© FG Solutions 2019

    Site last updated 18/04/2019


 A Timeline of a Life

25 VII1918 Born Hall in Tyrol father postmaster lower Bohemia


1920 moved to Košce as father took up post as postmaster east Slovakia


1924 began school in Košice


1937 graduated in  Košice


1938 family moved to Brno when father took up position of postmaster of southern Moravia


1939 September Entered college of Agriculture and Forsestry Brno


17 XI1939 University closed by Germans


18 XII1939 Left Czechoslovakia via Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Greece,Turkey, Syria, Morocco, Algeria, France


4 II1940 arrived Agda


26 V1940 promoted to 2nd lieutenant


7 VII1940 Arrived England, Liverpool docks


All Czechoslovak soldiers gathered in tented camp at Cholmondeley Park in Cheshire England

Initially a total of 3,881 men arrived from the evacuation from France


26 VII 1940 Visit of President (in exile) Dr Edvard Beneš taking the salute at a parade of all soldiers


The camp was temporary and winter quarters were found in and around Royal Leamington Spa in Warwickshire central England


October 1940 posted to the Machine Gun Company


November/ December Czechoslovak Brigade consisting of 3,342 officers and men  moves to Warwickshire


14 XI 1940 Mr Anthony Eden UK Secretary of State for War visited the Machine Gun Company in Kineton


Czechoslovak Brigade in Leamington. Machine Gun Company in Kineton under Major Voves


27 I 1941 Dr Beneš and General Sikorski, Prime Minister and C in C of the Polish Republic, visited the Brigade. A ceremony was held near Kineton at which the Czechoslovak president decorated General Sikorski with the Czechoslovak War Cross.


15 II 1941 Madame Beneš opened a canteen provided by the YMCA for the Czechs in Leamington


19 IV 1941: Visit of the UK Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill, accompanied by Dr Beneš


July 1941 Western Command Junior Leaders School Stokesay Court, Onibury, Craven Arms, Shropshire


28 IX 1941 Festival of St Wenceslas. President Beneš and party visited the Brigade


October Selected for specialist training  and leaves the Czechoslovak Brigade for British Commando training in Wales


Winter 1941/42 Courses and Commando training in Scotland


Early1942         11th Commando Regiment of British Army .  


6 – 20 IV1942 Course no.5 Western Command Assault and battle School Llanberis


21 - 22 IV1942 British Army Commando raid on Boulogne as a platoon commander (30 men)

                         promoted to captain in British Army


23 IV – 4 VI1942 Then as instructor at school in the Rifle Wing followed by a further training course


5 VII1942 Completed  Assault and Battle School Llanberis course recommendation as a higher

                instructor


10 VII1942 Report by Colonel Lord Digby, Inspector Infantry Training Establishments


22 VIII -19 IX1942 SOE Course 9 Arisaig (STS25) billetted at Traigh House Scotland


31 X - 28 XI1942 SOE Course no.11 Arisaig (STS25) billeted at Traigh House.


Archive The group called Course 9 or 11 comprised Nos. 148 npor. Jan Stastny, 149 ppor. Frantisek Geisler, 150 npor. Frantisek Moravec, 151 npor Ignac Syrovatka, 152 npor. Zdenek Holik, 153 npor Jan Kuleta, 154 por Artur Fleischmann, 155 rtm Gabriel Jandl,   156 rtm Karel Vasicek, 157 cet. asp. Josef Zizka, 158 cet. Frantisek Novedal, 159 cet. Peter Haluska, 160 cet. asp. Bronislav Varadinek, 161 rtm Ladislav Kovan, 162 rtm Filip Stupal, 163 cet asp Klement Hlasensky, 164 cet. asp. Antonin Buchanek, 165 rtm Boh. Palla, 166rtm Hynek Hostynek, 167 des. Stefan Haviar.    Of these, Josef Zizka was parachuted in mission Barium and died 16/1/1945; Klement Hlasensky was recruited to mission Rothman which was cancelled at the end of war. The remainder returned to the Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade and took part in the siege of Dunkerque from Oct 1944 to May 1945. Some including František were apparently later seconded to the 2nd Parachute Brigade or the 1st Cs Armadni Sbor on the Eastern Front. This list was published in a book by Jindrich Marek called "Patou kartu bere smrt" but an incorrect numbering has been corrected by our correspondent.


Commanding officer Captain Millar; Instructors Lts Nicholson, Allen, Petrak


Late 1942/Early 1943 Ringway Manchester 84 jumps billeted at either Dunham Massey

                                   Altrincham or Fulshaw House – Wilmslow


Early 1943 Frinton – II Corps District Intelligence School Essex


Mid 1943 met Joyce in Dovercourt


May 1943 Joyce posted to Orkneys – visits to Thurso plus other places?


16 IX1943 Married Joyce


Operations inside Czechoslovakia


June 1943 Parade Windsor Castle


October 1943 promoted Lieutenant in Czech Army


November 1943 Parade in London


Archive document dated 29.1.1944.


The document specifies details of sending Czechoslovak officers from UK to USSR. The list includes names of all 159 officers, who are to be transported. Each name contains the future unit in USSR to which he will be assigned.


František Geisler was not assigned to 2nd Czechoslovak Parachute Brigade but to "Oddíl pro Zvlášní Úkoly" - "OZU". This unit was a special parachute company of marauders and agents, for various diversionary activities in Czechoslovakia. They made many airdrops of small groups (1-4 parachutists, later bigger 10-20 parachutists) to Czechoslovakia.


In early 1944 OZU unit was formed and they needed officers as commanders of groups in airdrops operations. František Geisler was very experienced in this so he was logically assigned to OZU first. He and other 18 Czechoslovak officers, from this 159 list (Antonin Renčin too). But handling matters with the Soviet Union was very complicated and these officers were transported to USSR very late - in August. OZU unit during this time had finished training and during summer and autumn 1944 they made tens of combat airdrops.


So František Geisler came too late and he and other 18 officers could not be assigned to the OZU. However the 2nd Czechoslovak Parachute Brigade needed officers to so they were assigned to this unit.


The movement was as follows:-


15 VII1944 Chalkwell to London to Grenoch


18 VII1944 Convoy sailed from Grenoch via Gibralta, port Said, Damascus, Basra, Baku, Cernocice then to the front


Tuesday 12 IX1944 on the front lines – Krosno to Sanok rail line.


Tuesday and Wednesday 12 -13 IX1944 battle for Zarszyn. Fierce fighting across minefields. Returned multiple times to rescue his injured men carrying them to safety on his back. Award for bravery noted.


Thursday 14 IX1944 pulled back from the front to Bazanówka north of Dułgie after regrouping.


Friday and Saturday 15 – 16 IX1944 the battle for Besko.


Sunday 17 IX1944 rested in the vicarage in Besko.


In the early hours of  Monday18 IX1944 advanced from Besko to Pastwiska. 0925 Killed in a field by heavy German machine gun fire and the body moved to lie by a wooden farm house.


27 IX1944 Buried in Pastwiska by his friends Dr Jan Flax and Captain Vrzala



FRANTIŠEK JOSEF GEISLER


The Last Journey

Battle Maps