Bohumil Benák

“I was a kid at the Vaculíks (during a trip in 1947 near Lovosice – editor´s note) and then, when I was with my brother-in-law, we improved contacts with the family again and visited them there. So we agreed with Milan to come here. There was a wedding here at our neighbours and there was already so much tension in Bohemia with the Russian tanks, and we didn’t even think they´d come here. We were coming from the town and met a Czech car. I waited on there here at the gate and there were mine… They had a Czech flag with black ribbon on their car. So we understood everything.“ Interviewer: “And did they return back home then?” – „Yes, they did. Some of our hotels were accommodating those people for free, before the tension decreased. They were coming back, but some of them went to Austria or Italy and not Bohemia.” Interviewer: “What did you think was actually happening here? Did it bother you at all?” – “It did a lot as we knew it got better here and worsened at yours. I mattered for sure – why would a nation be dependant at another so much, so helpless and obedient, we talk about the Russians. Why could the Czechs not have their own government without any other country interests? It bothered us a lot. Independent Czechoslovakia means a lot to us.”

Interviewer: “Let me come back to your father. That is interesting, as he was a Czech citizen, so he was ordered to come back to Bohemia before WW2… Was he alone or more were coming from the neighbourhood?” – “He was amongst the first ones from Zagreb consulate. He got (money –editor´s note) to travel to Bohemia. It was in the Unity (to join the Czechoslovak army – editor´s note). Few Czechs got back to Bohemia as even Yugoslavia was more with Hitler, and were not letting people go anymore; and another thing – they didn’t make it there, as the Sudeten borderland was already taken, so there was no need to go. So he was amongst the first one who got there. But he could not come back via Austria, not even Hungary, so he chose Ruthenia and Rumania, which took longer.“ Interviewer: “When he returned, was he disappointed not to be able to fight?” – “He was disappointed that the Germans were taking over the Czech lands. Very disappointed indeed. That is why he never liked them.” Interviewer: “So that was quite a dangerous situation to join the partisans. Were you not afraid?” – “We were afraid altogether. But here in Lipovec were all Czechs, so we didn’t fear anyone would leak any information on anyone. We definitely didn’t fear that. But it was a little tense.” Interviewer: “If anyone would have leaked it, what would have happened?” – “He´d be locked up in Jasanovec or similar and executed. It was very dangerous, but eventually all worked out all right.”