Rudolf Pernický
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Pernický was a Czechoslavak
soldier and paratrooper
. He fled the country after the 1939 annexation of Bohemia and Moravia by Nazi regime to Great Britain
. There he worked for the exile Czechoslovak government and trained paratroopers heading to Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
. Later in December 1944 he was air-landed together with rotmistr
Leopold Musil in the Protectorate to support the home underground movement
(operation codename Tungsten) – unfortunately 100 km away from their original target. They both survived seven-day march through the snow
-covered terrain avoiding any contact (carrying a radio beacon and other illegal material) and before the World War II
ended they actively organized the resistance movement around Nové Město na Moravě
.
After the liberation of Czechoslovakia he joined the Czechoslovak Army at the general staff and graduated from the military academy. But shortly after the communistic takeover in 1948 he was arrested and in a political trial sentenced to 20 years in prison. He got to the worst communistic
forced labour camps (as Příbram
, Jáchymov
etc.) and was amnestied as late as 1960. However till the end of communistic regime
he was still persecuted and allowed only for the manual labour employment. After that he was fully rehabilitated, given back all his honours and the rank of army general
. He was also elected as the first chairman of Confederation of political prisoners and after his term ended he remain an honorary chairman.
On 28. October 2005 he was decorated by the president of the Czech Republic
with the highest Czech order – the Order of the White Lion
, 1st class. As being seriously ill (he passed already a serious operation only a week before the ceremony) this was his last public appearance, he died few weeks later on 21. December, in a day of 61. anniversary of the air-landing to his beloved country.
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
soldier and paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
. He fled the country after the 1939 annexation of Bohemia and Moravia by Nazi regime to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. There he worked for the exile Czechoslovak government and trained paratroopers heading to Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was the majority ethnic-Czech protectorate which Nazi Germany established in the central parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia in what is today the Czech Republic...
. Later in December 1944 he was air-landed together with rotmistr
Rittmeister
Rotamaster was the military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in charge of a squadron , the equivalent of O3 or Captain, in the German-speaking armies, Austro-Hungarian, Polish-Lithuanian, Russian and some other states.The exact name of this rank maintains a variety of spellings in different...
Leopold Musil in the Protectorate to support the home underground movement
Czech resistance to Nazi occupation
Czech resistance to German Nazi occupation during World War II is a scarcely documented subject, by and large a result of little formal resistance and an effective German policy that deterred acts of resistance or annihilated organizations of resistance...
(operation codename Tungsten) – unfortunately 100 km away from their original target. They both survived seven-day march through the snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
-covered terrain avoiding any contact (carrying a radio beacon and other illegal material) and before the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ended they actively organized the resistance movement around Nové Město na Moravě
Nové Mesto na Morave
Nové Město na Moravě is a town in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has 10,464 inhabitants.-Business in town:Despite its location surrounded by great outdoors, the town has a long tradition of manufacturing...
.
After the liberation of Czechoslovakia he joined the Czechoslovak Army at the general staff and graduated from the military academy. But shortly after the communistic takeover in 1948 he was arrested and in a political trial sentenced to 20 years in prison. He got to the worst communistic
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....
forced labour camps (as Příbram
Príbram
Příbram is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic with a population of 35,147. The city is located on the Litavka river and the foothills of Brdy, 60 kilometers south-west of Prague, the country's capital...
, Jáchymov
Jáchymov
For other places called Joachimsthal, see Joachimsthal Jáchymov . compl: "Sant Joachim's Sthal" is a spa town in north-west Bohemia in the Czech Republic belonging to the Karlovy Vary Region. It is situated at an altitude of 733 m above sea level in the eponymous St...
etc.) and was amnestied as late as 1960. However till the end of communistic regime
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
he was still persecuted and allowed only for the manual labour employment. After that he was fully rehabilitated, given back all his honours and the rank of army general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
. He was also elected as the first chairman of Confederation of political prisoners and after his term ended he remain an honorary chairman.
On 28. October 2005 he was decorated by the president of the Czech Republic
President of the Czech Republic
The President of the Czech Republic is the head of state of the Czech Republic. Unlike his counterparts in Austria and Hungary, who are generally considered figureheads, the Czech President has a considerable role in political affairs...
with the highest Czech order – the Order of the White Lion
Order of the White Lion
The Order of the White Lion is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners....
, 1st class. As being seriously ill (he passed already a serious operation only a week before the ceremony) this was his last public appearance, he died few weeks later on 21. December, in a day of 61. anniversary of the air-landing to his beloved country.
