Career
Valenta"s final flight was a mission in a Vickers Wellington Mk.IC, operated by Number. 311 Squadron Royal Air Force, a Czechoslovakian manned bomber squadron. He departed from the airport at East Wretham on 6 February 1941 for a mission to Boulogne.
His aircraft marked KX-T mistakingly landed on German-controlled territory in Flers (France) and was captured intact.
The Wellington was later flown by the Luftwaffe at its Experimental and Test Facility at Rechlin. See Stalag Luft III murders
Valenta played a significant role in preparations for, as he was the Head of Contacts (ie Scrounging) for the "X" Organization in North Compound at Stalag Luft 3.
Valenta was one of 50 men killed following a mass escape from Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp in World World War World War II The camp was located in Sagan (now Żagań) in Poland. Reportedly, he was amongst early pairs of escapees from the tunnel during the escape attempt of 24 March 1944.
Recaptured in the Görlitz area and last seen alive on 31 March 1944, he was amongst a group of ten Royal Air Force officers in the charge of Oberregierungsrat Walter Scharpwinkel.
Fifty of the recaptured escapees were murdered by the Gestapo on Hitler"s orders. P/O 82541 F. Cigos, Royal Air Force PoW Number.402
Sgt 787198 P. Uraba, Royal Air Force PoW Number.450
P/O 82588 East. Busina, PAF PoW Number.401
Sgt 787232 G. Kopal, Royal Air Force PoW Number.441
P/O 82903 K. Krizek, Royal Air Force PoW Number.407.
