Josef Gonic (1902–1949)
Josef Gonic was born at Kyjov (Hodonín District, South Moravian Region) on March 4, 1902 into a family of a tradesman. After finishing elementary school he went to study secondary school in Hodonín where he passed his GCE. In 1921 he commenced compulsory military service, and he was enrolled at the Military Academy at Hranice at the same time. He finished his studies there in 1923 with a good record, and left the academy with the rank of Infantry Lieutenant. From 1924 to 1934 he served as a Squad Commander at the 39th Infantry Regiment at Milovice. He attended a number of military training courses, and in 1934 commenced studies at Military University and graduated in 1936. He reached the rank of Staff Captain and became an officer of the General Staff.
During the German occupation he was chief commissioner at the Ministry of Social and Health Care in Prague from July 1, 1939 to May 31, 1943, and then worked as an official in the labour exchange wage policy department in Pardubice. At that time he joined the resistance movement for which he performed intelligence-related tasks. During the Prague Uprising in May 1945 he became the chief of staff of the Prague-Centre section at the insurgent forces headquarters. His military and resistance activity was appraised by a number of honorary mentions, and he also received the Czechoslovak Medal for Bravery before the Enemy.
As of the summer of 1945, Josef Gonic began to work at the Ministry of National Defence Army Headquarters. He was promoted to the rank of Major in 1946 and became Lieutenant Colonel a year later. He left the National Socialist Party in the same year, without joining any other political party. He was married and had one child.
In March 1949, he was arrested by State Security and accused of involvement in the preparation of a military coup (Action Norbert). According to the judgement, his task was to ensure control over the Ministry of National Defence and the Army Headquarters. The State Court in Prague sentenced him to death in a fabricated trial in June 1949, on charges of high treason. Even though the Supreme Court recommended the Ministry of Justice to award pardon in this case and change the punishment to life imprisonment, this never happened. Josef Gonic was executed at Prague’s Pankrác Prison on July 18, 1949, together with Miloslav Jebavý, Bohuslav Hubálek, Vilém Sok and Karel Sabela. His daughter was 18 years old at the time of his execution and had just passed her GCE.