SNP80: Plaque Unveiled to US and UK Special Ops Who Joined SNP

Banska Bystrica, September 5 (TASR) - A commemorative plaque dedicated to the memory of members of US and UK special ops who fought in 1944 in the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) was unveiled on the facade of the National House in Banska Bystrica on Thursday. "In cooperation with the American and British embassies in Slovakia, we installed a commemorative plaque on the very National House, in which representatives of British and American intelligence services operated during the SNP. In June, I had the honour of meeting also with a son of one of the fallen British officers in our city. We concurred with James Sehmer that it's important particularly in this difficult societal situation to commemorate important anniversaries and events, and keep their legacy alive for future generations," claimed Banska Bystrica mayor Jan Nosko. American and British soldiers who came to Slovakia in 1944 as part of several intelligence missions joined the SNP. They were later captured in the hills near the village of Polomka and executed in a concentration camp in Austria. Up until now, these events were commemorated only by a single memorial in Polomka. The British operations Windproof and Amsterdam as well as US mission Dawes played an instrumental role in the provision of intel as well as material support to Slovak insurgents. These proved invaluable for the Uprising and contributed to the liberation of the region from Nazi occupiers. mf/mcs