Jan Fiala

„The paratroopers asked if there lived some gamekeeper near the village: ‚Yes, approximately 2 km away stands a gamekeeper's lodge in the middle of the wood,’ answered the armers from Boňov. ‘What is the name of the gamekeeper?’ The Farmer said his name was Vitouš and he came here at the beginning of the war. Kotásek, one of the paratroopers, sit up: ‘How he looks like? Maybe I know him.’ Kotásek asked the guys from Boňov to arrange a meeting with Vitouš then. When they met, Kotásek exclaimed: ‘Is that really you? How did you get here?’ Vitouš answered: ‘Of course I know you. How did you get here? In Ratiškovice there was a rumor you had escaped to England. Let’s move to my place.’ So the paratroopers came to the gamekeeper's lodge. But there was a problem with their radio transmitters which were hidden near Krasonice in an old pit.”

„Finally (König) told me: ‚Go home and do nothing. If somebody appears and asks after the radio transmitters, notify the cops. They know what they are supposed to do. If you would get a letter signed by Ludwig, do whatever is written inside.’ So I stayed at home and was waiting what was going to happen. Once I was working on our field and my father brought me a letter. There was written: ‘As we were holding talks on 11th July (now it was 20th August) we need to talk to you again. Come to Jaromeřice nad Rokytnou. I will arrive by train. You will recognize me easily.’ The letter sent the Gestapo officer König. But this was their big mistake. I was already in contact with the paratroopers now located in Šebkovice. I grasped the point and disappeared to Šebkovice immediately.”

„The paratroopers of the SPELTER unit were broadcasting sometimes at night, sometimes at noon. It was complicated, because at Papula’s house lived farm workers. When the paratroopers were coming to broadcast, we were safeguarding their way in order to avoid some accident with cops. I handed over the fence the radio transmitter. In the loft they had stretched the wires. Because the cops had the toilet on our yard, I switched some machine on in the workroom in order to make noise, for example some sander or a circular saw. At the same time I watched out if there were no cops buzzing around.”

“On the 16th of June, when the Germans stormed the gamekeeper’s lodge, soldiers made a mistake. The attack happened at midnight. As so many men in heavy boots moved in they made to much noise. Vitouš was sleeping at the lodge, but the paratroopers were in a nearby beehouse and they were woken up. One of them was on guard and told the others that something is happening out there. When they realized they were being encircled, they darted out of the beehouse. Germans started to shoot. One of the paratroopers was deadly hit, the other two escaped. When Vitouš heard the shooting, he hastily put on his pants, grabbed the rifle, jumped out of the window and ran away to the other side.”