Verdini: Czech magician escapes Nazi blitzkrieg three times, fights in the Battle of Britain...and joins E.N.S.A.
František Hladík (or Frank Hladík), known professionally as 'Verdini', was born near Tabor in Czechoslovakia on 11 August, 1909. He discovered magic early in his life and joined a magic club run by Viktor Ponrepo, a Czech magician and a cinema pioneer. Making an impressive debut, Hladík performed his first professional engagement, 18-years old, at the Grand Theatre in his country's capital city, Prague.
By 1939, Hladík was an established performer, with over a decade of experience as a comedy magician. When World War Two started, he was touring his native land, appearing in a cabaret show called Magic Lope.
But, on 15 March of that year, Hitler's armed forces invaded Czechoslovakia.
Adolf Hitler at Prague Castle, Czechoslovakia
(Source: Public domain)
In the weeks that followed the occupation, thousands of Czechs left their country, most of them escaping to neighbouring Poland. Czechoslovakia's politicians chose not to resist the German invasion, so most of those who left, did so because they couldn't stomach allowing their country to be occupied. Hladík was one of these, escaping despite the dangers of crossing the border.
There were plans for a Czechoslovak army-in-exile to form in Poland. These aspirations were dashed, six months after the invasion of Czechoslovakia, when Germany invaded Poland in September 1939.
The Czechs who escaped to Poland were on the move again, some heading to the Soviet Union while many others went to France. Hladík escaped the German advance on a French ship sailing from the Baltic Sea Port of Danzig.
When the ship arrived in France, 30-year old Hladík signed up for military service, joining his compatriots, many of whom had enlisted into the Czech military in the lead up to war. France took these foreign troops under their wing, assigning them as formed units within the French Foreign Legion, destined for service in French Algeria. Over eight months, Verdini completed basic training with the air force and learned how to maintain aircraft.
In May 1940, the Germans invaded France. On the commencement of hostilities, the Czechs became fully-fledged members of France's Armée de l’Air and took part in the short-lived Battle of France. Hladík fought in this battle, maintaining the Czech-crewed aircraft which were helping to defend against Germany's blitzkrieg assault.
The rapid fall of France led to some 4,000 Czechoslovak soldiers and airmen escaping France to Britain – the last line of defence between democracy and fascism. Hladík managed to get out of the country with his Czech colleagues. He evacuated, by ship, in Operation Dynamo, the mass evacuation from Dunkirk from 26 May to 4 June.
Troops arriving at the Port of Dover after evacuating from Dunkirk (31 May 1940)
(Source: Creative Commons)
By mid-1940, German forces had occupied much of Eastern Europe, Denmark, Norway, France and the Low Countries, leaving Britain and her empire standing alone to defeat the Nazi menace. In July, Hitler ordered the preparation of Operation Sea Lion, the invasion of Great Britain. The period that followed, through to October 1940, became known as the Battle of Britain. It was fought in the skies, as the Luftwaffe (German: air force) launched a stream of deadly raids, day and night, to compel Britain to agree to a negotiated peace settlement. The Luftwaffe first aimed to destroy Britain's airfields. As the battle progressed, it also targeted factories involved in aircraft production and strategic infrastructure. The Nazis wanted to gain air superiority over the Channel, to allow for an amphibious and airborne assault.
Leading the defence of the United Kingdom, were the airmen and aircraft of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy. Throughout the summer, Hurricanes and Spitfires were in action day in, day out. The pilots engaged the fighters of the Luftwaffe and the bombers they escorted, in dogfights over the south of England. The pilots and ground crews, exhausted, depleted and stretched to the limits of their endurance, knew the desperate importance of the continuing battle.
The arrival of the Czech forces from France boosted the British defence. Those who were trained as pilots, aircrew or ground crew - some 2,500 men - were enlisted or commissioned into the RAF Volunteer Reserve while officially remaining members of the embryonic Czechoslovak air force.
Hladík enlisted into the RAF on 11 July 1940. He was given an RAF uniform, allocated the service number 787101 and the entry rank of Aircraftman. He received a week of training in aircraft maintenance at the No. 7 School of Technical Training at RAF Innsworth in Gloucester, before joining No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron as a Maintenance Assistant.
