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TE517, S/Ldr O. Kučera, No. 313 Squadron, RAF Manston, Kent,
Great Britain, August 1945
RK917, G/Cpt Douglas Bader, RAF North Weald, Great Britain, September 1945
During his service in the Royal Air Force, Otmar
Kučera had flown almost 540 operational hours,
which included 130 flights over enemy territory.
He achieved seven confirmed kills during his
wartime career. After five years of fighting he
left Britain with a new Spitfire LF Mk.IXe with
Czechoslovakian insignia. This was TE517 (RY
-
A),
which he flew back to his homeland at the head
of No. 313 Squadron from August 7 to 13, 1945.
The Spitfire TE517 was built by the Castle
Bromwich factory and fitted with a Merlin
66 engine. After completing test flights, TE517
was flown by F/Sgt Karel Stryk to RAF Manston
on July 21, 1945 and taken over by No. 313
(Czechoslovak) Squadron on July 25, 1945.
The standard RAF cockades were repainted with
Czechoslovak Air Force insignias in the early
days of August 1945. However, the original RAF
codes were retained. Unlike the other Spitfires of
No. 313 Squadron, which had their propeller cones
painted red, Kučera’s machine was distinguished
by white paint on the tip of the propeller cone and
the Squadron Commander’s pennant under the
cockpit. Spitfire TE517 has survived to the present
day after service in the post-war Czechoslovak
Air Force and subsequently the Israeli Air
Force. On April 7, 2023, it took to the air again
after several years of restoration at Biggin Hill
Heritage Hangar.
On April 15, 1945, the famous Douglas Bader was
freed by American troops from captivity at Colditz
Castle. Upon his return to England and after
a short leave of absence, he returned to duty and
was appointed Commanding Officer of the Fighter
Leader’s School at Tangmere Air Base. Shortly
afterwards he was promoted to the rank of Group
Capitain and became Sector Commander of North
Weald No. 11 Group RAF. On September 15, 1945,
an air show was held in London to mark the fifth
anniversary of the Battle of Britain, with a total of
300 aircraft taking part. The parade was opened
by a group of 12 Spitfires piloted by heroes of
the 1940s. The leadership of this group was
entrusted to legless ace Douglas Bader, who flew
his personal Spitfire RK917, which he used from
1945-1946, in this ceremonial parade. Bader’s
Spitfire HF Mk.IXe RK917 had its armament
removed and bore the standard night fighter
livery of Medium Sea Grey, with camouflage
fields of Dark Green applied to the upper and
side surfaces. The identification markings were
without yellow outline, the fuselage cockades
and propeller cone were in shade of Roundel
Blue. On July 21, 1946, G/Cpt Bader resigned of
his own accord and accepted an offer to head
the Shell Corporation’s aviation department.
For the next twenty years he flew regularly and
personally piloted the company aircraft. He died
on September 5, 1982, at the age of 72.
KITS 12/2024
INFO Eduard
29
December 2024