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We have now reached the sixth part in our serialized reading of “If I had been a boy, I would have been shot…”, the memoirs of Jaroslava Skleničková. Veronika Hyks has been reading the story of Jaroslava’s childhood in Lidice, brought to a violent end in June 1942, when the Nazis decide to wipe away any trace of the village. Jaroslava – or Jaří – is the youngest of the women of Lidice to be sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, and she is there with her mother and sister, Míla. Nobody dares to think about what might have happened to the men

The wartime president of occupied Bohemia and Moravia, Emil Hácha, is one of the saddest figures of Czech twentieth century history. An elderly academic, he only agreed reluctantly to become head of state after Edvard Benes resigned over the Munich Agreement in 1938. He made the tragic mistake of remaining in office when Hitler marched into the country six months later. Hácha’s hopes of preserving at least some of his country’s independence were gradually worn down, and as his health failed, he eventually became nothing but a puppet of the

The scene is Prague. It is just before midday on St Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1945. An air-raid siren begins to wail. In previous weeks, Czechs have got used to the sirens, as Allied bombers have launched raid after raid on German cities, but so far the German-occupied Czech capital has been spared. This time it is different. Not long after the sirens stop a fleet of American Flying Fortresses appears in the skies. 152 tons of bombs are dropped on the densely populated centre of the city. The result is 701 people killed and over a thousand

In Czech Books we hear the fifth part of Jaroslava Skleničková’s moving memoirs, “If I had been a boy, I would have been shot…”, read by the Czech-British actress, Veronika Hyks. After the assassination of the Nazi Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia, the “Butcher of Prague”, Reinhard Heydrich, the Czech village of Lidice was chosen for complete destruction on the night from 9-10 June 1942. Jaroslava – or Jaří – was among 184 women from the village sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. David Vaughan gives us the story so far.

Though 92 years of age, Jaromíra Kostlánová is still working as a tour guide, introducing the sights of Prague to visitors from around the world. If that were not remarkable enough, the good-humoured nonagenarian is also one of the oldest students in the Czech Republic.

Some figures are cast as heroes and others as villains. Emanuel Moravec - the face, voice and main force behind Czech collaboration with the occupying Nazis during WWII - unmistakeably belongs to the latter category. For his actions he became dubbed ‛the Czech Quisling’ – a reference the more famous Norwegian collaborator. In this week’s Czechs in History, Chris Johnstone explores Moravec’s complex character and path to collaboration.

We continue with the fourth episode of “If I had been a boy, I would have been shot…” by Jaroslava Skleničková, in which she tells the extraordinary story of her life following the destruction of her home village of Lidice at the height of the Nazi occupation in June 1942. David Vaughan gives us the story so far.

When Nazi Germany occupied Bohemia and Moravia in March 1939, many Czech and Slovak professional soldiers and airmen decided to escape from the country, rather than hand over arms to the Germans. Six months later war broke out and many of them joined the French armed forces. When France was occupied, they escaped to Britain. This was how the Royal Air Force’s 310 and 312 Czechoslovak Fighter Squadrons came to be set up in July and August 1940, and they went on to play an important role in the Battle of Britain. They were also joined by the 311 Bomber

Veronika Hyks continues her serialized reading of “If I had been a boy, I would have been shot…” by Jaroslava Skleničková, a power and true story of survival in wartime. David Vaughan introduces the third episode.

In Czech Books this week we hear the second episode in our serialization of Jaroslava Skleničková’s moving autobiography, “If I had been a boy, I would have been shot…” We continue with Jaroslava’s account of the dramatic events that led to the destruction of her home village of Lidice. Extracts are read by Veronika Hyks and introduced by David Vaughan.