Description
Object description
Ts translation by Alena Jirasek of the interesting memoir by Karel Niemczyk (37pp, 2004) recording his service as an SOE radio operator in the German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (former Czechoslovakia), participating in as a member of the cell 'Calcium', including the history of Czechoslovakia (1918 – 1938); his escape from Czechoslovakia through Hungary and Yugoslavia to join and train with the Czechoslovak Army in Southern France (early 1940); the evacuation from France to the UK (May 1940 – June 1940); his disappointment with conditions in the Czechoslovak Army in the UK (June 1940 – October 1941); volunteering to join and training at Hendon Hall with SOE (October 1941 - ?December 1942); joining cell Calcium training at Hendon Hall (?December 1942 - ?May 1943); transferring with the members of the groups 'Calcium' and 'Barium' to SIS command and further special training in London (?May 1943 – September 1943); in Algeria (September 1943 – January 1944); and Bari, Italy (January 1944 – April 1944); parachuting into the Protectorate (3 April 1944); operating in Moravia linking up with the resistance, on the run from the Gestapo, providing valuable information for Allied bombing raids and arranging supply drops of weapons (April 1944 – May 1945); his brief imprisonment by the Russians (no dates) before departing for Budapest as a cipher officer (until October 1945); commenting on the experiences and low survival rate of those who parachuted into occupied territory to link up with Czechoslovak resistance which had been infiltrated by the Gestapo, difficult relations with the resistance leadership, the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the activities of the Gestapo, dealing with traitors, the members of his Calcium team, the Prague Uprising of May 1945, which he considered "to be an unnecessary shedding of Czech blood against a defeated, but still disciplined German army", his return to his pre-war employment with Skoda cars, his posting as a company representative to Kabul, Afghanistan (March 1947) and subsequent move to Sydney, Australia as an refugee (1949); and giving his poor opinion of President Dr Edvard Benĕs.
Content description
Ts translation by Alena Jirasek of the interesting memoir by Karel Niemczyk (37pp, 2004) recording his service as an SOE radio operator in the German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (former Czechoslovakia), participating in as a member of the cell 'Calcium', including the history of Czechoslovakia (1918 – 1938); his escape from Czechoslovakia through Hungary and Yugoslavia to join and train with the Czechoslovak Army in Southern France (early 1940); the evacuation from France to the UK (May 1940 – June 1940); his disappointment with conditions in the Czechoslovak Army in the UK (June 1940 – October 1941); volunteering to join and training at Hendon Hall with SOE (October 1941 - ?December 1942); joining cell Calcium training at Hendon Hall (?December 1942 - ?May 1943); transferring with the members of the groups 'Calcium' and 'Barium' to SIS command and further special training in London (?May 1943 – September 1943); in Algeria (September 1943 – January 1944); and Bari, Italy (January 1944 – April 1944); parachuting into the Protectorate (3 April 1944); operating in Moravia linking up with the resistance, on the run from the Gestapo, providing valuable information for Allied bombing raids and arranging supply drops of weapons (April 1944 – May 1945); his brief imprisonment by the Russians (no dates) before departing for Budapest as a cipher officer (until October 1945); commenting on the experiences and low survival rate of those who parachuted into occupied territory to link up with Czechoslovak resistance which had been infiltrated by the Gestapo, difficult relations with the resistance leadership, the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the activities of the Gestapo, dealing with traitors, the members of his Calcium team, the Prague Uprising of May 1945, which he considered "to be an unnecessary shedding of Czech blood against a defeated, but still disciplined German army", his return to his pre-war employment with Skoda cars, his posting as a company representative to Kabul, Afghanistan (March 1947) and subsequent move to Sydney, Australia as an refugee (1949); and giving his poor opinion of President Dr Edvard Benĕs.
History note
Cataloguer SJO