oddíl Železo

Did resistance have a name? In the case of Nučice and Rudná during World War II, it was oddíl Železo. This resistance group, also known as Vojenská skupina Železo, became a symbol of defiance against the Nazi occupation. Right here in this region, oddíl Železo played a crucial role in the fight for freedom. Initially a small intelligence-gathering unit under the leadership of Lieutenant František Noha, oddíl Železo began by collecting information around Nučice and Dušníky. This information proved vital to the resistance efforts. As the war progressed, their focus shifted to Prague and the inner workings of the Protectorate. The members of oddíl Železo bravely distributed underground publications. These included “V boj,” “Předvoj,” and “Rudé právo,” which helped keep the spirit of resistance alive. František Noha also maintained connections with the larger resistance organization, Obrana národa. This strengthened their network. In the spring of 1945, oddíl Železo transformed from an intelligence unit into a military force. They began preparing for the Prague Uprising. The group expanded to encompass the Nučice and Dušníky area. Individual villages formed their own companies under the Železo banner. These companies, numbered Železo 1 through Železo 9, covered a wide area. They stretched from Nučice to Vysoký Újezd. By the start of the Prague Uprising, oddíl Železo boasted 229 men. This number swelled to nearly 900 during the uprising itself. On May 5th, 1945, at 5:30 am, the first act of defiance occurred. Oddíl Železo disarmed a small Wehrmacht garrison at the Nučice school. Their first armed encounter took place near Hořelice, where they disarmed a German vehicle. One German officer lost his life in this skirmish. The villages under the Železo companies saw patrols and disarmament operations. Small groups of German soldiers were disarmed, often without resistance. More than 280 men from oddíl Železo bravely fought their way into Prague. They participated in battles at Motol, Smíchov, and the Old Town. Other members patrolled the area between Vyšehrad, Podolí, and Pankrác. Sixteen members of oddíl Železo made the ultimate sacrifice during the uprising. Their bravery was honored posthumously with the Czechoslovak War Cross 1939. Another sixteen members were wounded in the fight. In the aftermath of the uprising, oddíl Železo continued to serve. Over 300 members secured railway lines in the northwest border region and Broumovsko. They successfully secured hundreds of kilometers of track and dozens of railway stations. Today, a memorial stands in Nučice on Karlovarská Street. It commemorates the bravery and sacrifice of oddíl Železo. Created in 1975 by Czech sculptor Arnošt Paderlík, the memorial stands as a testament to their fight for freedom. Oddíl Železo’s story reminds us that resistance takes many forms. Their courage helped pave the way for a free Czechoslovakia.