Major General Vladimír Přikryl
1895 – 1968

Lieutenant Přikryl at the head of a squad of legionnaires

He was born as Josef Přikryl on August 3^rd, 1895 in Horní Studénka. During World War I, he volunteered for the Czechoslovak legions in Russia, with whom he experienced retreat battles in Ukraine and the entire Siberian Anabasis. He reached the rank of lieutenant in the legions. After returning to his homeland in August 1920, he remained in the army. He served in the 9^th Infantry Regiment in Most, where he held a number of command positions. In 1928, he converted to Orthodoxy and changed his birth name Josef to Vladimír. In May 1933, he joined the Ministry of National Defence and was subsequently promoted to lieutenant colonel.

During training in the USSR.

Immediately after the occupation, he joined the resistance. Due to the threat of arrest, he went into exile in March 1940. He reached France via Slovakia, Yugoslavia and Turkey, where he took part in the retreat battles. After the capitulation of France, he arrived in Great Britain, where he commanded an infantry battalion from July 1940. In July 1943, he was transferred to the Czechoslovak military units in the USSR, where there was a shortage of officers. During a dangerous journey through Africa and the Middle East, his ship, the Duchess of York, was sunk by German bombers. He was rescued by a British destroyer.

The battle of the 2^nd Czechoslovak Independent Paratrooper Brigade was described by General Přikryl in the book „Continue in the Mountains.“.

In August 1943, he arrived in Novokhopersk, where he was appointed deputy commander of the 1^st Czechoslovak Independent Brigade in the USSR. He participated in the liberation of Kiev and commanded a brigade during the battles for Bila Tserkva, Fastov and Ruda. He was subsequently appointed commander of the 2^nd Czechoslovak Independent Paratrooper Brigade in the USSR, with which he participated in the fighting in the Carpathians. Together with his brigade, he was transported to Slovakia, where they fought in the ranks of the Slovak National Uprising until its defeat. On October 28^th, 1944, Colonel Přikryl and the rest of the brigade went to the mountains, where they continued the partisan fighting.

Slovakia, training of the 2^nd Infantry Division.

In February 1945, he joined the Red Army units. In Kežmarok, he was appointed commander of the newly formed 2^nd Infantry Division. In April 1945 he was tried for the loss of his brigade’s battalion. He won the trial. On July 23^rd, 1945, he was assigned to command the Military Training Camp in Milovice. In October 1946 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. At that time he also completed a higher command course in Prague. In February 1949 he was appointed commander of the garrison in Brno.

The uncensored version of General Přikryl’s memoirs „During the reign of darkness“ was only published after 1989.

On May 16^th, 1949, he was arrested and subjected to cruel and humiliating torture. On the basis of several fabricated charges, he was sentenced to a total sentence of 9 years and 5 months in prison, loss of rank and all honorary badges and decorations. He was imprisoned in Prague, Pilsen and Leopoldov. On 5^th August 1953 he was granted a presidential pardon. After his release he worked as an auxiliary worker in Fruta in Nymburk and a night watchman at a sawmill in Křinec. In 1964 he was judicially rehabilitated and on 1^st November 1964 his military rank (retired major general) and all decorations were restored to him. He spent the remainder of his life in Pilsen at his daughter’s place, where he died on 13^th April 1968 at the age of 72.

Did you know that…? Brigadier General Vladimír Přikryl tried to introduce a „parachute jumper“ course in Milovice.