Last surviving Czech RAF pilot Emil Boček turns 100

General Emil Boček, the last surviving Czech airman who served in Britain’s RAF during WWII, turned 100 on  Saturday, February 25. The veteran pilot served with the RAF’s 312 and 310 squadrons and participated in over two dozen operational flights. After the war, he was persecuted by the communist regime and was only recognized and awarded for his services after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. He received many awards including the highest Czech state distinction Order of the White Lion.  Emil Boček lives in the town of his birth, Brno, where he is an honorary citizen.