* 20.12.1916, Chotěboř.
† 21.05.1942, English Channel.
Pre WW2:
Karel Jan ‘Šůdl’ Vykoukal was born in Chotěboř, a small town about 100km south-east of Prague, on 20 December 1916. His father, also Karel, was the local Police Commander. The creation of the Czechoslovak Republic, in 1918, resulted in the experienced and patriotic Karel Snr being appointed District Police Commander of the southern Slovak city of Vráble to where the family moved. Karel thus attended primary school and initial secondary school in Vráble. They returned from Slovakia in 1931 to Rousínov near Brno. There Karel attended the Zlaté Moravec High School and then the grammar school at Vyškov from where he matriculated in 1935.
Military Service:
Inspired by his father’s service to the State, Karel aspired to follow his example and volunteered for military service by enlisting in the army. He was posted to the 125th Artillery Regiment, deployed at Bzenec, graduating from there on 31 August 1936, at the rank of desátnik (Cpl). During that time, he developed a fascination with flying and successfully sought to be transferred to the Air Force which he joined on 1 September and was posted to the Military Academy in Hranice na Moravě. On 1 October 1936, at the rank of Lieutenant, he was posted to the 4th Air Regiment at Hradec Králové. Three days later he was posted to the Military Aviation Academy at Prostějov for pilot training, which he completed on 3 October 1937. From 4 October 1937 to 21 September 1938 he was posted, as a fighter pilot, to the 41st Squadron of the 4th Air Regiment who were deployed at Prague-Kbely airbase and equipped with Avia B-534, the standard pre-war fighter aircraft of the Czechoslovak Air Force.
By the time of the German occupation in March 1939 he had achieved 180 flying hours.
German Occupation:
Following the Munich Agreement of 30 September 1938, when the Germans were ceded the Sudeten regions of Czechoslovakia, the Germans completed their occupation of the country on 15 March 1939. In a meeting the day before, Hitler told Dr Emil Hácha, the Czechoslovak president, that German troops would commence occupation of Czechoslovakia at 06:00 that morning and that he had two options; either surrender Czechoslovakia to Germany, in which case the “entry of German troops would take place in a tolerable manner” and “permit Czechoslovakia a generous life of her own, autonomy and a degree of national freedom”, or if he refused “resistance would be broken by force of arms, using all means”.
Under such pressure Dr Hacha had ordered all Czechoslovak military to stand down, remain in their barracks and not resist the entry of German military when they crossed over the border into Czechoslovakia, on 15 March, to complete their occupation. The Germans quickly disbanded the Czechoslovak military and all personnel were dismissed with Germanisation of Bohemia and Moravia beginning immediately with the Slovakia region being given ‘independence’ but it was, in reality just a puppet state of Nazi Germany.
For many of the military personnel and patriotic Czech citizens, this was a degrading period. Many wanted to redress this shame and humiliation and sought the liberation of their homeland. Just four days later, on 19 March 1939, former Senior officers of the now-disbanded Czechoslovak military started to form an underground army, known as Obrana Národa [Defence of the Nation]. This army worked in co-operation with Svaz Letců, the Airman Association of the Czechoslovak Republic. One of their objectives was to assist as many airmen and soldiers as possible to get to neighbouring Poland where they could be formed into military units to fight for the liberation of their homeland. These two organisations provided money, courier and other assistance to enable airmen to escape to Poland. Usually, this was by crossing the border from Czechoslovakia’s Ostrava region which was adjacent to the Polish border.
Poland:
Karel was one of those who decided to escape and enlist in one of those units. On 13 June 1939 he reached Ostrava, from where he wrote to his parents informing them of his intention to go to Poland. Later that day he covertly crossed over the border to Poland, then travelled to Kraków, arriving on 22 June, where he reported for duty at the Czechoslovak Consulate.
Polish Disapointment:
At this time, the Polish Authorities, whilst recognising the new puppet State of Slovakia, showed little interest in the Czechoslovak military who were escaping into their country. They would not allow independent Czechoslovak units to be established on their territory as they were concerned about antagonising neighbouring Nazi Germany. Thus, with this disappointment and uncertainty about their future, the moral amongst the escapees was low.
Only after lengthy negotiations between Czechoslovak Diplomats in France and Great Britain, and the French Government, did the French agree to admit 4,000 Czechoslovaks into the French Foreign Legion – French law did not allow for foreign military units to be located on its territory in peacetime, and the Czechoslovak escapers would be required to join the French Foreign Legion for a five-year period with the agreement that, should war be declared, they would be transferred to French military units. The alternative was to be returned to occupied Czechoslovakia and face German retribution for escaping – usually imprisonment or execution with further persecution of their families.
