Colonel Irving was awarded the National Order of Merit [Ordre national du Mérite], in the grade of Knight, by the French military attaché, in May 1995 in the Legie Hotel in Prague. Colonel suffered from ill health, having been through two major surgeries including a heart bypass. The wounds caused by surgical incisions on his chest were healing badly and caused major pains so his caring wife Blanka had to support him.

Colonel Irving was awarded the National Order of Merit [Ordre national du Mérite], in the grade of Knight, by the French military attaché, in May 1995 in the Legie Hotel in Prague. This was a great occasion to toast with champagne. Jan Horal, owner of Duo hotel paid for the wine and serving staff. He never forgot the effort and personal risk of Jan Irving who regularly removed heaps of secret police‘s surveillance equipment from his room in the Alcron hotel. (Jan Horal and Jan Irving feature in the documentary by V. Venclík, filmed in 1997 as Report on two Destinies. Those two demonstrate the differences of freedom in emigration and persecution in totalitarian regime. The document should be available from the archive of the Czech Television.)

A close-up of the beautiful blue order on the uniform.

The last formal photograph of Jan Irving taken shortly after he was promoted to the rank of general in May 1995.

Jan Horal threw another memorable party for his friend, this time in the restaurant in his hotel at Prosek. Many esteemed guests and politicians met there. The photograph shows general Irving in a lively debate with then the Minister of Finances (and future President of Czech Republic), Ing. Václav Klaus.

One of the earliest debates in the Palace of Culture at Pankrác in Prague, (today's Congress Centre). The public debates repeated every month for about a year and half and the themes changed. This photograph was taken on the 16th of September 1990 and this evening was dedicated to the No. 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF. Sitting, from the left: Arnošt Polák (wireless operator from Jan's crew who had lived in Britain since 1948), with the microphone, Vladimír Nedvěd (one of the commanders of the No. 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF in 1943 - 1944, after having emigrated in 1948, he lived in Australia), Alois Martinovský (repairman, No. 311 squadron), the hosts of the debate, Zdeněk Tulis and Tomáš Sláma, Vladimír Slánský (pilot and wireless operator, No. 311 squadron), jan Irving, and Alois Konopický (armourer, No. 311 squadron). Not all airmen had their uniforms so until about half of 1991, they wore dark blue blazers and light gray trousers to such public events instead.

After every such event, bigger or smaller, usually, a book signing followed. The airmen signed all sorts of books which were published after the Revolution or which people kept in their bookshelves for decades. There is over 1000 seats in the Congress Hall and these evenings were packed during those “evenings with arimen, people who were looking forward to hearing their stories were sitting on the floor or standing pressed against the walls so there was well over fifteen hundred persons. Each such book signing was very demanding for the airmen, as it was for those who accompanied them. Iveta often acted as a bodyguard for her dad and she would slow down or stop the endless crowds of enthusiasts with books because she saw how demanding it was for her father. He never complained, though, he was nice with everyone, he kept on signing but at the moment when the Irving family along with the others left the building and went to the metro station, he was close to collapsing.

An official visit of Prince and Princess of Wales to Czechoslovakia in 1991. There was a large memorial assembly with participation of the invited airmen and their companions at the army section of the Olšany graveyards, in a plot dedicated to the fallen RAF airmen.

“No wonder that Iveta’s hands shook when she took the photograph of the angelic being which was shaking hands with her father standing next to her. And when she shook hands with Iveta, she was left speechless. Years later, she says this about the encounter. “I just started trembling, so much that I cursed myself. When she shook my hand and I looked in her eyes, my knees gave way and I made a deep bow although I had not planned that. It was as if Virgin Mary herself shook my hand, and I saw her all blurred through the tears in my eyes. The Princess emanated immense kindness and care and as she was much taller than I am – which is well visible on the photograph – there was an air of authority as well. Those who did not have this sort of experience cannot understand it. Her travails after her divorce with the Prince of Wales hurt us all and her death totally depressed us. I cried for several days. I watched the funeral live on TV in Úherce where I was staying with my mom, recovering from my divorce. Only then I understood how such a sensitive person must have felt after her divorce. Compared to her, I was much more outspoken and I did not get many things related to the divorce to get to my skin...”

