Karel Kuttelwascher

Karel Miloslav Kuttelwascher
Nickname(s)	Kut Czech Night Hawk
Born	(1916-09-23)23 September 1916 Svatý Kříž, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary
Died	17 August 1959(1959-08-17) (aged 42) St Austell, England
Buried	Uxbridge, England
Allegiance	Czechoslovakia France  United Kingdom
Service/branch	Czechoslovak Air Force French Foreign Legion French Air Force  Royal Air Force
Years of service	1934–46
Rank	Squadron Leader
Unit	44 Fighter Unit 32 Fighter Unit French Foreign Legion Groupe de Chasse III/3 No. 1 Squadron RAF No. 23 Squadron RAF Czechoslovak Air Inspectorate No. 32 Maintenance Unit RAF Czechoslovak Military Air Academy
Commands	"A" Flight, No. 1 Squadron RAF
Battles/wars	Second World War Battle of France Battle of Britain Channel Dash
Awards	Order of the White Lion (posthumous) Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945 × 5 Československá medaile Za chrabrost před nepřítelem Československá medaile za zásluhy, 1st Class Pamětní medaile československé armády v zahraničí Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar 1939–1945 Star with Battle of Britain clasp Air Crew Europe Star Croix de Guerre with palm & silver star
Other work	British European Airways pilot

Karel Miloslav Kuttelwascher DFC and Bar (23 September 1916 – 17 August 1959) was a Czech fighter pilot, and a flying ace of the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. He was in combat service from May 1940 to October 1942, first with the French Air Force and then with the RAF.

Kuttelwascher, nicknamed "Kut", was the RAF's most successful Czechoslovak pilot, and one of the RAF's highest-scoring flying aces overall. In RAF service he shot down 18 enemy aircraft. He may also have scored numerous victories in French Air Force service, but these are unconfirmed as many French records were lost.

In 1945 Kuttelwascher returned to Czechoslovakia but in 1946 he returned to Britain, where he made a civilian flying career with British European Airways. He died of a heart attack in 1959, aged 42.