Fighter jet flyby over Prague Castle heralds events marking 70th anniversary of end of WW II

The pilots of two Gripen fighter jets on Monday conducted the first flyover above Prague Castle in more than a quarter century, launching, together with a military honour guard on the ground, a slew of commemorative events marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. And, on Monday, Prague Castle opened a new unique exhibition of never-before-seen photographs of Czechoslovak serviceman during the war.

Illustrative photo: Milan Nykodym, CC BY-SA 2.0

The airspace above Prague Castle, the seat of Czech kings and the office of the president, is for reasons that need little explanation, a no-fly zone, making even more dramatic the rare occasion when restrictions are lifted as they were on Monday for a ceremonial flyover by Gripen fighter jets. The reason? To mark the upcoming anniversary of the end of the Second World War and victory by the Allies. The pilots communicated with navigation on the ground.

“Gripen formation, this is Hrad. Radio check.”

“Hrad, Hrad, this is Gripen formation loud & clear.”

“And Hrad also, five by five.”

The flyby over Prague Castle preceded the opening of a new exhibition of largely never-before-seen photos of Czech soldiers during the war, ten for each year, numbering a symbolic total of 70. The photos show soldiers on different fronts during the Second World War, including one from Yugoslavia’s Daruvar. It shows members of the partisan brigade of Jan Žižka of Trocnov. The Military History Institute in Prague’s Petr Bjáček:

“This was a significant brigade which counted several thousand men by the end of the war. It is one of our largest units.”

Another photograph in the show is a portrait of Alois Vašátko, a famous wing commander who, like thousands of Czechoslovak airmen, served in the RAF. Other photos feature anonymous faces and ordinary scenes from the soldiers’ lives including a visit to a field latrine. American GIs and soldiers of the Red Army, who liberated Czechoslovakia, are also not forgotten. The last photograph in the show, remarkably, shows a small Soviet boy who, armed and wearing a uniform, reportedly travelled with the army all the way to Prague.

The show is just one of many events in the coming days, not just in Prague: other cities are holding events of their own. Plzeň, for example, liberated by US Army in WWII, will hold commemorative ceremonies, school excursions and concerts. May 6 will see one concert dedicated to American swing. Radio Prague will cover event in Plzeň live next Tuesday, May 5.