In the interim, Karel was transferred to Bronowice Małe, a then derelict former Polish Army barracks from the Austro-Hungarian era on the outskirts of Krakow, which was then being utilised as a temporary transit camp for the escaped Czechoslovak military. The barracks, which were in poor condition, were already occupied by the escapees whilst arrangements were made for their transportation by sea to France.
During the Spring and Summer some 1200 Czechoslovak military escapees had already departed from Bronowice Małe for France, travelling from Gydnia, on the Polish Baltic coast, where between 12 May to 18 August 1939, six ship sailings had taken them to France. By the end of that August, a further 900 escapees were still at the camp waiting to go to France.
To France:
They boarded a express train at Kraków railway station and travelled to Gydnia for their onward travel to France. There they boarded the SS ‘Kastelholm’. Part of the voyage down the Baltic Sea was very rough, even to airmen who were used to flying in turbulent conditions, and so the ship’s stop at the Danish port of Frederikshaven to re-supply was a welcome relief for the Czechoslovaks onboard. After a five-day voyage, they arrived in Calais on 30 July 1939.
France:
Initially, Karel and his fellow escapees were transferred to Place Balard, the Foreign Legion’s recruitment depot at Paris, to undergo medical checks, whilst the necessary documentation was prepared for their enlistment into the Legion. While there they were required to attend French classes and any free time was usually spent in Paris exploring the sights and practising their newly-learnt French with the girls they met. Karel was accepted to join the French Foreign Legion, but before arrangements were completed to transfer the Czechoslovaks to the Legion’s training base at Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria, war was declared and instead Karel and the other Czechoslovak airmen were transferred to the l’Armée de l’Air’s BA 117 recruitment centre at Dugny, near Paris. On 9 October, at the rank of Sergent, he was transferred to Centre d’Instruction de Chasse at Chartres, the l’Armée de l’Air training airbase, about 50 miles South-West of Paris, for retraining on French equipment, firstly on the Potez XXV and Morane-Saulnier MS.230 elementary trainers and then the Morane-Saulnier MS-406c fighter aircraft.
The rapid advance of the Germans after they invaded France on 10 May forced l’Armée de l’Air to withdraw their resources westward. On 23 May having completed only 13 hours of flying training, Karel and 12 other Czechoslovak airmen were posted to Cazaux airbase, about 800 km away in south-west France to complete their training. However, before this was completed, he was posted to an operational squadron to participate in the Battle of France. With the surrender of France imminent, the Czechoslovak airmen were released from l’Armee de lAir service and those at Cazaux were instructed to get to Bordeaux, about 70 km away, for evacuation by ship to Britain before the advancing German army reached the port. At Bordeaux, 89 Czechoslovak airmen, under the command of Staff Capitan Alexander Hess, as well about 300 Polish airmen and other nationalities, boarded the ship ‘Ary Schaeffer’. This small Dutch cargo ship, which provided cramped conditions for all onboard, sailed at 13:30 on 19 June. After a prolonged voyage far out into the Atlantic, to avoid attack by Luftwaffe aircraft, they arrived four days later at Falmouth, England.
It was good timing as on the following day, 22 June 1940, France capitulated and the Armistice was signed. In the period from June to August 1940, 932 Czechoslovak airmen managed to be evacuated from France and get to England.
RAF:
After arriving at Falmouth, the Czechoslovak airmen were transferred to RAF Innsworth, Gloucestershire, for security vetting. Karel was accepted into the RAF Volunteer Reserve, commissioned at the rank of P/O and transferred to the Czechoslovak airmen’s depot at Cosford, near Wolverhampton, for basic training and English lessons. On 12 July, with other Czechoslovak pilots, Karel was posted to the newly-formed 310 (Czechoslovak) Sqn which was based at Duxford, near Cambridge. They were equipped with Hawker Hurricane Mk I aircraft and jointly commanded by S/Ldr Alexander Hess, the first Czechoslovak to command an RAF squadron, and S/Ldr George D.M Blackwood. At that time the squadron had British flying instructors – F/Lt Gordon Sinclair, F/O John Boulton and F/O Jerrard Jefferies, with F/O Ladislav Češek, a Briton of Czech origin, as interpreter to assist in overcoming the language barrier. Mr Louis de Glehn was brought in to give English lessons, three times a week, and the Czechoslovak pilots, still in their l’Armée de l’Air uniforms, were given rapid re-training on Hurricanes and well as rudimentary English lessons.
