Jiri Janousek
Sergeant, 311 (Czechoslovak) Sqdn, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
​
Died 16 December 1940
​23 years old
​
Row C, Grave 9

​Born: 26 April 1917 Semily, Czechoslovakia
Died: 16 December 1940 East Wretham, Norfolk, England

He was educated as an electro mechanic and he had served his military duties in the 2nd Aviation Regiment in the years 1937-1939.

He went to Poland after the German occupation in June 1939, then to France and to the French Foreign Legion.  He was assigned to the emerging Czechoslovak Abroad Army after the outbreak of the war.  He worked as an aircraft mechanic at the Avord and Chateauroux bases.  He reached England after the fall of France in a small boat towed by a Dutch ship where he re-joined 311 Czechoslovak bomber squadron as a mechanic.  He was assigned to operations at the rank of a sergeant after attending a gunnery course.  He was a member of the crew (Hrncir, Krivda, Nedved, Mares, Janousek, Toul) that found the dinghy of the downed bomber of 155 squadron during the organised search.

​He flew his first operational flight as a crew member of Vickers Wellington Mk Ix, T2577, KXoG with the target of  the Mannheim raid on December 16 1940.  The take-off was too long and the aircraft did not climb even though both engines were running at full power.  Krivda attempted probably to turn back around and land but the aircraft caught on the tree tops and crashed. The fuel burst into flames and the bombs exploded too.  Sergeant Janousek died immediately after impact.  Three of the crew were killed, three survived.  The bad handling of the flap lever may have been the cause of the accident; it was next to the landing gear lever.

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