Krátký, Jaroslav

Colonel of Artillery in memoriam Jaroslav Krátký



born: 8.10.1911 - Střížov
umr.: 1945



commander of Operation KARAS


Jaroslav Krátký was born on October 8, 1911 in Střížov, in the family of a teacher, a former legionnaire from the First World War. After eight years at the grammar school in Třebíč in 1931, he graduated and shortly afterwards joined Infantry Regiment 31 in Jihlava. However, he stayed there only 5 days and then was sent to the school for artillery officers in Litoměřice. A year later, in 1932, he was admitted to the Military Academy in Hranice. He graduated with the rank of Lieutenant of Artillery on 30.6.1934. In addition to his service with Artillery Regiment 6 in Znojmo, he attended many application courses and improved his professional skills. He was promoted to lieutenant on 26.3.1938 and less than a year later, in February 1939, he was appointed a teacher in the school for officers of light artillery.


On 27 May 1939 he crossed the border into Poland and was sent to France in mid-June. Here he joined the French Army and was attached to the 6th Artillery Regiment, later stationed in North Africa. On the outbreak of war he returned to France, presenting himself at Agde, and was subsequently appointed in command of the 7th Battery of the 1st Artillery Regiment, with which he served until the fall of France. He then embarked for Britain on the Vicerory of India in July 1940. Here he served with the 1st Artillery, being promoted to Captain of Artillery at the end of October 1941.


He became involved in preparations for operations in the occupied homeland. He attended special courses, amongst others the paracourse at Ringway and a special assault course at Camus Daval.


On 20 March 1942 he went undercover with the name Jaroslav Karas to Turkey, where he was to help establish a link between the resistance movement in Slovakia and the Czechoslovak Resistance Centre in London. In March 1944 he left, again under an assumed name, by train across the Balkans to Bratislava, where he established contacts with representatives of the Flora and Justicia resistance movements. On April 22, 1944, he managed to establish contact with the Military Radio Headquarters in Britain, which was Short's primary objective.


For his efforts to apoliticise the Czechoslovak army in Slovakia, he was criticised by the CPSU leaders and was even arrested on 4 September 1944, at the request of Gen. Malar, however, he was released.


On November 3, 1944 he was captured together with leading SNP personalities in Pohrnoski Bukovec. He was interrogated first in Banská Bystrica, then in Bratislava. He was then taken to Berlin, where he was executed. In 1946, he was declared missing, later presumed dead.


Decorations:
Order of the SNP 1.st, in memoriam (1945)
Czechoslovak Military Order of the White Lion for Victory (1998)


Sources.
http://www.lib.cas.cz/parasut/kratky.htm
www.army.cz
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Kratky-Jaroslav-t56007#204373 Version : 0
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