Antonín Bartoš (ice Hockey Player)
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Antonín Bartoš (12 September 1910 – 13 December 1998) was a
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...
soldier, member of the
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
Czechoslovak resistance Czechoslovak may refer to: *A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93) **First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38) **Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39) **Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60) ** Fourth Czechoslovak Repu ...
(and commander of Operation Clay), postwar member of the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
for the Czechoslovak National Socialist Party, and later participant of anti-communist resistance.


Youth

Bartoš was born in
Lanžhot Lanžhot () is a town in Břeclav District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,600 inhabitants. Located on the border with Austria and Slovakia, it is the southernmost Moravian town. Etymology The original Latin name ...
,
Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...
,
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
, on 12 September 1910. His father was a railway employee, and his mother was a housewife. He had two brothers and a sister. He passed four grades of primary school, and in 1929 passed an exam in
Břeclav Břeclav (; ) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 25,000 inhabitants. Located at the Czech-Austrian state border and near the Czech–Slovak state border, it is an important railway hub. Administrative divis ...
gymnasium. From 1930 to 1932, he was a postal service employee in Břeclav. On 1 March 1932, he started his national service with the border patrol battalion in
Trebišov Trebišov (; ; ) is a small industrial town in the easternmost part of Slovakia, with a population of around 25,000. The town is an administrative, economic and cultural center with machine (Vagónka) and building materials industries. History Th ...
. After failed admission to a military academy to become an officer (for medical reasons, apparently due to his previous dispute with a regiment doctor), he was discharged from military service and returned to work for National Mail. On 24 September 1938, he was drafted back into the army, and after dissolution of the army returned first
Hodonín Hodonín (; ) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 24,000 inhabitants. Geography Hodonín is located about southeast of Brno, on the border with Slovakia. It lies in a flat landscape of the Lower Morava Va ...
and later to
Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...
.


Exile

From the fear of imprisonment, he escaped the country (then under
German occupation German-occupied Europe, or Nazi-occupied Europe, refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly militarily occupied and civil-occupied, including puppet states, by the (armed forces) and the government of Nazi Germany at ...
. Through
Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
,
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
,
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
and
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
managed to get to
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. There he joined a Czechoslovak force with which he took part in the
Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
. After the Allied defeat he was evacuated to
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
. He landed in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
on 13 July 1940, and was assigned to 2nd march battalion. From 2 January to 15 March 1941, he trained at military school and was promoted to lance corporal. Upon his own request he was assigned to special task unit where from 21 February until 19 December 1942 participated in sabotage, parachute and industrial espionage training. During the final stage of conspiracy training he was already promoted to corporal. On 7 March 1943 he was promoted to sergeant. Before 3 June 1943 he finished his civil job training as a mechanic. From 12 July 1943 he took part in another two trainings in radio communication in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
and
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. From 11 to 23 October he 1943 stayed at waiting station from which he was transferred to
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
. Here he continued his training.


Deployment

After an unsuccessful attempt, he was dropped on 13 April 1944 together with other members of the unit near
Hostišová Hostišová is a municipality and village in Zlín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 600 inhabitants. Administrative division Hostišová consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 202 ...
. The unit under his command carried out extensive espionage and organized a network of cooperating citizens in the
Valašské Meziříčí Valašské Meziříčí (; ) is a town in Vsetín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monum ...
region.


After the war

After he checked in to the ministry of defense, he requested release from military service. From June 1945 he started to be actively involved in politics on behalf of National Socialist Party. In the years of 1945-1946 he was member of provisional National Assembly and in 1946-1948 member of parliament. On 3 September 1945, he was promoted to Captain of march regiment. In December 1945, Bartoš got married and in August 1946 his wife gave birth to a son, Antonín Jr. In the same year he was promoted to a Major. After the communist coup in February 1948 he escaped with his family to France, where the Bartoš family operated the Maryša restaurant for Czechoslovak émigrés. The following year, he was stripped of his army ranks and Czech citizenship. Under the command of general
František Moravec František Moravec CBE (23 July 1895 – 26 July 1966) was the chief Czechoslovak military intelligence officer before and during World War II. He moved to the United States after the war. Biography In 1915, Moravec was drafted into Austro-Hun ...
he took part in organizing and dispatching messengers into
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
, where they helped to organize espionage and bring refugees across the border. In November 1952 he moved with his family to the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
where he worked as a construction engineer. On 8 May 1993 his army ranks were restored and he was promoted to Generalmajor; however Bartoš died before his Czech citizenship was reinstated. In 2000 a memorial plaque was placed on his birth house.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bartos, Antonin 1910 births 1998 deaths People from Lanžhot People from the Margraviate of Moravia Czech National Social Party politicians Members of the Interim National Assembly of Czechoslovakia Members of the Constituent National Assembly of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovak military personnel of World War II Czech exiles Czechoslovak emigrants to the United States