Page 23 of A Call to Home (Women of the Resistance #3)

Cairo

August 1943

‘London wants an outline of our current thinking with regard to the relative reliability of the Chetniks and the Partisans,’ Davidson said.

Leo thumbed through her record of recent communications. ‘It’s pretty clear from Deakin’s signals that the Chets in Bosnia are collaborating with the Germans. I’ve got a message dated twenty-ninth of July that states they are guarding the Doboj–Tuzla railway for the Germans, and also that a considerable force attacked the Partisans with the assistance of a battalion of Germans. Then on the twelfth he says they have captured the Staff of the Chetnik Zeneca Brigade and with them documents showing their collaboration with the Germans, and he has attached translations.’ She looked up. ‘I must say, those documents are pretty damning.’

‘Anything else?’ Davidson enquired.

‘He says the Partisans are very angry about reports on the BBC crediting Partisan victories to the Chetniks. I had a long message a few days back complaining about a report that troops of Chetniks had succeeded in crossing into Istria, when in fact it was a detachment of Partisans. He wants us to get the BBC to correct it.’

‘I’ll pass that on,’ Davidson said. ‘It’s important that their reporting is accurate. I can see why it would rub Tito up the wrong way. The powers that be want us to reinforce our connection with him and to that end I’m putting together a new mission to be dropped to Deakin.’

‘Who are we sending?’ Leo asked.

‘Army Intelligence want someone to replace Stuart, so they are sending us an RAF type.’ He consulted a paper on his desk. ‘Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Syers. And we are also sending in a medic, Major Ian Mckenzie of the Army Medical Corps.’

‘Oh, that’s good news!’ Leo exclaimed with feeling. Her nightmares and her waking dreams were haunted by the idea that Alix might be lying sick or injured somewhere, without proper medical attention.

‘There is also some thought of sending in a very senior officer, a brigadier probably, to prove our commitment to Tito and his people. And now the Yanks want to get in on the act. They are proposing to send in some guy from their Office of Strategic Services.’

‘Well, I suppose that’s good, too,’ Leo said. ‘The more the merrier. But you were asking about the Chetniks. There is another side to the picture. It seems, according to Bill Hudson, that Mihailovic is finally prepared to act against the Axis.’

‘Oh?’

‘At the end of last month they mounted an attack on a Bulgarian garrison and inflicted a large number of casualties.’

‘Well, it’s about time,’ Davidson grunted.

‘Didn’t you say there were rumours of the Americans getting involved there, too?’

‘So I hear. No definite intelligence at the moment.’

‘Well, that’s about all we can tell London at the moment,’ Leo said.

‘Okay. Keep me informed. It’s critical that I have the most up-to-date intelligence.’

‘Will do.’

Leo returned to her own office, thinking over those last words. It suggested that there was something afoot that she was not being told about. The mystery was solved two days later when she was called into Davidson’s office and found him with a triumphant gleam in his eyes.

‘I’ve made it!’ he announced. ‘They are sending me in.’

‘Into Yugoslavia?’

‘Where else?’

Leo took a moment to digest the news. She had been aware from the start that Basil Davidson’s real desire was to be on active service instead of stuck behind a desk. She was glad for him from one point of view, but this meant that someone else with whom she had worked and had grown to like was about to be sent into danger. What were the chances of them all surviving?

‘Whereabouts?’ she asked.

‘I’m going to be dropped to Deakin for a start, along with the three chaps I mentioned the other day. But I’m not staying there. My mission is to get to the Danube and see what damage can be done there.’

Leo understood what he meant. The Danube was a vital supply line for the Germans, bringing coal from Romania to fuel factories and trains in the homeland. This would not be the first time it was targeted by the Allies.

‘I remember back in the days when we were working up to the coup in Belgrade, Alexander Glen was talking about the value of blocking the river. I think they made one or two attempts, but it never amounted to a serious threat.’

‘Well, this time it’s going to be different,’ Davidson said, and there was no hiding the excitement in his eyes.

‘So who is taking over from you?’ Leo asked.

‘Well, Brigadier Keble is in overall charge, of course, but you will report to James Klugmann.’

‘Oh, right.’ Leo sighed inwardly. She did not dislike Klugmann but she always felt that conversation with him was like being lectured on the finer points of communist doctrine. He had done a good job with the Canadian Yugoslavs, she had to admit that, but she knew she would miss Basil Davidson’s easy-going manner and mischievous sense of humour. Keble was another matter entirely – a big, brusque man who marched in and out of the office, sweating profusely and usually wearing nothing but a vest above his uniform trousers. She knew he was an effective organiser but his bull-headed approach attracted controversy and she found him hard to like.

The next day or two were given over to final briefings for the four men who were going to be dropped and as usual Leo went with them to the airfield at Dera.

‘You remember my daughter is with Tito?’ she said as they waited for the plane to be ready.

‘Of course,’ Davidson responded.

‘Give her my love.’

‘I will. And if I have a chance I’ll get a message back to you to let you know she’s okay.’

‘Yes, please do that if you possibly can,’ she said.

The young New Zealander, who was their pilot, called out. ‘Okay chaps. Ready to get on board.’

Davidson gave her a hasty, unexpected kiss on the cheek and followed the others to the plane.

‘Good luck!’ she called after them.