Death of Czech Sgt K. KUNKA 24 Sept 1940

[Brian]

Hi guys

Bill Chorley records that Sgt K (Karel?) Kunka, a member of F/Lt K. Trojacek's Wellington crew the force-landed in Holland on the night of 23-24 September 1940, shot himself with a Very gun to avoid capture.

Can anyone elaborate on this tragic incident?

Cheers
Brian

[Michal]

Sgt. Karel Kuňka (*27.07.1913 Oslavany) was Radioperator in Wellington Mk.IA L7788 (KX-E) which crash-landed in Holland after being shot by Flak over Berlin during night September 23/24 1940. It was first combat casualty of new created No 311 Czechoslovak Squadron. P/O Karel Trojáček, P/O Zdeněk Procházka, P/O Václav Kilián, Sgt. František Knotek, Sgt. Arnošt Zábrž fell into German Captivity next days:

see also http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=21485

Radiooperator Sgt. Karel Kuňka shot himself with signal pistole be afraid to be taken by Germans. He died of wounds a day later, on September 25 1940, in on of Hague´s Hospitals.

Memoires of Karel Trojáček were published in Czech Newspaper Letu zdar and there were published one book about him in Dutch (he escaped by plane after communist took over rule in Czecholsovakia and lived in the Netherlands - unfortunatelly I don´t remember title of book - I must check my notes.

[Brian]

Many thanks Michal ...

... and thanks for the link.

Cheers
Brian

[Bas Maathuis]

Brian,

The book Michal is revering to is probably: "The sky is our Ocean" by Bart M. Rijnhout and John P. Rennison.
ISBN 90 6007 141 7
It containes a German report about the death of Kunka.
I'll PM you.

[Faenor]

Hi all,

from crash place of this aircraft is about 5 photos, the other photos of this machine are in German marking - look at the LEMB, there are oll in section Captured British Aircraft .

Faenor

[Brian]

Hi Faenor

Thanks for the e-mail and photo - very much appreciated.

Cheers
Brian

[Ivo de Jong]

The book is 'het mysterie van de L7788', a 206-page well-documented book by Bart Rijnhout. ISBN 906011.185.0, published in 1979 by 'the Walburg Pers'. Many photos throughout.
In case someone is interested, I have a spare copy of this book for sale.
Cheers
Ivo de Jong