The photo shows the part that we missed!!
Part 1 – The trip to Calais (first trip)
This all started innocently enough, when I was trying to put together our family tree, for me, my nieces and nephews. I have always heard about the favourite uncle of my father and the favourite and youngest brother of my grandmother. The adventurer, who went off and joined the Foreign Legion, who escaped from the German army to which he was conscripted (us originating from the Czech lands) to the UK and dying in the 2nd WW.
Well, as I was searching through the web, as you do nowadays, I found that he came up in the National Archive, UK, in the Special Operations Executive, personnel files. (Vaclav MICHAL - born 1910 . Special Operations Executive personnel files. Information on individual subjects and access conditions is available at item level. Vaclav MICHAL - born 1910 Date range: 1939 - 1946.). Interest peeked. But the files are closed unless I can prove that he died!
We have no death certificate!
More in detail searching of the internet revealed some more interesting information (see later) and from my aunt I heard that he was buried in Grave 37 row 1 in a cemetery whose name started with St and was near Calais. A photo of his grave would be prove enough I was told, so I decided to go and take one.
I persuaded a friend of mine and a work colleague, (AG) to come with me and we set out on a day of travel.
Now, the border crossings at Dover and Calais are turned round, so there is a French border on the Dover side and a British border on the Calais side. So once you have passed those borders you are, in fact, already in France or Britain without having left the country. Well, we drive past the empty French border check points in Dover as I say that we need the passports. AG then says “(*%&)!, I forgot my passport!”. I try and drive out of the area – back to the UK, but can’t and so am forced to continue to the ferry, where we ask if there is anything we can do. “Nope, take your chance in France”. On to the Ferry. We come up with the idea that her daughter can cross into Calais and give AG her passport on the French side before our return. All that is arranged and I take AG to France without any form of identification. On out way back we have daughter and all passports. Which is good because we come under close scrutiny by the British border patrol – I forgot to mention that AG is Chinese in origin!!!.
Back to grave searching.
From my searching on the web, I had decided that the best possibility was St Omer military cemetery. We found it, and looked at the Check section, looking for grave 37 row 1. Nothing. We did find a whole section of Chinese Labour corps from WWI.
So on to the next place, which is the Czech cemetery 70 km further south. Interesting, but nothing. I phone my aunt in the Czech Republic. “He is in Dunkerque” she says.
We decide to take a later ferry and go to Dunkerque communal cemetery. There I get a lot of help from a very nice lady who looks after the graves. We go through names, look at far too many graves, and I have a long conversation in French, but not a trace of my uncle. Disappointed I return to the UK and text my aunt.
The next day I get a message that my uncle is in St Omer, row 1 grave 37. But that’s where we where!!! I can’t believe it. I decide to phone the Common Wealth Grave Commission who looks after these areas. “He is in St Omer” I am told, “Plot 4, Row AA, Grave 46”. Looks like we have walked so near but did not see – now I will have to go back. At least I know he does exist!!!
