Czech Paratrooper

[Eric Queen]

I have always found Czech paratrooper material to be extremely difficult to mind. There were so few of them to begin with (I think around 90 or so) and less than half survived.

Here is a rare photograph of a man (Rudolf Turšner) whose mission (IRON) was cancelled and did survive the war.

[Eric Queen]

A little about the IRON mission (translated from Czech)

Operation Iron
Operation Iron was the cover name for the paradesantní of the landing party, which was to be seconded during the II. World War II from England on the territory of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

Content 1 Composition and task
2 activity
3 references
4 references
Composition and Task
Desant was the commander of Rtn. Rudolf Turšner and Rtn. Josef in Modřany. Their task was to complement the defense of the nation and then organize sabotage and terrorist actions. In this context, it is speculated that the aim was to be Emanuel Moravec. [1] The exact target was never published. In September 1944, the Desant's tasks were extended to the transport of material and subsequent cooperation with Desant Glucinium [2].

Activity
Desant by formed 24. January 1942. During the training was Turšner vitiated health problems (Protržená hernia and subsequent surgical intervention). Later, the decision to change the priorities of the programme took place and priority was given to groups with intelligence tasks.

The next redeployment deployment of Desanta in operation Iron occurred in April 1943; SOE transfer its starting base to Italy. In September of the same year, Čs. In the London government in exile, it was proposed to revise the broadcast of sabotage and diverzních groups to the protectorate in order to minimise the risk of domestic resistance. This was to be an important link in the news network supplying information from the occupied territories. Yet in September Turšner and in Modřany moved to Italy to the SOE base in Lauretu, where they had to wait for the action to be deployed.

Evidently due to stress and tension induced by the constant deferring of the start of the operation and probably also by the influence of the so-called Submarine diseases began to occur between the two Desanti, Turšnerem and Modřanským to mutual verbal and physical bashing, augmented by the addition of alcohol. [3] The mutual hostility of the two members of Desanti grew into aversion and therefore management 2. The HV department replaced Modřanského. Rtn. Jan Švachulou. After other conflicts (including conflicts with British soldiers), Turšner and in Modřany were taken back to London and transferred to the reserve. At the beginning of December 1944, the Iron operation was definitively abolished.

[seebee1]

Excellent image and history too Eric. Noting the British Cloth Parachute Wings on the sleeve and the British Parachute Metal Badge on the breast, did the Czech's have a parachute Badge of their own?

[Eric Queen]

Thanks Clive. There were several designs introduced but I don't believe that anything made it to the manufacturing phase.

[rsunday]

There was no separate Czech Army in Exile parachute badge ...

[WJW]

Good portrait

Very cool, Eric.
W.

[castagain]

A fascinating thread, thanks for posting the photos and commentary.

As was already said, I don't know of any unique badge worn by Czech paratroopers in exile... in the West. There was one, though, worn by those in the East. I thought Forum members might be interested in seeing a photo of that badge in my collection, worn by paras of the Czech 2nd Parachute Brigade, formed in Russia in late 1943 by volunteers from the Slovak Division. Other Czechs were parachute trained at schools run by the Ukrainian Partisan Movement Headquarters. (info from page 57 of Bragg and Turner's first book.) The badge was struck in Moscow in 1943-44.

Best regards,
Donovan

[seebee1]

Superb badge Donovan, thank you for posting this