The Airmen's Stories - P/O E Cizek

Evzen Cizek was born in Ostrava on December 10th 1904 and joined the Czech Air Force in the twenties. He went to Poland after the Germans moved in to Czechoslovakia in March 1939.

Cizek served in the Czech Air Force in Poland but when that country fell in September 1939 he went to France. Commissioned in the Armee de l'Air, Cizek was in Groupe de Chasse III/3 in May 1940. He destroyed a Me109 on the 11th, shared in the destruction of Me109s on the 14th and 19th and on 16th June he destroyed one more.

After the fall of France, Cizek escaped to England and on 2nd September he arrived at 6 OTU Sutton Bridge from RAF Cosford to convert to Hurricanes.

On 5th October he crashed in Hurricane N2341 from engine failure. He was unhurt. On 14th October Cizek joined No. 1 Squadron at Wittering. On the 29th he crashed on landing after a combat with a Do17.

Cizek was appointed joint CO of 312 (Czech) Squadron at Speke on 18th December with S/Ldr. FH Tyson. In April 1941 Tyson was posted away and Cizek took sole command.

He left 312 Squadron in July 1941.

Cizek was serving as a Group Captain with the Inspectorate of the Czech Air Force when he was killed on 26th November 1942. He was a passenger aboard Wicko GM-1 ES947 (impressed, was G-AFKU, example below) which was travelling from Northolt to St. Athan for the funeral of Sgt. Frantisek Remes of 53 OTU.

In poor weather the aircraft, piloted by P/O JA Jaske (a Battle veteran), struck the cable of a barrage balloon over Penarth Point, Cardiff. The aircraft crashed into Cardiff Bay, near Cardiff Docks. Cizek was killed and Jaske seriously injured, he spent eight months in hospital.

Cizek is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery.