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Tribute to the heroes in Leicester and Leamington Spa

Ambassador Libor Sečka and the Military attaché of Ministry of Defence of Czech Republic in the United Kingdom, col. Jiří Niedoba, visited Mr. Benjamin (Bedřich) Abeles, a war veteran, “Winton Child” and an internationally recognized scientist in the field of physics in Leicester on 18 August 2020. This event took place on occasion of the 75th anniversary of the end of Second World War and this year's 95th birthday of Mr. Abeles.

Together, they handed over the Commemorative Medal of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic to Mr. Abeles and talked in a very warm atmosphere about his military service with the Czechoslovak 311th Bomber Squadron in Scottish city of Tain, which Ambassador Sečka visited last week. The meeting was also attended by Professor Jan Kováč, an important Czech cardiologist working at the University Hospital in Leicester.

We bow before the vitality of Mr. Abeles and wish him good health and sincerely congratulate him on an important departmental award. More about Mr Abeles' life: https://www.memoryofnations.eu/cs/abeles-benjamin-1925

Mr. Ambassador, Col. Niedoba and prof. Kováč afterwards visited the town of Royal Leamington Spa, where the so-called "Fountain of Czechoslovak Freedom" is situated, which has the shape of an outstretched parachute and which commemorates the paratroopers who assassinated Reinhard Heydrich in 1942.

Subsequently they met twenty compatriots here, who significantly contributed to the construction and recent renovation of the fountain. We greatly thank spouses Pavlovs for organizing the meeting and lecturers of the Czech School in Warvick and other interested parties for participation, laying flowers and care for the memory of our heroes.

The photo gallery from both events is available on the Facebook profile of our Embassy.