The Český čtyřlístek – the Czech four leaf Clover were four Czechoslovak airmen who fought with distinction during the short Polish campaign of September 1939 They were Josef František was born 7 October 1914 at Dolní Otaslavice, Josef Balejka 4 March 1917 at Valašské Klobouky, Matěj Pavlovič was born 7 March 1915 at Vlkonice, all of whom served, pre-WW2, at pilots in the Czechoslovak Air Force.
After Germany occupied Czechoslovakia, on 15 March 1939, they volunatrily escaped to neighbouring Poland, from where they hoped that would be able to fought for the liberation of their homeland. Unfortunately, this was not to be as the Polish authorities were concerned that the formation of Czechoslovak military units in Poland would provoke to invade them as well.
Instead, the many Czechoslovak escapes were being sent to France instead. However, by that Summer, the Polish authorities realised that it was only a matter of time before they would be invaded and sought to keep the Czechoslovak escapees to supplement their own Air Force. František, Balejka and Pavlovič where waiting at Gydnia to board a ship to France, when they were approach by Polish officials to remain in Poland and join their Air Force. After consideration, the three accepted and, as experience pilots, were sent as instructors to Polish Air Force Training Centre at Dęblin.
There they met the fourth airmen; Vílem Košař, 20 June 1908 in Karviná, a region which, after WW1, was to become Czechoslovakia. The family later moved to Poland where in October 1929 he joined the Polish Air Force where he trained as pilot serving in bomber squadrons. In January 1939 he was posted as a flying instructor to the 2nd Air Regiment at Kraków, On 2 September 1939, after the Germans had invaded Poland he was transferred to the Air Force Training Centre at Dęblin.
František and Košař completed their training and participated in the Battle of Britain with 303 (Polish) Sqn. During that battle Josef František shot down 17 Luftwaffe aircraft, in a 17 day period, before he was killed, aged 26, in a flying accident on 8 October 1940 near Sutton, Surrey. This achievement made him the squadrons most successful pilot It also made him the most successful non-British pilot of that battle.
Vílem Košař was killed 8 November 1940 during aerial combat with a Me 109. He bailed out of his blazing Hurricane but in escaping his parachute caught fire and was killed on impact near Mayfield, Sussex. He was 32 years old.
Matěj Pavlovič also flew with 303 Sqn, but after the Battle of Britain, and killed 20 April 1941 when his Spitfire was shot down near Le Touquet, France and is interred at CWGC Boulogne-sur-Mer cemetery. He was 26 years old.
Josef Balejka was the only one of the four to survive the war, and died at his home village of Valašské Klobouky on 7 July 2004, aged 87.