Here Karel was assigned to the squadron’s reserve pool of pilots who were due to undertake their re-training to Hurricanes at Duxford. With 310 Sqn becoming operational on 17 August 1940, it was no longer possible for re-training to be undertaken within the squadron due to shortages of aircraft and instructors. The reserve-pool pilots of 11 officers and 9 Sgts were posted to 6 OTU at Sutton Bridge, on 17 August to continue their re-training. Karel’s re-training was completed on 11 September and he was posted to 111 Sqn who were deployed at Drem where and equipped with Hurricane Mk I fighter aircraft.
Battle of Britain:
With 111 Sqn, Karel made no operational flights and on 25 September was posted to 73 Sqn and deployed at Castle Camps, near Haverhill, Cambridgeshire, who were equipped with Hurricane Mk 1s. He made his first operational flight in the Battle of Britain on 27 September, flying Hurricane P2869 as Blue 3 for a patrol with 17 Sqn in the Hornchurch to North Weald area at 12,000 ft. Take-off was at 09:05 and they encountered Me 110s in the Weybridge-Kenley area. They were successful with 3 Me 110s attacked, 1 destroyed, 1 probable and 1 damaged. Karel unfortunately lost his way back and landed at Staplehurst to refuel and then returned safely back to Castle Camps. He made a further ten operational flights, totalling 13hrs 25 min, during the Battle of Britain, but achieved no combat success. On one of those flights, on 7 October, the engine of his Hurricane P3207 experienced an oil problem, causing Karel to make an emergency landing at RAF White Waltham, where the mechanics were able to resolve the problem enabling Karel to fly her back to Castle Camps the following morning.
Post Battle of Britain:
Karel remained with 73 Sqn until the beginning of November 1940 when he was posted to 151 Sqn who were based at Digby where and equipped with Hurricane Mk Is. However, he made no operational flights with 73 Sqn. On 2 December he was posted to 17 Sqn, based at Martlesham Heath where and equipped with Hurricane Mk Is. There he met fellow Czechoslovaks P/O František Kordula, P/O Václav Jícha and Sgt Václav Foglar, who were already there. On 27 December Karel was promoted to the rank of F/O. With 17 Sqn, they were primarily tasked with convoy patrols along the South-east area of the North Sea to protect any Allied shipping there from Luftwaffe or Kriegsmarine attacks.
With 313 (Czechoslovak) Squadron:
He remained with 17 Sqn until 28 May 1941 when, with P/O Václav Jícha, he was posted to the newly formed 313 (Czechoslovak) Sqn based at Catterick, Yorkshire and equipped with Spitfire Mk Is. On 1 July, 313 Sqn redeployed to Leconfield, Yorkshire, and then were redeployed South to Portreath, Cornwall, on 26 August. The squadron’s role was to provide operational patrols to protect Allied shipping at the Western end of the English Channel, offensive Rhubarb air sweeps to engage Luftwaffe fighters, or provide escort to Allied bombers on raids over Northern France. On 1 December 1941 Karel took-off at 12:05 from Portreath airfield in Spitfire Mk Vb W3962, RY-X, for a convoy patrol. Due to an engine failure caused by a glycol leak, he made a forced- landing at 12:30 Boscawen Farm, St Buryan, 6 miles East from Penzance. The Spitfire was first thought to be repairable, but a couple of weeks later re-categorised to Cat.E and written off. He was promoted to the rank of F/Lt on 27 December and on 20 March he was appointed the squadron’s ‘B’ Flight Commander.
The Rhubarb on 28 March 1942:
On 28 March, four Spitfires from 313 Sqn acted as escort to 2 Hurribombers on an attack on Berck sur Mer airfield, some 38 km South of Boulogne, in a Rhubarb operation at mere feet. The four aircraft re-fuelled at Manston and took-off at 11:39 with the Hurribombers, which underestimated the wind and arrived over Le Touquet. Failing to locate the airfield, they circled Le Touquet and Etaples. One bomb was seen by F/Lt Václav Hájek to burst outside the station at Etaples. Meanwhile, Karel, flying Spitfire Mk Vb BL581, located the airfield at Le Touquet and fired on hutments and machine gun posts on towers. Sgt Otakar Kresta fired at a military bus that overturned, also at six soldiers and at a goods train at Etaples Station. F/Lt Václav Hájek fired at a signal box and at some barges drawn up on the beach. Sgt Prokop Brázda did not fire. The four aircraft returned to Hornchurch at 12:43., where it was noted that Karel’s Spitfire had been damaged by flak.
