Jan Klán

Jan Klán (22 January 1911 – 10 December 1986) was a Czech fighter ace of World War II who achieved five aerial victories during the Battle of France. He later served as commander of No. 312 Squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain, and as deputy commander of the 1st Czechoslovak Fighter Air Regiment during the Slovak National Uprising.

The son-in-law of the romance novelist Vlasta Javořická, Klán moved to the United States during the Cold War and anglicized his name to John Kent. He died in Tucson, Arizona.

Early life Jan Klán was born in Německý Brod and graduated from the military academy in Hranice. He entered service with the aviation corps of the Czechoslovak Army before transferring to the newly formed air wing of the Czechoslovak Gendarmerie.

World War II Klán left the Czech lands for Poland in May 1939 and, from there, to France where he briefly served in the French Foreign Legion before joining the Armée de l'air. He became a fighter ace after achieving an additional four aerial victories during the Battle of France, for which he would be invested into the Legion of Honour at the rank of Chevalier (knight) and decorated with the Croix de Guerre. He later moved to the USSR where he was made deputy commander of the Soviet-backed 1st Czechoslovak Fighter Air Regiment, which provided combat aviation support to insurgent forces during the Slovak National uprising. In 1948, he was made lieutenant colonel and assigned as military attaché to the Czechoslovak embassy in the Soviet Union. He retired to Tucson, Arizona, where he died.

In 1991, Klán was posthumously promoted to colonel by Czechoslovakia. An effort in the later 1990s by Czech aviation enthusiasts to have Klán posthumously invested into the Order of the White Lion was rejected by authorities of the Czech Republic.