Royal Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)

Czechoslovak Memorial Fountain

Photographed by Ray Gurganus, May 22, 2026

1. Czechoslovak Memorial Fountain Marker

Inscription. Czechoslovak veterans erected this memorial as a tribute to all their fellow countrymen, soldiers, airmen and patriots, who during the Second World War sacrificed their lives in the fight against Nazism.

The Czechoslovak Free Army came to Leamington Spa in 1940 after evacuation from France where they fought valiantly for the Allies. Between 1940-1942 the headquarters of the Czechoslovak Brigade in Great Britain was located at Harrington House in Newbold Terrace (where the Royal Spa Centre now stands).

This memorial commemorates the bravery of seven parachutists, originally based in Leamington Spa.

Their names are: Adolf Opálka, Jan Kubiš, Josef Gabcík, Josef Bublík, Jan Hubrý, Jaroslav Švarc and Josef Valcík. They died together on 18 June 1942 in the Orthodox Church of St Cyril and Methodius, Prague, resisting hundreds of SS soldiers.

On 27 May 1942, Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik fatally wounded the hated SS General Reinhard Heydrich, who had carried out brutal policies in the captured Czech lands.

Many citizens had been killed or sent to concentration camps where large numbers had died. After the war, Heydrich

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was discovered to have been one of the main architects of the Final Solution. The assassination was the only one in Europe of such a high ranking Nazi official.

The memorial also commemorates those heroic Czechoslovak citizens and local resistance fighters who paid the ultimate price, especially those who supported the parachutists. In ruthless reprisals, following Heydrich's assassination, the villages of Lidice and Lezaky were razed.

The memorial was unveiled in 1968 on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Czechoslovakia.

Erected by Warwick District Council.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1942.

Location. 52° 17.286′ N, 1° 31.887′ W. Marker is in Royal Leamington Spa, England, in Warwickshire. It can be reached from Newbold Terrace. The fountain and memorial are located in Jephson Gardens. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3-24 Newbold Terrace, Royal Leamington Spa, England CV32 4HF, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands.

Globally, it is on the Atlantic

Czechoslovak Memorial Fountain image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ray Gurganus, May 22, 2026

2. Czechoslovak Memorial Fountain

Ocean,

in the North Atlantic Region,

in Europe,

in Atlantic Europe,

on one of the British Isles,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 14 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Jephson Memorial (a few steps from this marker); The Lights of Leamington (within shouting distance of this marker); Warwick 1100 Years (approx. 3.9 kilometers away); William Bawden's Coventry, 1919 (approx. 12.6 kilometers away); Angela Brazil (approx. 13.1 kilometers away); The Quadrant (approx. 13.1 kilometers away); Dresden Place (approx. 13.2 kilometers away); Christchurch Spire (approx. 13.2 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Royal Leamington Spa.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 24, 2026, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 24, 2026, by Ray Gurganus of Washington, District of Columbia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.