Page 25 of A Call to Home (Women of the Resistance #3)
Jajce, Bosnia
September 1943
Alix fell in love with the city of Jajce at first sight. It was built on a hill shaped, it was said, like an egg, which was how the place got its name; jaje being Bosnian for egg. The top of the hill was crowned by the ancient fortress and the old town around it, with its steep cobbled streets, was encircled by walls and buttresses. Below it, two rivers, the Vrbas and the Pliva met in a spectacular waterfall.
At the first opportunity she sought out Lola Ribar to ask about the history of the place. He was about her own age and in the absence of Milovan Djilas, who had disappeared again on some mysterious quest, she found him the most approachable of Tito’s Staff.
‘This was the capital of Bosnia for a long time,’ he told her. ‘It fell to the Turks in the early sixteenth century and when the Turks were finally driven out sometime in the 1880s it became part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. So I suppose all those people have left their mark on the place.’
‘It’s beautiful,’ Alix said. ‘Like something out of a fairy tale.’
‘I agree,’ he said. ‘And it’s good to think it is going to resume its place as the centre of a free Bosnia.’
‘Is that what Tito intends?’ she asked.
‘Yes. We are going to establish a Free Republic here, just as we did in Uzice and then in Bihac. And this one is going to last. We won’t let the Germans or the Chetniks or the Ustashe drive us out of here.’
Tito had set up his base in the ruins of an underground Bogomil church close to the fortress and the rest of the Supreme Council moved into empty houses nearby. The army set up camp in the fields around and patrols were established to secure the Vrbas valley against any incursions. The relatively peaceful interlude they had enjoyed in Petrovo Polje was over and German bombers were already attacking the town, while clashes with Ustashe and Chetnik troops in the surrounding area kept several Partisan divisions busy.
In the general confusion of the move Alix lost sight of Steve and was not sure where the British mission had found accommodation. Once Tito had settled in and no longer needed her she wandered out to stand on the battlements watching the sunset and that was where Steve found her.
‘I didn’t know where you were,’ she said. ‘Have you found somewhere to live?’
‘Yes. We’ve taken over a house down there on the other side of the river,’ he told her.
‘That’s not very close,’ she objected. ‘Why haven’t you moved into the town?’
‘There didn’t seem to be any empty houses there. And you know how it is, Deakin likes to maintain a certain distance. I think he wants it to be clear that he’s not in any way part of Tito’s establishment. That he’s completely independent.’
‘I suppose I can understand that,’ she said, ‘but it isn’t going to make it easy for us to see each other.’
‘We’ll find a way.’ He put his arms round her and for a moment she snuggled against him.
‘What’s your accommodation like?’ he asked.
‘I’m in an old house close to the castle. I’ve actually got a room of my own. It’s the first time I’ve had that for a very long time.’
‘Lucky you! We’re very cramped in our place. Four of us have to sleep in one room and there’s no furniture. Deakin’s sharing with Doc McKenzie, Captain Benson and Walter, and they’ve only got one bed between them. He says they are going to play cards to decide who gets to sleep in it. Still, it’s good to have a roof over our heads. And it looks as though we shan’t be short of food. I walked up through the town and there are shops selling all manner of stuff and I’m told there’s a market where we can get eggs, meat and fresh vegetables.’
‘It feels almost like normal life, doesn’t it?’ she said. ‘Long may it last!’
It was almost dark and they reluctantly had to say goodnight.
‘No more settling down in our special spot under the alders,’ he murmured regretfully.
‘No, I’m afraid not,’ she agreed. ‘But I expect we’ll think of something.’
‘We must,’ he said, adding with a sigh, ‘I wonder how long it will be before we can be together properly.’
‘Who knows?’ she answered. ‘But I must go now. Goodnight.’
They exchanged a long kiss and then she turned away and headed back into the fortress. She had been given a tiny attic room at the top of the house Nikola had taken over. There was a narrow bed with a sagging mattress, but the sheets were clean and after so long sleeping on the hard ground it felt like luxury to her. There was also a washstand with an enamel basin and ewer. She carried the ewer down to the basement kitchen where Marco, Nikola’s new batman, had a fire going in the range and had set a big pan of water on it to heat. She filled her ewer and took it upstairs and for the first time in months enjoyed the luxury of washing in warm water. Tomorrow, she promised herself, she would go into the town and try to buy some soap.
Settling to sleep she remembered the house in Bihac where Dragomir’s room was close to her own and felt a sharp pang of sadness. She still missed him badly, but since Steve’s arrival she had thought of him less frequently and for a moment she felt guilty. She told herself that the two relationships were so different that it was pointless to compare them, but she could not hide from herself the knowledge that if Drago was still with her he would have found it hard to accept her love for Steve. Fate had spared her the conflicting loyalties that would have entailed.
