Editing Oldrich Blaha

Flying Officer '''Oldrich Denis Blaha, DFM''' was an English airman of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died during the Second World War.

He was born in 1922, the son of Czech-born Oldrich and Phoebe Lucy Blaha (née Nash).<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34653/page/5536 The London Gazette (34653)], p 5536, 11 August 1939. Retrieved 3 June 2015.</ref> Blaha joined the [[Wikipedia:Handley Page Hampden|Handley Page Hampden]]-equipped [[Wikipedia:No. 49 Squadron RAF|49 Squadron]] in February 1942. He survived a Lancaster crash on 7 September, which killed Australian Sergeant William Gregory-Coleman, and left the unit in March 1943.

Aged 21, Blaha, serving as an air gunner with [[Wikipedia:No. 44 Squadron RAF|44 Squadron]], died on 2 January 1944, when his [[Wikipedia:Avro Lancaster|Avro Lancaster]] (serial W4831) crashed near Lynow while engaged on an operation against Berlin. He had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal in February 1943.

The eight crew are buried in Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery.
==Notes==
<references />
==References==
*[http://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/blaha_od Blaha, Oldrich], 49squadron.co.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:1944 deaths]]
[[Category:British military personnel]]
[[Category:British people of Czech descent]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve]]
[[Category:Buried in Germany]]
[[Category:Flying Officers]]
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−	Flying Officer '''Oldrich ~~Dennis~~ Blaha~~'''~~, DFM was an English airman of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died during the Second World War.	+	Flying Officer '''Oldrich Denis Blaha, DFM''' was an English airman of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died during the Second World War.

	He was born in 1922, the son of Czech-born Oldrich and Phoebe Lucy Blaha (née Nash).<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34653/page/5536 The London Gazette (34653)], p 5536, 11 August 1939. Retrieved 3 June 2015.</ref> Blaha joined the [[Wikipedia:Handley Page Hampden\|Handley Page Hampden]]-equipped [[Wikipedia:No. 49 Squadron RAF\|49 Squadron]] in February 1942. He survived a Lancaster crash on 7 September, which killed Australian Sergeant William Gregory-Coleman, and left the unit in March 1943.		He was born in 1922, the son of Czech-born Oldrich and Phoebe Lucy Blaha (née Nash).<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34653/page/5536 The London Gazette (34653)], p 5536, 11 August 1939. Retrieved 3 June 2015.</ref> Blaha joined the [[Wikipedia:Handley Page Hampden\|Handley Page Hampden]]-equipped [[Wikipedia:No. 49 Squadron RAF\|49 Squadron]] in February 1942. He survived a Lancaster crash on 7 September, which killed Australian Sergeant William Gregory-Coleman, and left the unit in March 1943.