Jiří Krotil

“We lived in Prague-Hodkovičky. During the war, my family was in touch with Mr Krajina’s ÚVOD and my brother-in-law Jindřich Klečka was the Sparta I. radio operator. My sister Božena Klečková was a decipherer in charge of deciphering the messages from London. On 7 May 1941, Božka was sitting at a table and deciphering. Suddenly the doorbell rang. We could see the street and we knew right away what was going on. The men were wearing the typical leather coats and flat hats. Božka got all the papers and ran to the toilet. When she came back the Gestapo were in already; the father had let them in. When they first came the Gestapo were not exactly sure what was going on. Then André Regenermel came; he was a radio operator too, had the key to the house and came in – right into the arms of the Gestapo. They found the messages he was supposed to give to Božka for deciphering. When he wasn’t coming back to my brother-in-law Jindřich Klečka, who used to transmit from the house of Ms Hercíková who lived nearby, my brother-in-law sent Ms Hercíková to us to on the pretext of borrowing some sugar or flour or whatever. While serving her, my father used his facial expressions to show her what had happened. Jindřich Klečka packed up Sparta I. and left through the gardens. By then, our street was besieged by the Gestapo.”

“While in Regensburg, at the Goethe Schule, I met a person who I knew from Czechoslovkia. We both used to run the Velká Kunratická race. He was Ota Rambousek. He was in the Sokol too, but he was among adults where I was still a junior. We got together and stuck together. It must have been just before Christmas 1948 when Ota started walking. On his first assignment, he went to my family. He involved my other brother-in-law, Svatopluk Lacina, in illegal work. As far as I know, it was about getting ‘clean’ documents and stamps. Obviously, Ota did not speak much about it – where he goes, what ways... All he would say was ‘Greetings from home. They are doing such and such…’.”