved Brycks life.
In 1945 allied forces liberated Josef Bryks, he went throught several operations (last in summer 1946) because of the injuries he suffered during the war.
After war
On the 18.july 1945 he married Gertruda Rose, English widow with whom he corresponded during his captivity. He returned home with his new wife on the 6.october 1945. The name of his first wife who committed suicide in 1945 was scratched into the memorial of fallen resistance members in Velké Meziříčí. Bryks remove it. One theory says he shooted it out, the secon that he cutted it out.
This event later led to conflict with her father, who was influential communist. He cannot return to cockpit because numerous injuries and difficulties related with them.
Josef Bryks recived many awards (among others: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, The highest Czech honour - the Order of the White Lion, War Medal and the Czechoslovak War Cross 3x), rank of the staff captain and became the teacher of the enlish language at the theory of flying at the flying school in Olomouc. Brits producet "The Captive Heart" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038396/) movie about his experience during war.
Immediately after February 1948 (Communists seized power in post-war Czechoslovakia) he sent his whole familly back to England and was he soon sent to holiday and later recommanded to the reserves. To his always perfect service classification wrote his commanding officer Václav Fuksa that hes "unsuitable for his political unsafeness and lack of understanding of the socialist system" (as a member of national socialist party, anti-communist and a member of resistance to nazi occupation).
After February 1948
On the 3.may 1948 was major Bryks arrested for the preparations of the escape abroad. He was on trial at the military court but were sentenced innocent, because the communists haven t judgement fully in their hands yet. New hearing before the sate court went according to the plans and Baryks was after the fabricated evidence sentenced for 10 years of heavy prison despite of the protests and many many letters which his wife sent from England.
Bryks went through several heavy prison camps. In 1950 was for the making up of the rebellion and escape sentenced to additional 20 years. He was rebellious and tried to riot all the time, he hold hunger-strikes and refused to subordinate with prisoner regime. In the end he was moved to uranium mine Rovnost - "Equality" in Ostrava. His health state was quickly getting worse and the health care and medicines were deprived to him.
Josef Bryks died to infarct during the night from 11st to 12nd august 1957 in his homeland.
After the Velvet Revolution in 1989 he was honorably rehabilitated and in 1991 promoted im memoriam to colonel.
He has memorial in native-born Lešany since 4.june 1994. In 2004 he was awarded by the price of the city of Olomouc for the heroism during 2nd world war, im memoriam.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Josef_Bryks_plaque.jpg/800px-Josef_Bryks_plaque.jpg
and today, Defense Minister Vlasta Parkanová honored Josef Bryks during her visit to the United States by First Class Deserving Cross of the ministress of defence, im memoriam.
http://www.praha14.cz/MC/letci/fota/bryks.gif
document "the man who overestimated czech soul", very moving, the most parts are in czech but there are some speaches of his wife in english and some very interesting photos.
http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/vysilani/10122453122-muz-ktery-precenil-ceskou-dusi-aneb-uteky-josefa-brykse/407235100021001.html
One of the Pragues streets and also one in Olomouc are named by the name of this great man and a national hero who was killed by the communist regime in his own contry. We will never forget!
http://www.praha14.cz/%7Elisty/2004/7/listy7_8_28_0001.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Josef_Bryks.jpg/392px-Josef_Bryks.jpg
To the 2nd world war
Josef Bryks was one of the 8 children of František Bryks and his wife Anna (Nasvětrová). After his graduation on the commercial Academy in Olomouc, he entered the army school for the officers in Košice (1935). After school-leaving exams he continued to Military Academy in Hranice na Moravě, where he, during the studies (1936-1937), invaded flying school. After school he served as lieutenant with specialization as a air scout, but later was retrained for the fighters.
2nd world war
During occupation of Czechoslovakia Bryks helped to organize escapes of czechoslovak pilots to Poland. He married Maria Černá, sad to say, their daughter died 2 days after childbirth. Shortly afterwards Bryks himself escaped abroad (20.january 1940). However he was arrested Hungary, imprisoned for some time and than send to Slovakia. He was imprisoned under false name but only until his wife collaborated and informed nazis about his true identity.
Shortly after that he fled through Hungaria, Greece, Turkey and Syria to France where he didnt come in time to take part in fights and was evacuated to England.
