Marie Ljalková

Marie Ljalková
Born	(1920-12-03)December 3, 1920 Horodenka, Poland
Died	November 7, 2011(2011-11-07) (aged 90) Brno, Czech Republic
Allegiance	Soviet Union Czechoslovakia
Years of service	1942–1953
Rank	Colonel
Unit	First Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion
Battles / wars	World War II Battle of Sokolovo Lower Dnieper Offensive Battle of the Dukla Pass
Awards	Order of the Red Star Czechoslovakian War Cross Order of the White Lion

Marie Ljalková-Lastovecká (3 December 1920 – 7 November 2011) was a Czechoslovak sniper and member of the Czechoslovak Army in exile fighting alongside Soviet Army during World War II. Ljalková (born Petrušáková) was born in Horodenka, Poland (today in Ukraine) to a family of Volhynian Czechs. She lost her parents at the age of 12 and then lived with her aunt in Stanisławów (today Ivano-Frankivs'k, Ukraine). She met her first husband, Michal Ljalko, there.

World War II

After the German attack on the Soviet Union, Ljalková joined the First Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion as a volunteer in March 1942, aged 21, and graduated from a three-month sniper school in Buzuluk.

Her first combat experience came during the three-day Battle of Sokolovo (March 8–11, 1943) when she was credited with killing seven German soldiers, earning her immediate ace status. She later became a sniper instructor of the Czechoslovak and Soviet infantry, and was at some point an ambulance driver.

Awards

She was credited with at least 30 confirmed kills during the war. This number is not exact according to Ljalková's own words, because the real numbers are not known. She was awarded the Soviet Order of the Red Star and the Czechoslovak War Cross.

Post World War II

After the war, she studied medicine and worked as a military doctor in Olomouc and at the Central Military Hospital in Prague. She later moved to Brno hospital where she met her second husband, Václav Lastovecký. She eventually attained the rank of colonel, but due to health problems she left the army and started to work as a tourist guide for Russian speaking tourists. She spent the rest of her life in Brno.

On October 28, 2010 she received the Order of the White Lion, Second Class, Czech second highest military honour.

References

• Láník, Jaroslav - Vojenské osobnosti československého odboje 1939-1945 (2005) ISBN 80-7278-233-9
• Benešová, Hana - Máme snajperku!, Reflex.cz (2009)
• Jičínská, Vendula - Zdravotnice vzala pušku a šla do první linie, Brněnský deník (2008)
• hrad.cz - Prezident udělil státní vyznamenání, hrad.cz (2010)