Village near Whitchurch to get memorial stone in memory of two famous WWII soldiers
A stone is to be installed in a village in memory of two soldiers who trained in Shropshire during World War II.
It will be placed at the Church of St John the Baptist in Ightfield, near Whitchurch, in commemoration of Jan Kubis and Jozef Gabcik.
While training in Shropshire, the pair spent time in the village, befriending the local Ellison family.
Campaigner Sally Jowitt said: "We have been campaigning for some time now for a memorial for the two soldiers who, during the Second World War, spent time in the village of Ightfield.
"The two soldiers were later flown back into Czechoslovakia where they were instrumental in the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich.
"Operation Anthropoid was planned by the Special Operations Executive along with the Czech government-in-exile.
"The story has recently been made into the film Anthropoid. One of our members, John Martin, was a special advisor in the making of the film. He has also written a book on the subject and gives tours in Prague and talks on the subject here in the UK.
"After many months of campaigning and fundraising, and many setbacks, we have now been given permission for the placing of a memorial stone at the Church of St John the Baptist in Ightfield. The stone will be placed at the foot of the Ellison family headstone."
A full church service and unveiling of the stone will take place on July 23 at 2pm.
"There will be family members, ambassadors in attendance. Everyone is welcome," Ms Jowitt added.
In Prague in May 1942, the soldiers ambushed the car of SS General Reinhard Heydrich, the brutal Nazi “protector” of their homeland of Czechoslovakia.
Heydrich died of his injuries, but the consequences of the successful mission were tragic, with thousands being murdered in reprisals. The assassination team and their associates were betrayed and all died.
