A BARRY-BASED former serviceman has paid tribute to a Czech airforce man who lies buried alone at Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery.

Christopher Short ensured Sergeant Valentin Kubin was one of those not forgotten when he placed a poppy cross alongside wreaths at Barry’s cenotaph in November and raised a toast at his grave .

Mr Short is appealing for information that may lead to him solving the mystery of how the 24-year-old ended up in the area.

Sergeant Kubin was born on November, 6 1920 and died on March, 17 1945.

He was born in Lesna, Vsetin region of Moravia, now in the Czech Republic, but then in Czechoslovakia. He flew in Wellington bombers with a Czech RAF Squadron between 1940 and 1945 and served with 311 Squadron as a wireless operator.

The ex Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment man Christopher, 63, of Aberystwyth Crescent, Barry, said: "In 1939 he (Valentin) moved with friends via Slovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Greece to France where he joined the Czechoslovak army.

"After the defeat of France he travelled to England where he was assigned to the Air Force.

"He was discharged from the Army due to illness and died before the end of the War. Barry Town Council charged £2 to bury him at Merthyr Dyfan cemetery.

"The Czech records state that he died at Sully, Anglie – that is England!"

He added: "It has been 5 years since I started to investigate why this lone Czechoslovak airman is buried in Barry and not in Llantwit cemetery where most airmen are at rest.

"No Czech Squadron was based in South Wales during the War although RAF St Athan did accommodate a Czechoslovak Depot ."

480 Czechoslovak airmen lost their lives serving with the RAF and Christopher, a Czech friend and her husband – a Czech national who served as a soldier in the French Foreign Legion – are attempting to find any living relatives.

Mr Short hopes, on completion of their research, to invite the Czech ambassador and/ or the military attache to travel to Barry to pay tribute to the lone airman at his graveside.