[Trust limitations: Former Wehrmacht soldiers Serving in the Czechoslovak Air Force in Britain during the Second World War]

The paper explores trust limitations of the Czechoslovak exile authorities towards those volunteers who had formerly served in the Wehrmacht. It is based on the analysis of personal characteristics of members of the selected group (dates of admission, age, occupation, physical condition, expected function, etc.).

A certain degree of distrust that military and political authorities in exile could have towards this group seems quite understandable. Nevertheless, it has come to light that they were not prohibited from joining even the elite of the armed forces represented by air force units. On the other hand, the given degree of mistrust is demonstrated by the fact that they were assigned only to the ground personnel. Moreover, men who had gone through flying personal training in the German Luftwaffe were never accepted to the exile air force units – including those who had intentionally defected to the Allies, and even those who flew over to the Allies with their planes.