Ján Prna-partisan in Odesa

[nickstrenk]

 I decided to create a new topic about one of many Czechoslovak antifascists.In my collectors practice I met with many complects of awards and documents of Czech and Slovak citizens who fought against Nazi Germany in WW II.

Ján Prna /1922-1999/ as a soldier of Slovak Army was sent to the Soviet Union to fight against the Red Army.In summer 1943 as a sapper he was sent to build the fortifications near Odesa against the Red Army,but 28.11.1943  he changed over from the Slovak Army to partisans in Odesa.In Odesian catacombs he stayed to April 1944,until the Red Army freed Odesa a Ján Prna became the member of Czechoslovak Coprs in the USSR.Then he took part in liberation of Chechoslovakia ,near Liptovský Mikuláš he was wounded a the end of WW II he met in hospital.

 Look at his Soviet awards-documents.I also add the certificates of his Czechoslovak awards.

The article in Slovak anfascist magazine written by me and the Jubilee Order of PW -1st grade.

The booklet to medal For Military Merit.

...and some documents to his Czechoslovak awards.

Commemorative Medal of Dukla Battle and Medal of Czechoslovak Army Abroad

[Egorka]

Thank you, Nick, for the topic!!!

I allow myself to quote my grand-dad's memoirs here. He lived in occupied Odessa from 1941 to April 1944. Here is the quote about New Years eve 1944: 

"In the meantime the front line approached closer and closer to Odessa. I celebrated the New Year [1944] with the Golen family [the family of my grandfather’s girlfriend]. There was a modest dinner. The old ones went to sleep in the small room. Me and Olga sat on the big couch chatting and imagining what the New Year might bring, recalling the past. From behind the wall, in the neighbour’s apartment, we could hear voices. They were of older lads working in the city. Apart from their voices we could distinctly hear voices of Czechoslovaks from the Czech division in the German’s service. They had recently arrived in Odessa and there was a rumour that many of their soldiers and officers had deserted to the Red Army. The Germans did not trust them anymore and kept them away from the front line. It was apparent that the young company had gathered to celebrate New Year 1944. A gramophone played and there was more and more noise coming from behind the wall after the first wine glasses had been raised. At midnight there were rifle shots and the sky was light by signal flares. We could hear in the neighbouring apartment a toast being raised for victory and for peace. Then they sang the song about the cruiser “Varyag”: “All on deck, comrades, all on deck, This is our last decisive battle…” And I understood that those Czechs and our guys are all good lads, our people."

More og my GD's memoirs are translated here: http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62666

[BalkanCollector]

Amazing set!

[nickstrenk]

11 hours ago, Egorka said:

Thank you, Nick, for the topic!!!

I allow myself to quote my grand-dad's memoirs here. He lived in occupied Odessa from 1941 to April 1944. Here is the quote about New Years eve 1944: 

"In the meantime the front line approached closer and closer to Odessa. I celebrated the New Year [1944] with the Golen family [the family of my grandfather’s girlfriend]. There was a modest dinner. The old ones went to sleep in the small room. Me and Olga sat on the big couch chatting and imagining what the New Year might bring, recalling the past. From behind the wall, in the neighbour’s apartment, we could hear voices. They were of older lads working in the city. Apart from their voices we could distinctly hear voices of Czechoslovaks from the Czech division in the German’s service. They had recently arrived in Odessa and there was a rumour that many of their soldiers and officers had deserted to the Red Army. The Germans did not trust them anymore and kept them away from the front line. It was apparent that the young company had gathered to celebrate New Year 1944. A gramophone played and there was more and more noise coming from behind the wall after the first wine glasses had been raised. At midnight there were rifle shots and the sky was light by signal flares. We could hear in the neighbouring apartment a toast being raised for victory and for peace. Then they sang the song about the cruiser “Varyag”: “All on deck, comrades, all on deck, This is our last decisive battle…” And I understood that those Czechs and our guys are all good lads, our people."

More og my GD's memoirs are translated here: http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62666

Igor,a small correction.Of course,your grand-dad could not expect the soldiers were not Czech but Slovak ones.The Czech did not fihgt against the Red Army.3 Slovak divisions were sent to the USSR to fight agaist the bolsheviks as the Slovak President Jozef Tiso told.

I also have some photos of the partisans from Odesa-Soviet citizen Ján Prnas friends.I hope I will add them .

[nickstrenk]

11 hours ago, BalkanCollector said:

Amazing set!

I am glad the topic was interesting for you.

This amazing set was broken.5-6?years ago I changed the Medal for Defence of Odesa with the certificate and the 3 Jubilee Medals for foreigners with certificates ,the Valour Medal for Slovak soldier with the certificate into the Czechoslovak Order of Žižka  1st Grade.

The Jubilee Order -Otečka of the 1st Grade I sold for 200euro.Since then I have not found it for me.I have met about 10 Otečkas of the 2nd Grade for foreigners with the certificates,but no one of the 1st Grade.It is the same with the Jubilee Medal for 30 years  of  Victory,simply I have met only 2 of them without certificates since.

You know the awards of the Slovak partisans in Odesa is not easy to get .About 30-50 of them were fighting in the catacombs,but many them were killed after joinig to the Czechoslovak Corps in the USSR or in Dukla Battle or during the liberation of Czechoslovakia.

[Egorka]

2 hours ago, nickstrenk said:

Igor,a small correction.Of course,your grand-dad could not expect the soldiers were not Czech but Slovak ones.The Czech did not fihgt against the Red Army.3 Slovak divisions were sent to the USSR to fight agaist the bolsheviks as the Slovak President Jozef Tiso told.

I also have some photos of the partisans from Odesa-Soviet citizen Ján Prnas friends.I hope I will add them .

Sure, Nick. I just quoted directly from the text. Very interesting topic. Interesting to see these rare awards.

[Paul R]

What an amazing document set.  He's a real veteran.  I bet his stories were unforgettable. Do you have any other such items to these partisans?