Czech RAF veteran Taussig dies at 96

CTK

Kurt Taussig, one of the two last living Czechoslovak RAF pilots, died at the age of 96 in London, Taussig's family has told the public broadcaster Czech Television (CT).

Taussig was born in Teplice-Sanov, north Bohemia, in 1923. He left the town at the age of 15. Due to his Jewish origin, the Nazis sent him to an internment camp where he was held for several weeks.

However, thanks to the organisation of British humanitarian Nicholas Winton, he and his brother managed to avoid a concentration camp.

In 1939, he got to Britain where he entered the Royal Air Force (RAF) and later he was trained as a pilot in South Rhodesia and Palestine.

He only joined the fightings at the beginning of 1945, as the other last living Czech RAF pilot, Emil Bocek. Compared with him, he served in twice as many missions with the Spitfires in British squadrons in Italy and Austria until 1947.

After the 1989 overthrow of the Communist regime, he visited several times the Czech Republic and Teplice. Last December, he was named an honorary citizen of Teplice.

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