Czechoslovak legions; heavy artillery; gendarmerie; law enforcement; Silesia; Moravská Ostrava; Český Těšín

Dlouhá a dramatická legionářská anabáze přivedla Antonína Simpera, původním povoláním učitele, až do řad československého četnictva. Dvě desetiletí pak coby velitel četnických oddělení hájil postupně právo a bezpečnost v Českém Těšíně, Uherském Hradišti a Moravské Ostravě. Za německé okupace se aktivně zapojil do domácího odboje a po osvobození i do budování Sboru národní bezpečnosti. Tak jako mnoho dalších byl ale za svou věrnou službu nakonec komunistickým režimem ponížen, perzekvován a odsouzen k zapomnění.

Antonín Simper (1895-1960) was one of the few Czechoslovak legionary officers, who decided to join the ranks of the Gendarmerie after their return to the newly independent country. Born into a poor family on the outskirts of the industrial city of Vítkovice, Simper studied to become a teacher, finishing only at the outbreak of the First World War. He was then conscripted and saw limited action before being captured by Russians in July 1916. He volunteered for the Czechoslovak army in 1917 but failed to enlist. Instead, he spent some time in Turkestan, fighting together with the White Guards against the Bolsheviks. Simper finally joined the Czechoslovak legion in August 1918 and was later commissioned a second lieutenant of artillery in the 2nd Rifle Division. After his return home in 1920, he chose to join the Gendarmerie. Simper served with distinction in Silesia and northern Moravia, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. His successful career, spanning more than 20 years, was interrupted by the Nazis and untimely ended by the Communists. Facing injustice and being labeled a class enemy by the new regime, he died forgotten in 1960. This article attempts to retell his uncommon life story and clear his name.