We were helping the English to defend the coast against a German invasion
Stáhnout obrázek
Karel Vašek was born on November 26th, 1918 in Brno; he was the son of a military officer. After graduating from secondary school, he joined the Czechoslovak Army where he served in the gas unit. After March 1939 and the formation of the Protectorate, he was dismissed from the Army. After a short time in his native Brno, he decided to leave for Poland in order to apply for the Czechoslovak foreign units there. Subsequently, he was sent to France to the French Foreign Legion. He went through training in Algeria; after the outbreak of WWII he was sent to France to an artillery unit. After the defeat of France, he along with other Czechoslovak artillery soldiers were transported by boat to Great Britain. There he took additional artillery training. In September 1944, he was deployed to France and then took part in fighting at Dunkerque. After the end of WWII, he returned to Czechoslovakia in July 1945. After his return home, he remained in the Army; in 1946 he participated in a military mission in Italy. After February 1948, he was dismissed from the Army and had to earn a living in manual jobs. He was an active member of the Czechoslovak Association of Legionaries. He died on January 1st, 2006.
