Hora, Karel Jan

Date of birth:: December 2nd, 1908 (Yokohama, Japan)
Date of death:: October 8th, 1989 (Ajaccio/Corsica, France)
Nationality:: Czechoslovakian

Biography

alias Charles Hora, Charles Horn

Karel Hora had a Czech father and a Japanese mother. After a childhood in Yokohama, Shanghai, the US, Ecuador, and following the German occupation of the Czech Republic, he joined the French Foreign Legion in Marseille in 1940. He fought in France in June 1940 and was captured but escaped to Vichy France and joined the resistance. When the Germans also occupied Vichy, he fled via Spain to England. He then served in North Africa and was trained as a paratrooper and secret agent there and was parachuted into occupied France several times. He ended the Second World War with the rank of Major.

After the war he graduated from the Military Academy in the Czech Republic but fled the country in 1948 after the Prague Coup and re-enlisted in the Foreign Legion with which he served in Indochina, Korea and Algeria.

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Silver Star Medal (SSM)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)

Department of the Army, General Orders No. 4 (January 21, 1948)

"The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain Karel Hora, Czechoslovakian Army, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving with a French Commando from 6 to 13 April 1945. The Commando, assigned to an American unit, penetrated the enemy lines, ascertained the disposition of the German forces, captured many prisoners, and returned with important information. Captain Hora then acted as guide for the American unit in its attack on this sector. His heroic services were of great assistance to the NINTH United States Army."

Military Cross (MC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Lieutenant (1st Lieutenant)

Citation:
"Lt. HORN was parachuted in August, 1944, to the Department of the CANTAL.. He was to become unde rthe orders of an inter-allied mission, as an officer to coordinate the maquis and as an instructor. At the time of his arrival the battle between the F.F.I. and the German garrison of AURILLAC was at its heigat. Lieut. HORN was immediately despatched to take over command of a specially equipped and chosen F.F.I. patrol of 30 men. The small unit, under Lieut. HORN's command, fought continuously for three days and nights, infiltrating boldly into enemy positions at night, and pinning down German movement by day.

In the middle of August, 1944, he was partly responsible for the surrencer of 300 Germans at the MUR de BARRES, by his intensive night patrolling.

In the latter part of August, he took part in the fight against the German garrison of St. FLOUR. It was largely due to his thorough preparation of road demolitions and blowing of bridges on 24th August that a large force of the F.F.I. in contact with the German garrison of St. FLOUR was saved from annihilation at the hands of a strong German relieving Force cominf from CLERMONT FERRAND. These demolitions ordered by the inter-allied mission were so wel executed by Lieut. HORN that the enemy rellieving colomn arrived on the scene of the fighting four hours later.

In September in the forrest of MARGENAT, Lieut. HORN agai played a leading part in disrupting enemy columns and on one occasion rallied under heavy fire a demoralised F.F.I. company which had been assigned a key defensive position. In all these operations Lieut. HORN was constandly under fire. An ex-member of the Legion Etrangers, Lieut. HORN lost part of his right hand in the Battle of France in 1940.

It is recommended that Lieut. HORN be awarded the Military Cross."

Recommended by
Colin Gubbins
Major-General
21.5.45