Operation Anthropoid was not the only Czechoslovak parachute mission sent from Britain during World War II. On the night of 28–29 December 1941, three specially trained groups – Anthropoid, Silver A and Silver B – were parachuted into the Nazi-occupied Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Each had a different mission, but all shared the same goal: to support the resistance against Nazi occupation.

Operation Silver A consisted of three men: Alfréd Bartoš, Josef Valčík and Jiří Potůček. Their mission was to re-establish secret radio communication between the Czechoslovak government-in-exile in London and the domestic resistance. Operating primarily in the Pardubice region, the group established an extensive underground network and successfully transmitted intelligence to London using the radio transmitter known as Libuše.

Alfréd Bartoš led the resistance network from Pardubice, while radio operator Jiří Potůček transmitted messages from several secret locations, including the Hluboká quarry near the small settlement of Ležáky. Josef Valčík also became involved in supporting Operation Anthropoid in Prague and was among the seven Czechoslovak paratroopers who made their final stand at the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius on 18 June 1942.

Following the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazi authorities launched a brutal campaign of reprisals and investigations. The Silver A resistance network was eventually exposed. On 21 June 1942, Alfréd Bartoš was cornered by the Gestapo in Pardubice and fatally shot himself rather than surrender. Three days later, on 24 June 1942, Nazi forces destroyed Ležáky in retaliation for its connection to the resistance and Radio Libuše. The adults were executed, and 13 children were deported. Only two girls survived the war.

Jiří Potůček continued his desperate attempts to evade capture after the destruction of the network. On 2 July 1942, he was shot dead by a Czech gendarme near Pardubice, becoming the last member of Silver A to die.

Our private Operation Silver A Tour takes you beyond Prague to discover the extraordinary history of the Pardubice resistance. Explore the historic centre of Pardubice, visit important locations connected with Alfréd Bartoš and his underground network, and continue to the peaceful Ležáky Memorial, where the foundations of the destroyed settlement and its museum preserve the memory of those who sacrificed their lives.

Discover more about the people, secret operations and extraordinary courage behind Operation Silver A and the Pardubice Resistance.

To understand the tragic fate of the settlement and its inhabitants, read our detailed historical article about the Ležáky Massacre of 24 June 1942.