He was born to a family of a gardener at the village of Topolany on Apr 23, 1909. Member of a local Sokol Sports Club from his early years. At first he attended an one-classroom Primary School at his native village. Having completed his eight year basic school attendance in the town of Olomouc Cyril served apprenticeship as a metal lathe operator while working for the A. Jelinek Co turning out plumbing. His Trade Certificate was issued to him by an Apprentice School of Engineering on Jan 3, 1927. From 1930 to late 1938 he made money by doing maintenance of railway track in the Region of Olomouc, at a Hejcin sugar refinery, building a subway at the Olomouc Main Railway Station and at the Wichterle&Kovarik Co in Prostejov turning out agriculture machines.
Cyril Sklenar was registered by the Forces on Mar 1, 1929 and conscripted seven months later as an Infantery man into an Inf Reg´ s Reserve Company at the Olomouc garrison. Assigned to No 6 Inf Reg as an assault expert. Released to the Reserves on Dec 24, 1929. Military trainings : four weeks in 1932, three weeks in 1934, twenty five days in 1936 and twice in 1938 - twenty and twenty three days respectively.
On June 6, 1939 he crossed the border on Poland and joined the Czechoslovak Foreign Army at the Cz Consulate in Potockiego St, Krakow. Having embarked the Chrobry liner at the port of Gdynia on June 28, 1939, he left for Bologne, France. By train to Marseille and the Foreign Legion Fort St. Jean. Cyril became No 84.355. On Aug 9 he departed for Oran in Northern Africa. Two days later he arrived at Sidi bell Abbes. Posted to Leida. Though France declared State of War on Germany on Sep 3, 1939, Cyril Sklenar was allowed to leave this garrison of the Foreign Legion on Sep 23. Via Oran and Marseille he came to the Agde Czechoslovak Foreign Army Depot in Southern France. Cyril Sklenar signed three days later. He became a member of No 2 Inf Reg formed on Nov 15, 1939.
Encircled by German trroops in June 1940 Cyril together with Jan Kubis they succeeded in escaping. Several running Czechoslovak men in arms pulled a cart with one of them manning his machne gun and shooting their way through. Cyril Sklenar retreated as far as the port of Sete in Southern France. Having embarked an Egyptian Rod al Farag SS ship on June 27 he sailed to Liverpool via Gibraltar. He arrived there on July 13, 1940. On Aug 17 he volunteered for the RAF VR as a mechanic at the Czechoslovak tented camp at Cholmondeley Park. On Sep 21 Cyril Sklenar launched his course at No 11 School of Technical Training /SoTT/ Hereford. Assignment of an armourer´s job there. No 12 SoTT at Melksham followed. Afterwards No 2 Ground Armament School at Manby. Having passed Cyril Sklenar was assigned to the Czechoslovak No 310 Fighter Sqn. He joined this unit on Feb 5, 1941.
Promoted to LAC on Mar 7, Cpl on July 12, 1941, Sgt on Jan 1, 1942 and F/Sgt Ret on Oct, 28, 1945. Three days later he left the Forces. Cyril´s mum was arrested on Sep 17, 1942 in the E 3000 Emigranten Campaign. She was interned in the Svatoborice Camp till Christmass 1942.
Awards : Cz Memory Medal with France GB Clasps - 1943, Cz Merits Medal 2nd Class - 1945 and Cz Medal for Valour - 1946
Cyril Sklenar came back to his native village of Topolany after the 1945 harvest, though his daughter Miroslava remembers his father´s mentioning he could have married in UK well. A purchase of a house on mortgage was offered to him in a neighbouring village of Hnevotin.
Cyril married Miss jirina Dostalova on May 3, 1947 and they started farming. Four children - Jan, Marie, Miroslava and Frank - were born to the family. Following the Comunists seized the power in the country on Feb 25, 1948 blame was put on Cyril by the State Police. He should have instigated a resident Mr Stan Dorazil to emigrate. Cyril Sklenar was often summoned to appear before the magistrates. Though he disliked the Communist regime he kept low profile. The amount of beef, pork eggs and corn to be supplied was increased by the authorities on purpose.
At the same time a barren field with lots of stones was alotted to the Sklenars after joining fields for a local Co-Operative Farm. His daughter remembers they had no meat for their meals at all. From time to time some locals gave their own eggs to the Sklenars to be their supply met.
Cyril and his wife toiled and toiled. He was the last farmer at the village of Hnevotin who still resisted the the Communist pressure to join a local Co-Op Farm. He would have gone behind bars for failing to meet the increasing supply. That reason for Cyril had to agree with deposessing his own livestock and eleven hectars of land and joining the Co-Op. That reason for he got heart attack. His name can be seen in the ´Cessation of the farmers in Olomouc Region´ Book. Revenge of the Communist regime was aimed at Cyril´s children too. His daughter Mary could not study at the Secondary School of Travelling Business and his son Frank a Military one.
After Occupation of the Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact´s Troops on Aug 21, 1968 Cyril´s daughter Mary was suprisingly granted a tourist visa to Vienna. Her father nodded to her intention to emigrate. Mary aplied on Austrian soil for permission to live in the US. In the 1990s Mary married Boseff - a resident to Westchester, Illinois - addressed Theodor J. Belanger the Wheatland Township County´s Accessor. A case - paying tribute to her father WWII Freedom Fighter. The Accessor asked Congressman Harrise W. Fawell to have the USA flag flied over the Capitol in Cyril´s honour. Done on Apr 23, 1998 at Cyril´s birthday anniversary. This flag was sent to Mrs Boseff as a token of friendship. It can be seen in one of rooms of Cyril Sklenar´ s house.
Following his heart attack Cyril was given a job of a gatekeeper by the Olomouc Holice Brewery. Sadly he could enjoy living as a retiree only for several months. By accident he was suffocated by carbon oxide from his faulty stove burning saw dust. Cyril Sklenar has never been rehabilitated.
Masterminded by Mrs Jane Purova - a Topolany Borough Commission´s Chairwoman - a Monument dedicated to Cyril Sklenar and three more local WWII Foreign Freedom Fighters was unveiled on Apr 6, 2017. It is situated at a tiny park near a local bus stop. A ceremony was followed by an exhibition of pictures of all three heroes. Those could be seen in a garage of a local Firefighter Voluntary Corps on four panels. These had been made both by the armourer´s son Frank and Hnevotin´s Mayor Mr Jaroslav Dvorak. More - the Notice Board Update - Nov 22, 2017. Cyril´s daughter Marie passed away half a year later.of her deadly disease.
R&R :
Frank Zivela armourer of Hurricane and Spits with soul of sportsman by Jiri Mikula, Vaclav Kolesa, Jaroslav Popelka - The Kolesa Publ 2004
Cessation of Farmers within the Olomouc Region by Jan Pridal - The Countryside´s Past Commisiion Publ
The below mentioned pictures :
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R to L : Cyril Sklenar, Jan Marsalek, Alois Klevar, Frantisek Miksik, ? After their Foreign Legion Escapade - Southern France
Cyril stands second from L - Armourer Course at Manby - on Jan 25, 1941
He stands fourth from L - No 310 Sqn Exeter summer 1942
With his parents and Frank Muzikant on Mar 3, 1946 - the latter bare headed
Inside the Cyril´s house
Garage of Topolany Voluntary Firefighters Corps on Apr 6, 2017
Assistance of Mr Frantisek Sklenar, Mr Jaroslav Dvorak and Mrs Jane Purova is much appreciated.