Funeral of Wirral war veteran Major Ervin Hoida who was 105

Major Ervin Hoida, described by his grandson as 'an amazing man', was awarded the Czech Medal of Merit and the Military Cross for brave actions at the siege of the German garrison at Dunkerque.

He lived in Irby Wirral in his later years and is said to have became successful in the furniture business locally.

His funeral service took place at Landican Cemetery yesterday (Friday March 15).

A Guard of Honour was provided by 20 soldiers from Chester-based 2nd Battalion the Royal Yorkshire Regiment (2 Yorks) and 18 from Garrison Command Prague.

The Last Post was performed by Warrant Officer Class 2 Richard Howe of 4th Battalion the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (4 Lancs) and followed by a three-round gun salute.

The funeral service for Major Ervin Hoida took place at Landican Cemetery yesterday (Friday March 15) (Image: Craig Manning / Newsquest)Paying tribute to Mr Hoida was grandson Sam Hoida, who had travelled from Bournemouth for the ceremony. He told the Globe: "My grandad was an amazing man, who lived an amazing life up until a very ripe age.

"He was strong throughout and will be greatly missed.

"He had a very eventful early life during the war and later settled in the UK.

"If it wasn't for him, and people like him, we wouldn't be living the life we live today."

Ervin was born in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia on November 30, 1918.

After leaving school, he worked at the Schnitzer furniture factory in Ostrava. He left to study woodworking at the college in Valaske Mezirici, and after graduating in 1937 became assistant works manager at the Schnitzer factory in Krnov In 1938 his father Ferdinand, hearing stories of the treatment of Jews in Germany, started to make arrangements to emigrate.

Representatives who laid wreaths at the funeral service for Major Ervin Hoida, which took place at Landican Cemetery yesterday (Friday March 15) (Image: Craig Manning / Newsquest)

The only country which would issue them visas was the Dominican Republic, so they packed their belongings in 21 chests and arranged for them to be sent on to London as the first part of the journey.

Before they could leave, the German Army occupied Ostrava. Ferdinand was able to get student passes for his three sons and the two older brothers’ wives to go for a two-month vacation in Italy.

He was able to do this as the local Chief of Police was his friend. The plan was that they should leave Italy at the end of the two months and get to London via France to await the arrival of their parents.

The brothers left Italy separately, Ervin was the first to leave and eventually got to France by boat under cover of darkness. He lost touch with brothers and parents.

The funeral service for Major Ervin Hoida, which took place at Landican Cemetery yesterday (Friday March 15) (Image: Craig Manning / Newsquest)

Ervin was amongst the first Czech volunteers to join the 1st Czechoslovak Army Division in Agde, southern France, he was number 635.

This Division was sent to the northern front and was assigned to rear guard action during the retreat to the evacuation port at Sete. From here Ervin was transported to Liverpool in England, where he joined the Czech Independent Armoured Brigade.

The brigade was assigned to the siege of the German garrison at Dunkerque, and it was here that Ervin was awarded the Czech Medal of Merit and the Military Cross for brave actions.

After the Czech Brigade had entered Prague, Ervin returned to Ostrava and was joined by his wife, whom he had married in England. He was unable to get work.

His wife returned to England and Ervin followed later when able to escape the communist regime.

Part of the Guard of Honour at funeral for Major Ervin Hoida at Landican on Friday (March 15) (Image: Craig Manning / Newsquest)He moved to Wirral but even late in his life, Ervín was still an active member of the Czech Legion in England, and a Major in the Czech Army Reserve.

After the passing of his wife, he remarried and moved to Spain but later returned to Wirral.

🇨🇿 Czech Second World War veteran Major Ervin Hoida, who died on 15 February 2024 at the age of 105, was laid to rest yesterday in Wirral (UK) where he settled after the war. Born on 30 November 1918 in Ostrava, he fled the the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939 and saw… pic.twitter.com/1Ed683mc8a

— Vanguard WWII by Cadet - bringing history to life! (@Vanguard_WW2) March 16, 2024

Attending the service at Landican were Her Excellency Marie Chatardova, Czech Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and Brigadier General Vratislav Beran, from the Defence Attaché Office in London; Brigadier General Ales Knizek (Commander of the Military History Institute), Major General Radek Hasala and Colonel Radek Šíba, commander of the Garrison Prague), Brigadier Andrew Maskell (UK representative) and Colonel Robert Speychal (Director War Veterans Department).

Mourners who turned out for funeral for Major Ervin Hoida at Landican on Friday (March 15) (Image: Craig Manning / Newsquest)

Lieutenant Colonel Ed Fraser, who commands The 4th Battalion - Duke of Lancaster's Regiment in the Northwest of England, told the Globe: "Mr Hoida packed a lot more into his teens and 20s than any of us could have done in an entire lifetime.

"What stands out for me is the courage he showed in leaving Czechoslovakia, enlisting in the French Foreign Legion and then winding up in the Free Czechoslovak forces and fighting both during the fall of France and the liberation of Normandy all the way back to the Czech border.

"That courage and commitment resonates very strongly with modern soldiers.

"It is also important and appropriate that, as the last Czech Second World War veteran living in the UK, we remember the friendship between us and the Czech people at this time and to consider the fact that we continue to operate very closely with Czechia now as NATO partners."