Me and my classmates have recently attended a lecture about Czechoslovakian pilots who served in the British army during World War II. The lecture lasted around ninety minutes and was led by PhDr. Daniel Švec, who is a specialist on the Royal Airforce.
Firstly, he told us some basic information, such as the number of our pilots who served in the RAF during the Battle of Britain and how they served in Africa for the French army before getting into British service. He also introduced some of the planes and weapons used during the battle on both British as well as German side.
Secondly, he brought up specific stories of three pilots and their life and achievements during the war. František Peřina was definitely one of the most famous ones with numerous shoot downs.
Lastly, he mentioned the fates of our pilots who came back from the war. Even though they were war heroes, the communist regime started to imprison them and take away their property. This part of the lecture was especially emotional as the pilots were treated very unfair and badly.
To evaluate the style of presenting of the lecturer, it was quite controversial. There is no doubt he is very interested in this topic and is very passionate about it. However, there were often some pieces of information which were not necessary to mention and therefore he didn´t get to all of the important facts about the pilots.
To sum up the whole experience, in my opinion it was very interesting. I learned many facts about pilots from our country who made a big impact on the Battle of Britain. However, I would recommend cutting out some of the less important information.
Tereza Hejduková, oktáva B
