..read more http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/ne ... o/1608153/HE CLOSED his eyes and went to sleep, and with that, another war hero was gone forever.
Decorated Czechoslovakian-born airman Vladimir Nedved, of North Buderim, died peacefully on Wednesday night aged 95.
Mr Nedved, who spent much of his life in England and Australia, was regarded as a hero in Czechoslovakia.
He had been a member of his home country's air force until Hitler's troops marched in at the beginning of the Second World War.
He escaped through the Balkan states and the Middle East and eventually made his way to England, where he joined the Royal Air Force as a navigator in a bomber squadron.
In 1940, he survived a serious plane crash during a mission to bomb industrial sites in German, and was nominated for the George Cross, the second highest military honour behind the Victoria Cross, for his brave attempts to help fellow crew members.
He helped the wounded second pilot to safety and, despite machine guns and exploding bombs, tried to rescue the rear gunner, who was eventually rescued by others but died later of his injuries.
He later received an Order of the British Empire.
At 26, Mr Nedved was promoted to Wing Commander of 311 Squadron, which served with distinction during the war.
Tom