To 41 Sqn:
On 17 April 1942 Karel was posted to 41 Sqn who were deployed at Merston, near Chichester, West Sussex. and equipped with Spitfire Mk Vbs where he was appointed Flight Commander of ‘B’ Flight. The squadron’s role was convoy patrols, providing protection for Allied shipping in the English Channel and providing fighter cover for bombers on raids over northern France.
On 3 May, whilst flying Spitfire BL998, EB-C, he claimed a damaged Fw190 on the ground at Abbeville airfield and on the following day, in the same Spitfire, he shared with Dutch pilot Sgt Jan van Arkel, at approximately 15:30 about 10 miles North West of Fécamp, on the French coast near Dieppe, the shooting down of a Fw190 over Le Havre. His Combat report of that attack is:
Just before we left French Coast for home, I got seperated with my No 2 from the Squadron. Trying to rejoin the Squadron I saw two Fw 190’s just about to attack us. I turned towards them and fired a short burts from about 500 yds. on the leading aircraft, seeing no results; then I pulled away and went for England. Two Spitfires of 340 Squadron joined my formation. About 2 minutes later I met 2 Fw 190’s going in the opposite durection, which I thought at first were Spitfires. I did not open fire on them. Shortly after, 3 Fw 190’s came down to attack, but I turned again towards them and fired one burst on the leading one, which was about 400 yds in front of one going down; I was following firing then pulled away. Whilst these two attacks were delivered, I lost sight completely of any Spitfires and came home followed by my No 2 and two French Pilots. I landed Merston at 1630 hours.
Fateful Flight:
Karel’s last flight was on 21 May 1942. He was flying Spitfire Mk Vb BL998 and was one of three 41 Sqn Spitfires which took off at 05:55 for an anti-shipping patrol in the Le Havre area. He failed to return and he is presumed to have been shot down and killed during an attack on E-Boats in the Seine Estuary, by anti-aircraft fire from a ship. His Spitfire crashed into the English Channel off Le Havre, and his body was never recovered; he was aged 25.
F/Lt Karel Vykoukal is commemorated on panel 66 at the Runnymede Memorial.
Medals:
British :
Velká Britanie:
Distinguished Flying Cross
1939 – 45 Star with Battle of Britain clasp
Air Crew Europe Star
War Medal
Czechoslovakia :
Československo:
Válečný kříž 1939
Za chrabrost
Pamětní medaile se štítky F–VB
France:
Francie:
Croix de Guerre avec Palme
Remembered:
Czech Republic:
Chotebor :
There is a memorial plaque is at his birth house in Chotebor.
Prague 1 – Klárov :
In November 2017, his name, along with the names of 2533 other Czechoslovak men and women who had served in the RAF during WW2, was unveiled at the Winged Lion Monument at Klárov, Prague.
Prague 1 – St Vitus Cathedral:
He is remembered in the Remembrance book at St Vitus Cathedral, Hradčany, Prague.
Prague 3 – The Army Museum, Žižkov:
He is remembered on the Memorial Plaque at the Military History Institute, at Žižkov Prague.
Prague 6 – Dejvice :
He is named on the Memorial for the fallen Czechoslovak airmen of 1939-1945, at Dejvice, Prague 6.
Rousínov :
There is a memorial plaque for him at Rudé armády 9, Rousínov.
Rousínov :
He is symbolically named on the family grave at Rousínov u Vyškova.
Rousínov :
He remembered on the War Memorial at Rousínov u Vyškova.
Great Britain :
Capel-le-Ferne:
He is commemorated, along with the other 2940 Battle of Britain aircrew, on the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall at the National Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le-Ferne, Kent:
Hawkinge:
Karel is remembered on the Czechoslovak Battle of Britain pilots memorial at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge, Kent. It was unveiled on 28 October 2025, to commemorate the 88 Czechoslovaks who flew in that battle.
London – Battle of Britain Memorial:
He is also commemorated on the London Battle of Britain Memorial:
London – St Clement Danes :
F/Lt Karel Vykoukal is remembered in the Remembrance book at St Clements Danes Church, London.
London – West Hampstead :
He is remembered on the Memorial Plaque at the Bohemia House, he former Czechoslovak National House, at West Hampstead, London.
Article last updated 31.10.25.
