FRANCE (1939-1940)
The command of the Czechoslovak Air Force in France was replaced by Colonel Josef Berounský, Brigadier General Karel Janoušek and Brigadier General Alois Vicherek. Brigadier General Alois Vicherek was ordered to go abroad in early January 1940 when the Gestapo arrested a number of his collaborators, including Brigadier Generals Bohuslav Fiala and Miroslav Tomáš Miklík, Air Force Colonel Vilém Stanovský and General Staff Colonel Václav Kropáček.
Alois Vicherek managed to get to safety with other senior officers of the Czechoslovak army to Paris on 29 January 1940. On that day, he wrote in his diary: "We whole-heartedly greeted Berounský, who has almost recovered from an accident suffered in a lift that could have taken his head off. The air force is still dispersed among individuals in French units. The airmen are mostly without rank, the officers mostly second lieutenants, about 25 of them are at the front and about 8 have been sent to Syria. In total, there are about 500 flight personnel and 200 mechanics. Of these, about 80 persons are still in England, who are so far not engaged in any aviation activities at all."
General Vicherek was not mistaken by much. The first 26 Czechoslovak fighter planes had already been sent to the western front from the training centre in Charters on 2 December 1939, from fighter squadrons GC II/3, GC III/3, GC II/4, GC I/5 and GC II/5, and another six fighter planes were sent on 27 December 1939 to the fighter squadrons GC I/1 and GC I/8. Seven pilots were sent to Syria on 20 January 1940 that belonged to fighter group GC I/7.
The so-called Czechoslovak status, which gave clear rules for Czechoslovak soldiers in the French army, was signed only on 24 January 1940, with effect from 2 October 1939, but that did not help much. However, the directives issued by the French Ministry of Aviation did not come into force until 2 March 1940. This was apparently alluded to in his diary in an entry on 6 February 1940 by Brigadier General Vicherek: "Miroslav [the code name of Brigadier General Bedřich Neumann, at that time chief of staff of the Czechoslovak Military Administration in Paris — author’s note] provided general information about the air force Col. Berounský and Gen. Janoušek in my presence […] Berounský was able to finally visit today the head of the 1st Department at the Ministère de l'Air Dumanta [apparently referring to Lieutenant Colonel Baron Maxime Guerrier de Dumast — author’s note]. According to the statement he was very pleasantly received. They agreed that if the airmen could negotiate directly with the other airmen, it would go faster and smoother.” The very next day Vicherek wrote: “The French in many places have made it clear that they would not like to lose the Czechoslovak airmen from their units, they are disciplined — very interesting. Berounský, on the other hand, explains how many times he has had to settle various disputes, including even serious violations of military discipline.”