Many of the RAF Volunteer Reserve's new Czechoslovak recruits had qualified as pilots with the Czechoslovak Air Force and then retrained on modern French or American fighters with the French Armée de l'Air.
Some had fought in the Battle of France and a few had previously fought in the Invasion of Poland.
The RAF was able quickly to teach these experienced pilots about RAF structures and tactics, give them conversion training to fly and fight using RAF aircraft.
Many were ready to be posted to combat squadrons within weeks of enlisting.

But Smik had only been a civilian glider pilot.
On 24 July 1940 he joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve as an Aircraftman 2nd Class.
He then spent almost two and a half years in training.
His first few months were as a batman at the RAF's new central training depôt for Czechoslovak recruits, which was at RAF Cosford in Shropshire.
In March 1941 he was promoted to Leading Aircraftman and posted to No.
1 Reception Wing at Babbacombe in Devon to start training to be a pilot.
From June to September 1941 he was at No.
4 Initial Training Wing at Paignton.

From September to the end of November he was in a group of Czechoslovak trainees at No.
3 Elementary Flying Training School, where they learnt to fly the de Havilland Tiger Moth II.
At the end of November four of them completed the course and went to RAF Clyffe Pypard in Wiltshire for further Tiger Moth training.
At the end of 1941 they sailed to Canada for training at No.
39 Service Flying Training School at Swift Current airfield in Saskatchewan under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
Smik completed his course, rated as an "excellent" pupil.

In 1942 Smik and his group then waited at No.
3 Personnel Reception Centre at Moncton, New Brunswick for a ship back to the UK.
Smik returned to Britain in July.
He then had further training at No.
5 Advanced Training Unit at RAF Ternhill in Shropshire and final training to become a fighter pilot at No.
61 Operational Training Unit.
Also in 1942 Smik was commissioned as a Pilot Officer.
Many of the RAF Volunteer Reserve's new Czechoslovak recruits had qualified as pilots with the Czechoslovak Air Force and then retrained on modern French or American fighters with the French Armée de l'Air. Some had fought in the Battle of France and a few had previously fought in the Invasion of Poland. The RAF was able quickly to teach these experienced pilots about RAF structures and tactics, give them conversion training to fly and fight using RAF aircraft. Many were ready to be posted to combat squadrons within weeks of enlisting.
But Smik had only been a civilian glider pilot. On 24 July 1940 he joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve as an Aircraftman 2nd Class. He then spent almost two and a half years in training. His first few months were as a batman at the RAF's new central training depôt for Czechoslovak recruits, which was at RAF Cosford in Shropshire. In March 1941 he was promoted to Leading Aircraftman and posted to No. 1 Reception Wing at Babbacombe in Devon to start training to be a pilot. From June to September 1941 he was at No. 4 Initial Training Wing at Paignton.
From September to the end of November he was in a group of Czechoslovak trainees at No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, where they learnt to fly the de Havilland Tiger Moth II. At the end of November four of them completed the course and went to RAF Clyffe Pypard in Wiltshire for further Tiger Moth training. At the end of 1941 they sailed to Canada for training at No. 39 Service Flying Training School at Swift Current airfield in Saskatchewan under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Smik completed his course, rated as an "excellent" pupil.
In 1942 Smik and his group then waited at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre at Moncton, New Brunswick for a ship back to the UK. Smik returned to Britain in July. He then had further training at No. 5 Advanced Training Unit at RAF Ternhill in Shropshire and final training to become a fighter pilot at No. 61 Operational Training Unit. Also in 1942 Smik was commissioned as a Pilot Officer.
Otto Smik