Major General in memoriam Richard Zdráhala
* 1912 - +1977
Pre-war officer of the Czechoslovak army - artilleryman. Graduate of the Border Academy. After occupation of Czechoslovakia organized escapes abroad, he himself fled in November 1939 through Slovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia to Syria and later to France. Here appointed commander of the 1st Battery II. section of the artillery regiment 1. Czechoslovak division and actively participated in defensive battles. After the evacuation of Czechoslovakia. troops to England in the spring of 1941 took advantage of the call gen. de Gaulle and joined the ranks of the Free French (Gen. de Gaulle asked the Czechoslovak government to release several experienced ground troops to strengthen the FFL units. Since there was no use for them in England at this time, he gave this step president Beneš his consent). Cpt. Reluctantly, he was assigned to the 1st FFL Brigade, where he became commander of the anti-tank battery battalion Fussilieres Marines (Marines). His unit was then transferred to the Libyan desert, where in the lineup 8. British Army had, along with other FFL units, especially the 13th Half-Brigade of the Foreign Legion to defend the southern wing of the 8th Army in the oasis area of B'ir Hakeim. Here he also met another Czech, Cpt. Otto Wagner, commander of one of the companies of the 13th Half Brigade.
During the fierce battle for B'ir Hakeim, Zdráhal's unit remains in position as one of the last and covers the retreat of other FFL units until the ammunition is depleted. During a subsequent attempt to penetrate the siege, his car ran into a mine and the wounded Capt. She reluctantly fell into captivity. He went through several prison camps in Italy and Germany, twice unsuccessfully trying to escape. After finding out his true identity, he became one of a group of Czech "high traitors" with whom he went through the traditional prisoner anabasis, including interrogations in Pečkárna. The war for him ended in Colditz, where he was liberated by the US military.
The darling's post-war destinies are no different from other "westerners". Despite his undeniable war merits, awarded by the high Czech, British and French orders, he was persecuted after February 1948, partially rehabilitated only in 1968. He died in 1977. After November 1989 he was fully rehabilitated and in memoriam promoted to the rank of major general. .
On the basis of his narrative, Zdráhal's war destinies were literally processed by his friend, genpor. Ing. František Fajtl under the name I fought in the desert.
* 1912 - +1977
Pre-war officer of the Czechoslovak army - artilleryman. Graduate of the Border Academy. After occupation of Czechoslovakia organized escapes abroad, he himself fled in November 1939 through Slovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia to Syria and later to France. Here appointed commander of the 1st Battery II. section of the artillery regiment 1. Czechoslovak division and actively participated in defensive battles. After the evacuation of Czechoslovakia. troops to England in the spring of 1941 took advantage of the call gen. de Gaulle and joined the ranks of the Free French (Gen. de Gaulle asked the Czechoslovak government to release several experienced ground troops to strengthen the FFL units. Since there was no use for them in England at this time, he gave this step president Beneš his consent). Cpt. Reluctantly, he was assigned to the 1st FFL Brigade, where he became commander of the anti-tank battery battalion Fussilieres Marines (Marines). His unit was then transferred to the Libyan desert, where in the lineup 8. British Army had, along with other FFL units, especially the 13th Half-Brigade of the Foreign Legion to defend the southern wing of the 8th Army in the oasis area of B'ir Hakeim. Here he also met another Czech, Cpt. Otto Wagner, commander of one of the companies of the 13th Half Brigade.
During the fierce battle for B'ir Hakeim, Zdráhal's unit remains in position as one of the last and covers the retreat of other FFL units until the ammunition is depleted. During a subsequent attempt to penetrate the siege, his car ran into a mine and the wounded Capt. She reluctantly fell into captivity. He went through several prison camps in Italy and Germany, twice unsuccessfully trying to escape. After finding out his true identity, he became one of a group of Czech "high traitors" with whom he went through the traditional prisoner anabasis, including interrogations in Pečkárna. The war for him ended in Colditz, where he was liberated by the US military.
The darling's post-war destinies are no different from other "westerners". Despite his undeniable war merits, awarded by the high Czech, British and French orders, he was persecuted after February 1948, partially rehabilitated only in 1968. He died in 1977. After November 1989 he was fully rehabilitated and in memoriam promoted to the rank of major general. .
On the basis of his narrative, Zdráhal's war destinies were literally processed by his friend, genpor. Ing. František Fajtl under the name I fought in the desert.