Dimitrij Smetana

“I come from a poor family, my father wasn’t rich. We had only a small farm. We worked in the forest, on the field... wherever it was possible. During the First Republic it was very difficult to find a job. I didn’t go to school because the town school was 15kms away. Those who had money could attend it but those without money were unlucky. I finished the town school only after the end of WWII, in Liberec. And then I went to the military academy in Hranice na Moravě. I had to finish school to be a match for the others and was able to stay in the army.”

“There were some very zealous men. I had a friend, Gajdoš, he was a scout. He lost one eye so he went to hospital. They pulled him together and he immediately and at any cost wanted back to his unit. General Svoboda didn’t want to let him go but he told him: ‘I have got two legs, two arms and as long as I walk I will fulfil my tasks.’ And he went back to the front. Such were some of the people there.”

“When soldiers ‘slipped’ in something, they were sent to the disciplinary unit. There they had to serve some time, usually a month or two. And naturally, they were given the worst tasks. I remember one disciplinary unit commander. When the convicts lined up, he always opened fire under their feet. When someone moved he yelled at him: ‘You are a good-for-nothing!’ They were often sent for so called tongues.”

“We hated the Hungarians. I found even the language irksome. I didn’t absolutely feel like serving in the Hungarian army but it couldn’t be helped. I tried to become involved as little as possible. I idled a year away anyhow and when they saw that I’m quite useless for them they put me in a labour camp. They sent us to Budapest and right to the front from there – to dig trenches. There I spent the winter of 1943 – 1944; it was minus 40 degrees of Celsius so you can imagine what the situation there was. Consequently, I fell ill and for about a month I was having medical treatment.”