Emil Boek – Strach jsem si nepipoutl Plach Ji (2018)

This Czech-language book presents the life story and testimony of army general Emil Boek, a surviving war hero and veteran of the Second World War. Born in Brno in 1923, Boek secretly left at the end of 1939 and reached Beirut by way of the Balkans. As an infantry private, he took part in the retreating battles in France in the summer of 1940. By September 1940 he was in Britain, where he joined the air force. He first served as a fighter aircraft mechanic, then entered pilot training in October 1942 and became one of the youngest Czechoslovak fighter pilots to have completed operational flights during the war. He served in the RAF, first as a mechanic and later as a fighter pilot with the Czechoslovak 310th Fighter Squadron, completing 26 operational flights. This exceptional project, based on interviews and Boeks memories and conducted by historian Ji Plach, explores the experiences of Czechoslovak soldiers serving in the RAF. Army General Emil Boek has received the Order of the White Lion for outstanding service in the defence and security of the state and for distinguished combat activity.