Miroslav Vostřel

* 1921

  • "The political advisor (comissar) and his aide, those were political jobs. The comissar was the head, the aide helped. And in the villages, when the comissar arrived, he had to give a speech. I talked, too, there were about 30 people, people are afraid to come. Many knew me in Brestov, my aunt, I had been to Brestov many times. I mostly said that the Czechoslovak brigade is not fighting [solely] for Yugoslavia. We fight for everyone, for their freedom. For Czechoslovakia as well as for Yugoslavia so that she would be free."

  • „Many people asked me how did it actually go. The Ustashe attacked the resistance fighters, that’s how it was.” “And those who were taken prisoners, those were shot? And, why? Why?” “Look, if someone wrote how many Ustashe used to shoot at children, at Serbs, at others, it would be an entirely different story.”

  • „Unexpectedly, it happened… we were in a village in Slavonia, I went there, at that time, I still served in the 17th brigade, in the 1st batallion. And Hanzl [one of the Czech officers] walked across the yard [of the house] where we were staying. I was ogling them and I realised that they were speaking Czech. And I went, there was mud in the yard, and [I asked]: ‘Where are you going? ‘For provisions,’ they said. ‘And who are you?’ ‘I’m Vostřel.‘ ‘Ah, you’re a Czech.’ They reported it to the division and brigade headquarters and an order was issued that all the commanders are to send everyone [Czech] to the Czech unit. I liked it in the 17th brigade. I was, as they say, dása – that’s not a sort of a commander but I was the head speaker, almost.’

  • ‚A doctor walked out, had a look and said – typhoid. I lay on a sort of …., for several days, I don’t know for how long. “And where were you treated, why did not they send you to a hospital?’ “No treatment, back then, they did not treat typhoid. You just are not allowed to eat anyhting. I have no clue how long my sickness lasted. Because there was an ofensive going on. The Germans were in the neighbouring hamlet, and I was woken by one comrade from Virovitica who recognissed me. He said, Mirko, the Germans are coming. I had no slippers. I see – everyone has already left the hospital. The doctor said that we do not need to leave, that they won’t hurt us, that the prisoners of war have to be under protection. Meantime, you would not believe, when they heard that the Germans would come, they all ran away from the hospital, only those who were not able to run away were those who stayed. And I almost stayed there as well.”

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    Záhřeb, 20.11.2019

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    Záhřeb, 20.11.2019

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A Croatian Czech fought the Germans in the Yugoslav resistance. They did not get him even when he was sick with typhoid

A photograph taken during the WWII, likely in the Croatian Slavonia, shows a group of men from the 1st independent Czechoslovak brigade 'Jan Žižka of Trocnov' which fought side by side with the Tito's resistance army
A photograph taken during the WWII, likely in the Croatian Slavonia, shows a group of men from the 1st independent Czechoslovak brigade 'Jan Žižka of Trocnov' which fought side by side with the Tito's resistance army
photo: Vojenský historický ústav

Miroslav Vostřel was born on the 9th of February in 1921 in Kupinec, a village about 25 kilometres away from Zagreb, Croatia. His ancestors were from around Budislav in Eas Bohemia and they came to Croatia to seek cheaper land, as did many other Czechs at that time. They were capable farmers but despite the fact, they were troubled by debts, which is why they moved to a farm in Čemelice, not far from Virovitica. Miroslav expected that he would continue farming, as was the tradition of his family but the war was looming and it changed his fate considerably. In April 1941, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was invaded by the armies of the Axis, namely of Germany, Italy and Bulgaria. The Daruvar Czechs found themselves under the rule of the fascist and nationalist régime of the so-calles Ustashe who started a mass persecution of Serbs and Jews. The Czechs became an unwelcome group as well. In Yugoslavia, a Communist-leaning resistance movement soon formed under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito. Miroslav Vostřel joined them at the very beginning. At first, he helped with printing pamphlets but the Ustashe police soon found out and towards the end of 1942, they intended to arrest him. He escaped and went into hiding in the woods where he joined the resistance. At first, he fought with the 17th brigade where he served as a political advisor’s (comissar) aide, later, he joined the Czechoslovak batallion and then the brigade of Jan Žižka of Trocnov. As a chief personnel officer, he was in charge of drafts froom the Czech villages. After the unit was disssolved in 1945, he became chief personnel officer of a division in the Yugoslav army. At this position, he learneda bout the events in Bleiburg in Austria which happened around the 15th of May in 1945; there, the resistance killed tens of Ustashe refugees who wanted to surrender to the Western armies.After the end of the war, he continued his service in the Yugoslav army. His younger brother foiught in the resistance during the WWII as well, after the war, he became a diplomat. In 2019, Miroslav Vostřel lived in Zagreb.