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Josef Valčík (pronounced [ˈjozɛv ˈval̩tʃiːk]; 2 November 1914 – 18 June 1942) was a Czechoslovak British-trained soldier and member of the Resistance in German-occupied Czechoslovakia who took part in the firefight during the aftermath of the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich by Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš, code named Operation Anthropoid.
Josef Valčík | |
---|---|
Born |
| 2 November 1914
Died | 18 June 1942
| (aged 27)
Allegiance | |
Service | |
Years of service |
|
Rank | Podporučík (Lieutenant) |
Unit | Special Operations Executive |
Battles / wars | |
Awards | Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945 |
Operation Anthropoid
editSS-Obergruppenführer Heydrich, a high-ranking German Nazi official, was chief of the Reich Security Main Office and one of the main architects of the Holocaust. He was also Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia in 1942.
The Germans were unable to locate the attackers until Karel Čurda of the "Out Distance" sabotage group turned himself in to the Gestapo and gave them the names of the team's local contacts for the reward of one million Reichsmarks.[1] Valčík and the others died after a six-hour firefight with Waffen-SS troops and German police in the Saints Cyril and Methodius Cathedral.[2]
Family
edit14 members of Valčík's family were arrested, brought to Mauthausen concentration camp and executed.
- Parents Jan Valčík (1880-1942) and Veronika Valčík (1888-1942)
- Brother Antonín Valčík (1919-1942) and sister Ludmila Valčíková (1923-1942)
- Sister Terezia Beňová (1912-1942) with husband Jan Beňa (1908-1942)
- Sister Marii Kolaříková (1917-1942) with husband Josef Kolařík (1914-1942)
- Sister Františku Sívková (1911-1942) with husband František Sívek (1910-1942)
- Brother Aloise Valčík (1908-1942) with wife Anna Valčíková (1907-1942)
- Brother Emil Valčík (1909-1942) with wife Anna Valčíková (1911-1942)
Honours
edit- 1942 – – Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945
- 1942 – – Second Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945 in memoriam
- 1944 – – Commemorative Medal of the Czechoslovak Army Abroad with France and Great Britain Bars
- 1945 – – Third Czechoslovak War Cross 1939–1945 in memoriam
- 1949 – – Czechoslovak Military Order for Freedom, Gold Star
- 1968 – – Order of the Red Banner
- 2010 – – Cross of Merit of the State Defense[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Lisciotto, Carmelo (2009). "The Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich". The Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
- ^ McDonald, Callum (1989). The Killing of Reinhard Heydrich: The SS Butcher of Prague. New York City: Da Capo. p. 239. ISBN 978-0-306-80860-9. OCLC 722860441.
- ^ Miroslav Šindelář (8 May 2010). "Udělení resortních vyznamenání" (in Czech). Praha: Czech Army. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2018.