Another beautiful snapshot from a memorial ceremony at the Olšany cemetery. Behind Prince of Wales's back, a part of Jiří Maňák's face is showing, Jan Irving is smiling at one of his best friends, "tough guy" Bohumil Jaroš aka "Suchar" [~dry wit], at whose left, with a coat over his hands, colonel Malý is standing; on his right, wearing a beret, colonel Petr Uruba. Along with Zdeněk Škarvada, Vilda Bufka and others, they were imprisoned at the Sagan camp and later, they were moved to the famous German castle where officers were imprisoned, Coldwitz, and they shared the cells there.

A beautiful group photo from the very first Memorial Air Show in Roudnice nad Labem on the 23th September, 1991. It was a wonderful event for our airmen and the founder and airport director, Vlasta Dvořák, put his heart into organising this event not only that year but for many years after. The event got called "Second Britain", even. The truth is, for the air fans, the event is made rarer by happening only every other year. Iveta cannot remember all the names after so many years. After the parked Hurricane from The Netherlands, she recognised her dad (second from right) and his colleague from the B-24, Ivan Schwarz (United Kingdom), at her dad's right, colonel Petr (United Kingdom), further from him, Viktor Kent (United Kingdom), colonel Antonín Vendl, and in the RAF uniform, colonel Dvorský. In the centre under the propeller, colonel František Fajtl with his indispensable goatee. From the left, Iveta can identify colonel Krézek (second from left), colonel J. Hofrichter (fourth from left), in grey suit next to him, another pilot legend, colonel Karel Šeda. From those sitting, she can recall colonel J. Vyhnis (who was born in Stod) and fourth from left, František Knap.

The first army air show in a free country in the modern history of Czechosolovakia at the Kbely airport on the 13th September, 1991. For the photograph, men from one crew assembled. From the left: Arnošt Polák, Rudolf Nedoma, Jan Irving, Ing. G. Shaw a Ivan Schwarz.

The first army air show in a free country in the modern history of Czechosolovakia at the Kbely airport on the 13th September, 1991. The airmen kept looking towards the sky where one airplane after another whizzed by. In the row behind colonel Irving, colonel Jirousek is standing. They knew each other from their studies and training in the army school in Prostějov.

The photograph shows colonel Josef Šnajdr (United Kingdom), one of the former commanders of the No. 311. Squadron, in a lively debate with colonel Irving. He was a strict but fair commander who was respected by everyone. Now, after that many years, they chatted like old friend regardless of the former rank.

Contemporary photograph of commander Šnajdr from the war years; he appears pensive here - or wondering whether his boys will return alive from the action. His face shows constant tension and great responsibility.

Photograph of another commander of the 311th, colonel Vladimír Nedvěd. Hardly anyone would guess that such a puny gentleman held this high a rank. He was an exact opposite of colonel Šnajdr who was almost 190 centimetres tall. They had one thing in common, though, all airmen liked them and respected them.

The air show brought many airmen from the UK and other corners of the world. There was the air show itself, meetings both formal and informal and quite a handful of other events. One of them was a celebratory mass, Te Deum, in the St. Vitus cathedral at the Prague Castle. Another strong experience. The Irving family is sitting in the first row. Next to Blanka, Jan's wireless operator, Arnošt Polák, is seated and at his right, Viktor Kent whose wartime nickname was „Vydrář“ [~otter catcher]

