page_title: Karel Janoušek
section_title: Awards and decorations
hierarchical_section_title: Karel Janoušek / Honours and monuments / Awards and decorations
caption_attribution_description: The Czechoslovak War Cross 1918. Slovenčina: Československý vojnový kríž
context_page_description: Dr Karel Janoušek, KCB was a senior Czechoslovak Air Force officer. He began his career as a soldier, serving in the Austrian Imperial-Royal Landwehr 1915–16, Czechoslovak Legion 1916–20 and Czechoslovak Army 1920–24.
  In 1924 Janoušek transferred to the Czechoslovak Air Force and in 1926 he qualified as an aircraft pilot. In 1930 he co-wrote a textbook on aerial warfare tactics. In the 1930s he was a staff officer. From 1936 he studied meteorology and geophysics at the Charles University and in 1939 he was awarded a doctorate in natural sciences.
  In the Second World War Janoušek escaped first to France and then the United Kingdom. In the UK he commanded the RAF's Czechoslovak squadrons, was knighted by HM King George VI and ultimately promoted to Air Marshal. In occupied Czechoslovakia the Nazis retaliated against Janoušek's Free Czechoslovak service by jailing his wife and much of their family.
  In 1945 Janoušek returned to Czechoslovakia, where he found his wife and several of their relatives had died in imprisonment. He was sidelined by the increasingly pro-Communist commanders of the Czechoslovak Air Force.
context_section_description: Janoušek's Czechoslovak decorations included the Czechoslovak War Cross 1918, Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945, Československá medaile Za chrabrost před nepřítelem ("Bravery in Face of the Enemy") and Československá medaile za zásluhy, 1. stupně ("Medal of Merit, First Class"). In 2016 on Czech Independence Day, 28 October, the Czech Republic Posthumously awarded him the Order of the White Lion First Class. He has also been posthumously awarded the Milan Rastislav Stefanik Order Second Class.
  In 1945 France made Janoušek a Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur. He also held the Croix de Guerre 1914–18 and Croix de Guerre 1939–45. In 1945 the USA made him a Commander of the Legion of Merit. Poland made him a Commander of the Order of Polonia Restituta. He was also awarded White Russian, Yugoslav, Romanian and Norwegian decorations.
caption: Janoušek was awarded the Czechoslovak War Cross 1918 for his service in the Czechoslovak Legion
exif: {}