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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: markheal on Friday 13 November 20 20:46 GMT (UK)
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Would this Flight Officer have joined British Forces as an individual or part of a Czech contingent?
Bohumil B L Vladimir Sigmund Flight Officer
1915–1952
BIRTH ABT 1915 • Prague, Czech Republic
DEATH 27 MAR 1952 • CLEETHORPES, Lincolnshire
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This appears to answer my query.
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=20527
EE Canberra B.Mk.2 WD984, 617 (Dambusters) Squadron, RAF: Written off 27/3/1952: Lost height in snowstorm during GCA approach, port wing hit ground, aircraft cartwheeled and broke up, near Beelsby, 6 miles South West of Grimsby, Lincolnshire
All three on board killed - one of whom was Flying Officer Bohumil Vladimir Sigmund RAF (navigator) who had fled to Britain after a coup in 1948 in Czechslovakia, and rejoined the RAF. (He had served with 311 (Czech) Squadron during WWII)
Canberra WD 984 started at 11.40 hrs from RAF Binbrook on a training flight. Sergeant Ford conducted a pilot controlled descent and landing was long. The aircraft was seen as the snow disappeared beyond the perimeter of the airport. Then he was spotted by two civilians, as in a snow blizzard and low altitude sharp curves. The left wing caught while the ground and the aircraft disintegrated. The entire crew of 3 perished. Bohumil Sigmund is buried in the cemetery at St. Mary's Church of St. Gabriel in Binbrook, Lincolnshire.
Crew of Canberra B.2 WD984:
Flight Sergeant Peter Ford, RAF (pilot, aged 21)
Flying Officer Bohumil Vladimir Sigmund (navigator, Service Number 127089)
Flying Officer Frank Ernest Bath (Observer/Bomb Aimer)
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No. 311 Squadron (RAF): Second World War.
No.311 Squadron was a Czechoslovakian squadron that served with Bomber Command from 1940-1942 and from Coastal Command from 1942 until the end of the war
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/311_wwII.html#:~:text=311%20Squadron%20%28RAF%29%3A%20Second%20World%20War.%20No.311%20Squadron,the%20war%2C%20sinking%20two%20U-boats%20during%20that%20period.