On the 15th September, 1991, there was a reunion at the Irvings' home at Vinohrady in Prague which was indeed memorable. Mrs. Blanka destroyed the airmen by wonderful roasted duck with dumplings, both red and white cabbage, and spinach, so that they could choose. She had guessed that this festive meal would meet with appreciation so there were two ducks in the oven. Her feeling was good, there was nothing left and she even packed some for the guests for later. The reunion was all over great, it was full of emotions, there we tears and laugh in one about the article Iveta had sent to Kanadské listy [Canadian Letters] which published them. On the porch, from the left, standing, Jan Irving, Iveta, Marcel Ludikar (a future general as well), Blanka Irvingová, Arnošt Polák, Ing. G. Shaw and Rudolf Nedoma, eighty percent of the most frequent crew of the Liberator. (This was photographed by Jan Horal, another invited guest.)

One year after the reunion in the United Kingdom, the Czechoslovak airmen were invited to France and it went in a similar vein as the year before. This time, though, only the airmen went there, without any companions. It was distressing for Jan's wife, mainly because she was worried about Jan's health and what if something happened there. His heart was quite damaged after several heart attacks and every strong experience, even if positive, was deleterious. Iveta was sad that she would not see the war fields and France as such. Shown on the photograph are Jan Irving, Bohumil Jaroš aka "Suchar" [Dry-wit], faithful friends, in front of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. During those days, they visited, among others, two air force bases, jet fighter base, and a bomber base which was one of the most important contemporary air base in France where they posed, along with the staff, under the much admired Mirage 2000. They also visited the military cemetery at La Target and many other places.

Olšany cemetery again, the RAF section during the 1992 official visit of U. K. Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. She is being escorted by Alois Konopický in a historical RAF uniform, representing the Czechoslovak airmen, and the Prime Minister, who had just greeted colonel Irving, is going to shake the hand of his friend Arnošt Polák, who is standing next to col. Irving. Allegedly, he whispered to Jan: "Bite it, I've been living in the United Kingdom for more than fifty years, with Margaret almost behind my back, and to shake her hand, I had to come to Prague!" One does not need to add that they both burst out laughing.

The Congress Centre at Pankrác in Prague again, and a meeting of the Czechoslovak airmen, including those who flew over from the United Kingdom in 1992.

There were way too many public events where the airmen were supposed to participate and it's only a narrow selection of them shown here. The public debates went on, though, and tens or hundreds of people would attend them across the whole country. Regardless of the size of the room where they took place, it was full to the last spot. This is a photograph from a debate with colonel Irving in 1994.

Kromě zde prezentovaného torza všech veřejných akcí, jichž se na naše letce po listopadu 1989 sesypalo nekonečné množství, samozřejmě průběžně probíhaly i již zmiňované veřejné besedy, kde se sešlo od několika desítek lidí až po stovky po celé republice. Ať byl sál však jakkoli kapacitně velký, vždy bylo plno do posledního místečka. Toto je snímek ze samostatné besedy plk. Irvinga v roce 1994. He was closely watched by his wife Blanka, she was worried because her husband was seriously ill by that time...

Kromě zde prezentovaného torza všech veřejných akcí, jichž se na naše letce po listopadu 1989 sesypalo nekonečné množství, samozřejmě průběžně probíhaly i již zmiňované veřejné besedy, kde se sešlo od několika desítek lidí až po stovky po celé republice. Ať byl sál však jakkoli kapacitně velký, vždy bylo plno do posledního místečka. Toto je snímek ze samostatné besedy plk. Irvinga v roce 1994. He was closely watched by his wife Blanka, she was worried because her husband was seriously ill by that time, and his daughter Iveta. At that time, she would book a videographer for these debates so that there would be recording of her father's war and post-war stories. Thanks to his idea, there are many hours of carefully preserved videos.

After the debates, which were certainly exhausting for colonel Irving, a book signing and chatting with guests followed, and this became a nice tradition. Every time, new contacts were made or new facts and unexpected links surfaced. Often, direct descendants of Jan's fellow fighters arrived to the meeting and asked about their life, addresses, contact information, photograps etc.