František Josef Geisler 1918 – 1944
František Josef Geisler was born on the 25/7/1918 in Hall in Tyrol. His father held the position of Postmaster for Lower Bohemia part of the Austro-
In September 1939 František entered the College of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno but on the 17/11/1939 the University was closed by Germans. A month later after many discussions with friends he left Czechoslovakia with others travelling via Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Greece,Turkey, Syria, Morocco, Algeria to France. Arriving on 4/2/1940 in Agda where he joined the many other Czechoslovak young men to train with the Free French Army. But with the fall of France the force evacuated to Liverpool and onwards to Cholmondeley Park near Manchester in England.
After officer training František was on the 26/5/1940 promoted to 2nd lieutenant in the Free Czechoslovak Army and sent to the Czechoslovak Brigade in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England where his military training continued. When in the winter 1941/42 the Czech Brigade moved to Yeovil he began his commando training on such courses as 6/4/1942 to 20/4/1942 Course no.5 Western Command Assault and battle School Llanberis, North Wales. In Scotland at Castle Commando outside Fort William followed by the Western Command Junior Leaders School Stokesay Court, Onibury, Craven Arms Shropshire where he was accepted into the British Army on 23/4/1942. Then as instructor at school in the Rifle Wing to 4/6/1942 then further training course on 5/7/1942. He completed the Assault and Battle School Llanberis course with the recommendation as a higher instructor in a report on 10/7/1942 by Colonel Lord Digby, Inspector Infantry Training Establishments.
There followed action in France with the 11th Commando Regiment at Boulogne with a clandestine assault as platoon commander in the rank of a British Army Captain. It was then decided that František be trained for special operations inside Czechoslovakia and to this end he went on two SOE training courses at Arisaig in north-
The parachute course completed he was posted to Frinton – II Corps District Intelligence School where he was prepared for missions in occupied Czechoslovakia. Little is known as to what transpired though it is likely operations/operational support took place as it was in mid 1943 that František was back in Frinton and met an English girl ten miles away in Dovercourt. On the 16/09/1943 František married Joyce Locke and a month later he was promoted to lieutenant (Free Czechoslovak Army).
There followed further operations over the winter of 1943/1944 until in May 1944 when all clandestine operations ceased in preparation for the invasion of Europe. He was stood down and effectively his war was over but on hearing of the formation of the 2nd Czechoslovak Parachute Brigade assembling to go to the Russian Front František volunteered for this unit in order to take part in the invasion from the east to free his Homeland. And so on the 15/7/1944 he went by train with other officers from the Brigade to Grenoch where they boarded ships sailing in convoy on the 18/7/1944 from Grenoch via Gibraltar, Port Said, then by land and sea to Damascus, Basra, Baku, Cernocice and onwards to the front which at that time was on the border with Poland.
Exactly two months later on the 18/9/1944 František Geisler was killed whilst rescuing his injured soldiers on the battlefield in the village of Pastwiska, Poland 15 kilometres from his Homeland.
Decorations
Československý válečná kříž 1939, udělený posmrtně 17. 3. 1947
Československá vojenská medaile Za zásluhy I. stupeň, udělená posmrtně 17. 3. 1947
Pamětní medaile Za věrnost a brannost Slovenska v r. 1918-
Pamětní odznak Za účast v národním boji za osvobození Československa v r. 1939+1945, udělena posmrtně 1948
Zlatá hvězda, Řád za svobodu udělená prezidentem ČSR (1949)
Dukelská pamětní medaile (1959)
References
BŘEČKA, J. Silver B neodpovídá. Brno : Spolek přátel čs. opevnění, 2004. ISBN 80–86463-
HARRISON, D.M. Para-
MAREK, J. Pátou kartu bere smrt. Českoslovenští parašutisté v britských battle-
RODÁK, J. Pozabudnuti hrdinovia, vojnové a povojnové príbehy. [s.l.] : ADIN, 2012. 136 s. ISBN 978-
Archiv Vojenského Muzea Svidník
http://encyklopedie.brna.cz/home-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastwiska,_Podkarpackie_Voivodeship
http://www.pomnikparasutistum.cz/jmenny-
http://www.pastwiska.com/interest.html
http://www.praguepost.com/archivescontent/16807-