Photo: raf.mod.uk//wikimedia.org
A memorial stone in honor of three Soviet pilots and a crew member from Czechoslovakia will be installed near the British village of Pertshir on May 6. The villagers will also plant a tree in memory of the pilots. Alexander Gruzdin, Alexander Alekseev, Vasily Dryamin and Frantisek Drahovzal, who arrived in the UK for training in the Royal Air Force, crashed during landing in May 1943. Russian writer Anna Belorusova told the tragic fate of the pilots to the English,
The Courier reports.
Anna Belorusova learned the striking story of the dead pilots while looking for materials about her grandfather, who served with them. The writer learned about the existence of a secret special department in the air forces of Great Britain for training Soviet soldiers. The group under the command of Major Alexander Gruzdina arrived from Moscow. Four pilots died as a result of a tragic accident when, during an ordinary flight, their plane lost control and fell to the ground, after which an explosion happened.
Anna learned about an amazing history of cooperation and friendship between the USSR and Great Britain, united in the face of the fascist threat. Russian woman decided to write a book about this cooperation and show it to the residents of the places in which Soviet pilots served and died. History touched the local population, and they supported the perpetuation of the memory of the heroes.
The ceremony will be attended by representatives of Russian Embassy and local authorities.
Russkiy Mir
