Josef Kučera (1916–1952)
Josef Kučera was born at Cerhovice (Beroun District, Central Bohemian Region) on January 15, 1916. His father was a farmer and butcher (he died as early as 1936), and his mother was the daughter of a baker. As of the age of 14, Kučera was brought up by his aunt who owned a wholesale business and could thus pay for his studies, first at a higher school of economy, later at the School for Reserve Officers (during his compulsory military service), and as of 1937 at the Military Academy at Hranice. When his service time ended, he commenced active service at the 28th Infantry Regiment where he stayed until the dissolution and liquidation of the Czechoslovak Army in 1939. He was then transferred to a civilian job and became an official of the City of Plzeň. It was at that time when he met his later friend and future co-defendant Václav Ženíšek. As of March 1941, when he retired at his own request, he made his living as a stoker of the Czechoslovak State Railway Company in Plzeň.
In May 1945, Josef Kučera was recalled to active military service. At the beginning of May 1945 he served at the assistance regiment in Plzeň, to be soon posted to a guard unit that was first deployed at Stříbro and later at Františkovy Lázně. In August 1945 he was sent to the military garrison at Aš, and in September to the unit at Kralovice. In February 1946 he was posted to the 18th Infantry Regiment in Plzeň where he became deputy artillery commander and as of 1947, in the rank of Captain, assistant to Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Valenta.
Kučera’s political orientation was definitely far from the Communist Party at that time. In September 1947 he joined the National Socialist Party and was its rank-and-file member until February 1948. After the communist takeover, in order to be able to continue service in the Czechoslovak Army, he applied for membership of the Communist Party, but he was turned down because of his social origin and cadre profile - his aunt’s business was nationalized. In January 1949 he was allocated to the 1st department of the staff of the 11th Division Headquarters headed by Major Sedláček. In October 1949 he was promoted to the rank of Staff Captain, but this was when dark clouds began to gather over him and other non-communist officers at the 11th Division..
In late night hours of December 2, 1950, he was arrested in his flat in Plzeň in the framework of Action Irena, and accused of subversive activity. He was alleged to be a prominent member of one of the illegal military groups in the Plzeň region. Also included in this group were four other high army officers: Tomáš Sedláček, Josef Černohorský, Bohuslav Tyr and Jaromír Nový. After many months of investigation, the State Court in Prague passed its final judgement on June 23, 1952: Josef Kučera was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of high treason and espionage. However, State Prosecutor JUDr. Jaroslav Dlouhý considered this punishment to be too mild and appealed against it on the spot. The appellate procedure took place at the Supreme Court in Prague on September 5, 1952. After less than three hours the court came to the conclusion that the capital punishment was appropriate. Staff Captain Josef Kučera was executed at Prague’s Pankrác Prison on November 14, 1952. Ladislav Svoboda and Václav Ženíšek, allegedly members of another group “disclosed” in the framework of Action Irena, were executed one day earlier. Josef Kučera left behind him a widow, a two-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son.