Otakar Jaroš
| Otakar Jaroš | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
1 August 1912 Louny, Bohemia |
| Died | 8 March 1943 (aged 30) Sokolovo, Ukraine |
| Years of service | 1937–39 and 1942–43 |
| Rank | Lieutenant (1937–39; Czechoslovak Army); First Lieutenant (1942–43; First Czechoslovak independent field battalion); Captain (posthumous) |
| Commands held | Commander of signal platoon in Prešov (1937–39), Commander of the First Company, First Czechoslovak independent field battalion (1942–43) |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Sokolovo |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
Otakar Jaroš (Czech pronunciation: [ˈotakar ˈjaroʃ]; 1 August 1912 – 8 March 1943) was a Czech officer in the Czechoslovak forces in the Soviet Union. He was killed in the Battle of Sokolovo and became the first member of a foreign army decorated with the highest Soviet decoration, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Otakar Jaroš was born in Louny, Bohemia (Austria-Hungary, today the Czech Republic) into the family of a Czech railway engineer. When he was nine months old, his father was transferred to Mělník and the family followed him. Jaroš spent his childhood in Mělník and joined the Sokol and Scout organisations. These two organisations formed his physical skills and later fighting spirit.
Following Czech independence in 1918, Jaroš studied in grammar school, but he left and attended high school in electrotechnics. After graduation, he was drafted and served his basic military service in the 3rd Signals Brigade in Trnava. He attended the non-commissioned officers school for a year and finished as a corporal. Jaroš went on to attend the school for reserve officers in Turnov. Following the advice of his uncle, Colonel František Konopásek, Jaroš entered the military academy in Hranice. On 29 August 1937 he was appointed to the rank of sub-lieutenant. He served as the commander of a signals platoon in Prešov for a year.
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