Joseph Frantisek was a young Czech pilot who joined 303 Polish Squadron. The Poles were happy to have him. He was an amazingly successful pilot, but with a certain defect, namely a lack of discipline in flying with his colleagues. He invariably broke off to go on his own, earning him the nickname ‘the lone wolf’. After some outstanding difficulties in this regard, the squadron accepted his indiscipline and just allowed him to operate independently.

He was an experienced pilot having joined the Czechoslovak Air Force in 1934. When the Germans invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939, Frantisek fled to Poland and joined the Polish Air Force, where he fought against the Luftwaffe during the Blitzkrieg on Poland. He escaped Poland via Romania and finally reached Britain on 21 June 1940.

Frantisek duly racked up a remarkable score in individual combats with the enemy. He succeeded in achieving 16 kills. However, once again, on an individual foray on 8 October 1940, he crashed near Ewell in Surrey. His body was buried at the Polish Air Force cemetary in Northolt. His career may have been sadly short, but it was a remarkable one.