I had several long periods when I did little to update it due to lack of time, but now I am "back on track" updating it again ? and having fun doing so, too. Just before its third birthday, the site moved to its own domain name, becoming www.nasenoviny.com, a much better-sounding URL.

To sum things up, I have to say that it has paid off to work on the website ? it became a very rewarding hobby. I met people, made friends, found out incredible things about ordinary troops which you would never get to know reading history books, met veterans and got to talk to them about things many of them had thought noone would ever be interested in again. It all took some time, but it was all well worth it.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: As you may have felt while reading all this, this website would be much smaller had it not been for those who contributed with content, memories and pictures ? many thanks to all who helped this website with information, photos and support during its existence.
About the author

The path which led me to the creation and maintenance of this website was long-winded and colourful. Some 15 years ago I became interested in warplanes, mainly WWII aircraft ? gradually I came to realize the contribution of Czechoslovak airmen to the war efforts on both fronts of the European theater. After all, they did fly in Polish, French, British and Soviet air forces and I have to admit that my list will probably not be quite complete.

Then, a friend of mine led my interests towards the land forces and I became aware of the fact that there were also many Czechoslovak troops fighting in Northwest Europe during WWII. At a time when I was still at the University of Ostrava studying English for Business and Tourism, I became involved in translating a small website for a reenactment group located here in the Czech Republic portraying the Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade Group's Motor Battalion ? this brought to my attention lots of interesting details I would otherwise have trouble finding out.

I did the translations and put the pages online. With time I put my own work on those pages to broaden the perspective which the website offered and share the things I found thanks to people who wrote to me about what they or their fathers and grandfathers knew.

Gradually the website drew attention of people here and abroad who were interested in or studying the history of the Free Czechoslovak Army in 1939-1945. It was amazing to see how this murky piece of our history brightened up with the help of people who had never had anything in common with the Czech Republic. People like Alan Griffin, Neil Rees or Richard Gaskell did wonders for the promotion of the Czechoslovak army abroad ? they actually did much more than many of the army officials (on the other hand I do have to admit that people from the Czech Embassy in the U.K. did their very best to support Alan's and Neil's efforts).

Then, after some disagreement with the reenactment group, I took the 'Nase noviny', a part of the original website consisting of the articles I wrote, and founded this website. This was on 20th November 2003. Since then, the website has grown to a previously unimagineable extent ? as of today it has a total of 80 articles or information pages.
Me holding the new member of the family, Rex, our pet Jack Russell Terrier.
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