Fourth of a ten-part series of feature-length documentaries made by independent film-makers. The Forgotten Men
Throughout the Second World War Czechoslovak airmen fled
German occupation and fought with the Allies against the common enemy. More than 500 of them died. But for the survivors, their heroes' welcome back to Prague was tragically short-lived. After the communist coup of 1948 they became political targets, accused of spying for the west. Some fled the country again, others were sent down the mines.
Director Otto Olejar , who himself fled Czechoslovakia when Warsaw Pact troops invaded in 1968, tells the story of these men whose role in fighting fascism was wiped from the pages of Czech history. Only now, in their old age, are they seeing the rebirth of democracy in their country, and receiving the recognition they deserve.
Series editor André Singer