Pisis
2nd Lieutenant
The Battle of France hero, member of the Legion de Honnouer and later RAF fighter, W/C František "Rinope" Perina celebrates his 95th birthday today!
""Eight of my friends in fighters had taken off to deal with approaching bombers, but they didn't see the additional escort of 60 Messerschmitts (Bf 110s, long-range strategic fighters). I had to help them, so I took off, to gain them some time, and I could think of nothing other than to attack. I had to stop them somehow. So, I attacked and as a result the leader banked left and the others followed, protecting each other. I told myself 'enough', I had distracted them, and I even managed to shoot one down, but then I too was hit. My plane took 15 cannon hits, and around 80 hits by machine gun.
I got 18 fragments in my leg from a cannon shell, and my arm was also injured, although I didn't feel a thing. I knew I probably wasn't going to make it back. But, I managed to land and I was later hospitalised in a facility run by nuns from the local convent."
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/77632
We wish you good health and happy anniversary, Mr. Generalmajor!
I had the honour to meet him perosnally a few years back... I'll put up a bio aboutim soon but I haven't finished it yet.
Worth reading is this this interview, which explains a lot: http://www.historynet.com/mh/blfperina/
Pisis
""Eight of my friends in fighters had taken off to deal with approaching bombers, but they didn't see the additional escort of 60 Messerschmitts (Bf 110s, long-range strategic fighters). I had to help them, so I took off, to gain them some time, and I could think of nothing other than to attack. I had to stop them somehow. So, I attacked and as a result the leader banked left and the others followed, protecting each other. I told myself 'enough', I had distracted them, and I even managed to shoot one down, but then I too was hit. My plane took 15 cannon hits, and around 80 hits by machine gun.
I got 18 fragments in my leg from a cannon shell, and my arm was also injured, although I didn't feel a thing. I knew I probably wasn't going to make it back. But, I managed to land and I was later hospitalised in a facility run by nuns from the local convent."
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/77632
We wish you good health and happy anniversary, Mr. Generalmajor!
I had the honour to meet him perosnally a few years back... I'll put up a bio aboutim soon but I haven't finished it yet.
Worth reading is this this interview, which explains a lot: http://www.historynet.com/mh/blfperina/
Pisis