At first he served with № 310 Fighter Squadron (http://www.gymfry.cz/zmp0405/dub/stranky_cz/310.html). In April 1941 Josef Bryks entered № 242 Squadron. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._242_Squadron_RAF) In the meantime he was trained as night fighter, but after it he carried out day missions over enemy terriotry anyway. He was shot down in northern France, near the city of Lille and after short covering up arrested by Germans (17.june 1941). His plane, Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIB, was presumably shot down by Adolf Galland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Galland), one of the best aces of the Luftwaffe.
After beying taken captive while suppressing of his identity Josef personated himself as british pilot and were taken to prison camp. If the nazis found out that he was czechoslovak he would have been executed as a traitor.
Here starts the most famous part of his path: he tried to escape 5 times, 2 times he almost managed it.
One time he tried to escape with Messerschmitt Bf 109, modifed for night dogfights (was caught during last few minutes), second time he managed to escape and joined Polish resistance movement in World War II but again he was captured and cruelly tortured, in addition his true identity was revealed because brittish side has sent the record of his promotion with his true name and his nationality to Germans by mistake. Germans sent him to Prague for the execution but Winston Churchill himself said to Hitler, after execution of many allied pilots, that he have many Luftwaffe pilots imprisoned in Canada and can execute 10 for every single allied one. This has saved Brycks life.
In 1945 allied forces liberated Josef Bryks, he went throught several operations (last in summer 1946) because of the injuries he suffered during the war.
After war
On the 18.july 1945 he married Gertruda Rose, English widow with whom he corresponded during his captivity. He returned home with his new wife on the 6.october 1945. The name of his first wife who committed suicide in 1945 was scratched into the memorial of fallen resistance members in Velké Meziříčí. Bryks remove it. One theory says he shooted it out, the secon that he cutted it out.
This event later led to conflict with her father, who was influential communist. He cannot return to cockpit because numerous injuries and difficulties related with them.
Josef Bryks recived many awards (among others: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, The highest Czech honour - the Order of the White Lion, War Medal and the Czechoslovak War Cross 3x), rank of the staff captain and became the teacher of the enlish language at the theory of flying at the flying school in Olomouc. Brits producet "The Captive Heart" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038396/) movie about his experience during war.
Immediately after February 1948 (Communists seized power in post-war Czechoslovakia) he sent his whole familly back to England and was he soon sent to holiday and later recommanded to the reserves. To his always perfect service classification wrote his commanding officer Václav Fuksa that hes "unsuitable for his political unsafeness and lack of understanding of the socialist system" (as a member of national socialist party, anti-communist and a member of resistance to nazi occupation).
After February 1948
On the 3.may 1948 was major Bryks arrested for the preparations of the escape abroad. He was on trial at the military court but were sentenced innocent, because the communists haven t judgement fully in their hands yet. New hearing before the sate court went according to the plans and Baryks was after the fabricated evidence sentenced for 10 years of heavy prison despite of the protests and many many letters which his wife sent from England.
Bryks went through several heavy prison camps. In 1950 was for the making up of the rebellion and escape sentenced to additional 20 years. He was rebellious and tried to riot all the time, he hold hunger-strikes and refused to subordinate with prisoner regime. In the end he was moved to uranium mine Rovnost - "Equality" in Ostrava. His health state was quickly getting worse and the health care and medicines were deprived to him.
Josef Bryks died to infarct during the night from 11st to 12nd august 1957 in his homeland.
After the Velvet Revolution in 1989 he was honorably rehabilitated and in 1991 promoted im memoriam to colonel.
He has memorial in native-born Lešany since 4.june 1994. In 2004 he was awarded by the price of the city of Olomouc for the heroism during 2nd world war, im memoriam.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Josef_Bryks_plaque.jpg/800px-Josef_Bryks_plaque.jpg
and today, Defense Minister Vlasta Parkanová honored Josef Bryks during her visit to the United States by First Class Deserving Cross of the ministress of defence, im memoriam.
http://www.praha14.cz/MC/letci/fota/bryks.gif
document "the man who overestimated czech soul", very moving, the most parts are in czech but there are some speaches of his wife in english and some very interesting photos.
http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/vysilani/10122453122-muz-ktery-precenil-ceskou-dusi-aneb-uteky-josefa-brykse/407235100021001.html
One of the Pragues streets and also one in Olomouc are named by the name of this great man and a national hero who was killed by the communist regime in his own contry. We will never forget!
http://www.praha14.cz/%7Elisty/2004/7/listy7_8_28_0001.jpg