W/Cdr AMBRUS Jan

Eyck van M.: Zemreli jsme pro Anglii

Official No.: 81 883 Date and place of birth: 19th May 1899, Gorna Mitropolia (Bulgaria) Date and place of death: 2nd January 1994, Chicago (USA)

War Service

Unit	Since	To	Rank
310	12.07.1940	17.08.1940	P/O
No. 6 O.T.U.	17.08.1940	09.09.1940	P/O
312	09.09.1940	12.12.1940	S/Ldr
CIG	12.12.1940	1942	S/Ldr
CAA in Canada	1942	1945	W/Cdr

He came to No. 310 Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron in Duxford as a P/O on 12th July 1940. There he was assigned into squadron's reserve by reason of many pilots and because he hadn't conversion course for Hurricane yet. Retraining on Hurricane he started on 17th August 1940 at No. 6 O.T.U at Sutton Bridge. When he finished retraining, he was transfered back to Duxford to newly created No. 312 Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron and on 10th September he took the command over this unit in the rank of S/Ldr. During patrol on 13th October he attacked two Blenheims from No. 29 Squadron by mistake and the result was disastrous. First plane, Blenheim IF L6637 (RO-S), crashed in flames into the sea at Point of Aire near Morecombe Light and the whole crew - Sgt R. E. Stevens, Sgt O. K. Sly and AC2 A. Jackson - died. The second plane, with P/O J. D. Humphreys, Sgt E.H. Bee and AC2 J.F.Fizell aboard, was only damaged and landed at home base with unhurted crew. S/Ldr Ambrus mistaked british Blenheims for enemy Junkers Ju 88 but he wasn't attentioned from the ground control that in his patrol area could be british planes. During patrol on 15th October he lost one's way due to bad weather and when his Hurricane I V6846 run out of fuel he made belly landing near Lancaster. After two month, on 17th December, he left No. 312 Squadron and he started work as officer at Czechoslovak Inspectorate General (CIG) in London. In this function he stayed till the end of 1941. In 1942 he was promoted to the rank of W/Cdr and he sailed to Canada, where he worked as Czechoslovak Air Attache (CAA) in Ottawa till the end of war. After his return to CSR he was promoted to the rank of general in 1946 and on 19th April 1947 he obtained british order "Officer of the British Empire" (OBE). In 1948 when the Communist took over in CSR he emigrated to Canada and later he moved to USA where he lived until his death.