Eduard Prchal

Eduard M. Prchal (January 1, 1911, Dolní Břežany &mdash; Dercember 12, 1984, St. Helena, California) was a Czech pilot.

In World War II he served in the Czech Air Force, the French Armee de l'Air, and British Royal Air Force. He destroyed three enemy aircraft and shared in the destruction of three more.

He is primarily known as the pilot during the 1943 Gibraltar B-24 crash which resulted in death of the commander-in-chief of the Polish Army Władysław Sikorski, among others (16 in all). Prchal was the only survivor.

On 30 September 1949, Prchal, his wife, daughter and six others flew to England from Prague in a stolen plane. He was married to Dolores Prchal (Czech: Dolores Prchalová, 1915-1990)