The hunt and exposure
16–17 June 1942
Čurda’s denunciation led the Gestapo to supporting households. Only subsequent arrests and violent interrogations revealed the church refuge.
Karel Čurda, a member of the separate OUT DISTANCE team, reported to the Gestapo at Petschek Palace on 16 June. He supplied helpers’ names and addresses, but did not know the seven parachutists’ shared hiding place.
The Gestapo struck the support network. During the Moravec arrests, Marie took her own life, while Alois and Vlastimil were detained. After brutal torture, Vlastimil disclosed information about the Orthodox church. His testimony must be understood as the result of violence, not voluntary collaboration.
Denunciation, arrests and torture gradually destroyed the protection the households had provided. The sources do not reduce Čurda’s personal motives to one explanation. They do document the consequences of his testimony and the ensuing investigation.
Places
- Petschek Palace — bank, Gestapo headquarters and memorial
Gestapo headquarters and Čurda’s testimony.
- The Moravec apartment — the principal Prague base
Arrests and subsequent interrogations of family members.
The trail led to Resslova Street, where a shared refuge had gradually formed since late May.