Members of 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron at Duxford, September 1940
(Source: Public domain)
310 Squadron was the first of four Czech squadrons to be set-up. Formed on 10 July 1940, it became operational on 17 August and its Hawker Hurricanes Mk 1 fought in the Battle of Britain. Based at RAF Duxford, near Cambridge, its motto was 'We fight to rebuild'.
As the aerial conflict reached its apex, Prime Minister Winston Churchill paid tribute to the enormous efforts made by the fighter pilots and bomber crews to defend the nation in a famous speech. "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few...", he said. Of the 2,500 Czechoslovaks who joined the RAF, some 500 laid down their lives defending Britain.
Official badge of No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron, R.A.F.
(Source: Creative Commons)
By September 1940, the Luftwaffe had lost the Battle of Britain. Instead, German efforts shifted to a different strategy - large-scale night-time bombing raids against London, and other major cities and ports. Known as The Blitz, this lasted until May 1941. But, it failed to knock Britain into submission and Hitler finally gave up on his plans to invade.
Throughout the Battle of Britain and the months which followed, Hladík kept the squadron's aircraft serviceable, while also keeping his colleagues entertained during downtime. He performed magic tricks and comedy, and took part in informal concert party shows. He was promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC) in August 1941.
Armourers replenish the ammunition in a Hawker Hurricane of No. 310 (Czechoslovak) squadron
(Source: © IWM CH 1297)
After the Battle of Britain, 310 Squadron was re-equipped with the Hurricane Mk 2 (and later the Spitfire) and conducted offensive sweeps over the English Channel and provided bomber escorts. After a year on the frontline, it moved first to Suffolk, then to Scotland, to rest.
In December 1941, when the threat of invasion dissipated, Hladík was released from full-time military service (although he retained a reserve liability). Turning back to his old profession, he decided to audition for the Entertainments National Services Association, or ENSA.
A civilian organisation, ENSA was set-up in 1939 to provide entertainment for British armed forces in the UK and overseas.
American actress, Virginia Vernon (also known as Virginia Fox Brooks) was ENSA's Chief Welfare Officer during the war. Years later, she recalled meeting Hladík for the first time at ENSA's London headquarters:
"A stage doorman telephoned to say that a gentleman who spoke very little English and looked ‘most peculiar' was asking for me. A man in an ill-fitting, dusty RAF uniform, and face and hands not too clean, was shown in. He was Czech, gave his name as Verdini and said he was a conjuror. He had been given permission by his Commanding Officer to come to Drury Lane, but had neither travel voucher, nor any cash for his expenses. He produced from the pockets of his trousers and tunic strange gadgets, packs of cards, string etc. We went out on to the vast stage, where I turned on a T-piece and sat down at one side to watch his turn. Within a few minutes I realised that here was a master conjuror…"
As an experienced performer, Hladík passed his audition and was quickly allocated to one of ENSA's touring concert parties. These typically consisted of half a dozen entertainers, such as a pianist, comedian, singer, dancer, magician or other speciality act. One of the companies he worked with, called 'International ENSA', featured just classical music and dancing acts, with Verdini the only exception.
Fellow ENSA magician, Mark Raffles said, "Verdini could tickle the funny bone of anyone in need of a smile transplant." His comedy and appeal were aided by his Czechoslovakian-laced broken English. Theatre critic, Jack Loudan, described him as "an unusually clever performer".
During UK tours, Hladík visited Northern Ireland several times. On one of these visits he met a Belfast-girl called Miss Mamie Gallagher. This wartime romance blossomed and the couple married in September 1943. Inevitably, Mamie became Frank's on-stage assistant, which allowed her to tour with him.
Mr. and Mrs. Hladík (aka Verdini), wedding photo
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)
Towards the end of 1943, Hladík was sent overseas with an ENSA company made up of acts from colonies and countries that had fallen to the Nazis.
He played to the forces throughout the remaining war years. "He never ceased to perform for ENSA until the end of the war," recalled Virginia Vernon. "I saw him right at the very end of the war in Calcutta on his way to entertain the troops in South East Asia." When the war finally ended, in September 1945, Hladík was touring Burma. By this stage he was leading his own small concert party show, called Rendezvous with Magic.
E.N.S.A. badge
(Source: Author's collection)
Immediately after Japan's surrender, Hladík continued working for ENSA, entertaining troops through into 1946 as they waited to be demobilised. After the war, he carried on performing around Europe and the Middle East, probably working for Combined Services Entertainment, ENSA's successor organisation.
