Czechoslovak military units on Eastern front
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The 1st Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion, which was formed in Buzuluk, in the Urals, was the first allied unit fighting alongside the Red Army in Soviet territory. Later it was reinforced to brigade strength, largely by Rusyn prisoners released from the gulags, and by the time that the Soviet offensive entered Czechoslovakia it had formed the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps.
It first saw action at the Battle of Sokolovo in March 1943, in which it performed well and was commended by Soviet High Command. The 1st Czechoslovak Independent Brigade (as it had by then become) played a key role in the liberation of Kiev (November 1943), and its troops were some of the first to reach the center of the Ukrainian capital city. In the autumn of 1944, 13,000 members of 1st Czechoslovak army corps participated in the Battle of Dukla Pass, and after fierce fighting they finally set foot on their native soil once more.
After the war, Soviet general Konev said: "we noted a remarkable exhibition of high valor in Czechoslovak soldiers. We were pleased with the fact that the Czechoslovak soldiers were included in military struggle against the German fascists as they boldly attacked enemy troops."