For his service in defending Great Britain, magician-cum RAF ground crew, Hladík was awarded the War Medal 1939 to 1945 and the 1939-1945 Star.
In February 1948, Hladík was finally released from his RAF reserve liability. At this point he could have returned to Czechoslovakia. But, that same month, the Soviet Union-backed Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, took over control of the Czech government. This marked the onset of four decades of communist rule in the country. Ex-RAF pilots who returned to their homeland were branded as traitors, contaminated by capitalism, democracy and freedom, and as such seen as a threat to the state. Many were unceremoniously thrown out of the services, imprisoned, tortured, executed, or at best confined to menial jobs. Wisely, given this turmoil, Hladík decided to make a new life for himself in the UK He was naturalised as British citizen in 1950.
Hladík made his first post-war appearance at Collins' Music Hall, London on 16 August 1948. After learning his trade in Czechoslovakia, followed by almost a decade of playing to British and Allied serviceman, his act was polished, his English language competent, and he could control an audience. These factors secured a booking for a season at the notorious Windmill Theatre in the West End in 1949. The Windmill was a 'nudie' theatre, where naked women would appear in a series of tableaus. Between the tableaus, variety acts would attempt to keep the interest of the male audience. It was a tough gig, with long hours, but Hladík made a success of it.
Variety show featuring Verdini, Grand Theatre Bolton, 1949
(Source: Grand Theatre, Bolton)
Other theatre appearances and tours followed, but while it experienced a short post-war boom, variety was in terminal decline, ousted in many people's lives by television. Fortunately, Hladík's act transferred well to the nightclub and hotel scene, and he went on to play top venues in the UK, Ireland and the continent. He was known for his gigantic floral productions, cigarette manipulations, the bare hand vanish of a lamp, and the vanish of a radio whilst it was playing.
A poster for Hullabaloo - The Royal Show of 1952,
featuring Verdini on his first appearance in the Republic of Ireland
(Source: Unknown)
The Radio Party show, featuring Verdini as 'The Ace of Magicians', Cardiff New Theatre, 1953
(Source: New Theatre, Cardiff)
As the nightclub scene dried up, Hladík covered the working men's club as a speciality act. In later life, he purchased Edward Victor's hand shadowgraph act which he played on the dinner-function scene. He performed this on a Christmas Day B.B.C. T.V. show in 1965.
Post-war promotional Christmas message from Verdini
(Note: 133 Ledbury Road, London was Hladík's home address)
(Source: Author's collection)
Over time, Hladík moved into doing park shows for children and children's shows in other venues. He added clowning and Punch & Judy to his repertoire and adopted the moniker 'Count Verdini - Aristocrat of Magic' to account for his foreign accent.
Count Verdini (Frank Hladík)
(Source: Acton Gazette, 28 August 1975)
In 1977, Hladík met H.R.H. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.
 |
| Frank Hladík (aka Verdini) (left) with H.R.H. Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh |
(Source: Kensington Post, 16 December 1977)
Hladík carried on performing until his retirement in 1986, after almost six decades as a professional magician. As his health started to fail him, he moved into Brinsworth House, the London-based residential and nursing retirement home for theatre and entertainment professionals run by the Royal Variety Charity. Comedian and actor Roy Hudd remembers getting to know Frank there:
"On open days and at garden fetes, he would take charge of the children's entertainment. His friendly personality, clever tricks, balloon modelling and impression of Charlie Chaplin enchanted the kids, and me".
In the early 1970s, Hladík started suffering from bronchial issues. Towards the end of his life, he also suffered badly from Parkinson's Disease, a dreadful condition for someone who used his hands to create beautiful magic. He died in 1994, two weeks after his 85th birthday. His ashes were sprinkled in the grounds of Brinsworth House.
František Hladík (aka Verdini)
(Source: The Stage, 26 March 1970)
If anyone has any further details on Verdini relating to WW2, or wartime photos of him, please share your information here, or email me and I'll update this article.
Related article: 'Never in the field of human conflict...: a magician is one of the few!', a blog about a magician-Spitfire pilot who fought in the Battle of Britain. Blog link
Related article: 'Magician leads E.N.S.A. company through a firefight with Japanese troops...and survives!' Blog link
Related article: 'Fake Chinese pick-pocket magician a hit with frontline troops', a blog about a magician who led an E.N.S.A. concert party. Blog link.
Research supported by The Good Magic Award 2021 from The Good Thinking Society
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