Over the next days, Tito and his Staff began to put into practice the plans they had drawn up in Petrovo Polje for the new free republic. As in Uzice, different departments were set up to manage the affairs of the state and members of the Staff were appointed to oversee them. Jajce was a thriving town, so it required little intervention to make sure that state of affairs continued, but the social services Tito had established in Uzice had to be set up, including a hospital and a communal kitchen for the poor or unemployed. The administration had to be extended to the surrounding area and lines of communication had to be established and protected. As before, the edict went out that all forms of worship, all sects and cultures, were free to express themselves as they pleased.
Military dispositions had to be made as well, and the First Proletarian Brigade was despatched to the nearby town of Bugojno further down the valley of the River Vrbas to set up their headquarters there. Although the valley itself was well protected among the wooded mountains it had to be remembered that they were only fifty kilometres from Travnik, where there was a strong German garrison.
Alix and Steve met only briefly in these busy days. Tito kept Alix hard at work and Steve told her that he was similarly occupied helping with the volume of radio traffic they now had to deal with, particularly in connection with the arrival of the promised brigadier. The regular bombing and the frequent over flights by reconnaissance aircraft meant that there was nowhere he could be dropped safely near to Jajce so a suitable field was located near Bugojno. On the morning of September 8th, Deakin came up to the castle to inform Tito that the name of the brigadier was Maclean and his arrival would be preceded by a supply drop, but that there was as yet no set date for either.
Tito had his own radio communications equipment but he refused to have any direct contact with the British, preferring to rely on Russian intelligence; but he did make a habit of listening in to the BBC. Alix always tried to be nearby when it was time for a news broadcast. On the evening of September 8th the radio set was switched on as usual and through the hiss of interference they heard the newsreader say, ‘It has been announced by General Eisenhower that Italy has signed an unconditional armistice with the Allies.’
Tito leapt to his feet. ‘At last! This changes the whole course of the war. It is a wonderful opportunity for us. The Italians have bases on the Adriatic coast, at Split and other places. If they are laying down their arms all their tanks and artillery will be there for the taking, for whoever gets there first. We must make sure it is us.’ He turned to an orderly. ‘Call the Staff to meet here at once.’
The man saluted and went out, meeting Captain Deakin in the doorway.
‘Have you heard the news?’ Tito asked.
‘I have indeed,’ the British captain replied. ‘That’s why I am here.’
‘So what next?’ Tito’s initial excitement had been replaced by calculation. ‘Will the Allies land here?’
‘I have no way of knowing,’ Deakin said. ‘But I have received a signal from my headquarters that I need to discuss with you.’
‘Very well.’ Tito indicated a chair and reseated himself behind his desk.
Deakin sat and Alix saw that rather than sharing the triumph he looked uneasy. ‘I have been given the following orders. As head of the British mission, I am to negotiate an armistice with the commanders of the nearest Italian division and oversee their disarming.’
Tito sat upright with a jolt and stared at him in disbelief. ‘You are to do this? You? And what are you supposed to do with these arms? These will belong to us. This is our country and we have fought for it. Any armament left by the Italians is ours by right. You are proposing to hand them over to the Allies? This is a joke, yes?’
Deakin straightened in his chair. ‘I’m sorry. Those are my orders.’
Tito was known for his explosive temperament, so Alix was not surprised by the outburst that followed. He got to his feet. ‘And how, may I ask, do you propose to get yourself across many miles of enemy-occupied territory without being captured? And if you get there, how are you, with your half dozen associates, going to persuade the Italian general to hand over all his weapons? You do not have the men or the armament to do that. Those weapons belong by right to us.’
Deakin shrugged helplessly. ‘I do not dispute that, General. I am afraid that my superiors still do not fully grasp the situation here. I have struggled to convey to them that you have at your command a powerful and fully functioning army, valuable allies in the fight against the Nazis. I have tried to make it clear that I am here in the capacity of an observer only, that I do not have command of any forces, let alone ones capable of carrying out their instructions.’ He shook his head despondently. ‘It seems I have failed.’
Tito sat down, somewhat mollified. ‘I will tell you what is going to happen. We shall go to Split. My men will take the surrender of the Italians and take possession of any weapons they find.’
‘I have neither the means nor the desire to prevent you,’ Deakin said. ‘I have just one request. May I go with them as an observer? I will take a radio operator with me. Then London will hear immediately that you are in control. It will be good propaganda.’
Tito rubbed his chin. ‘I have no objection to that.’
The members of the Supreme Council began to assemble; Alexander Rankovic, Arso Jovanovic, Lola Ribar, Vladimir Dedijer and Djilas, who had reappeared the day before brandishing a German bayonet that he had taken from a patrol they had ambushed on the way back. Tito told them the news, which elicited cheers, and outlined his plan.
‘Koca Popovic can take the First Proletarian Brigade from Bugojno. He will accept the surrender of the Italian general and organise the shipment of weapons and equipment back here.’
‘If I may make a point,’ Deakin put in. ‘It is certain that the Germans will wish to forestall any such action. They already have troops further north along the Adriatic. By my reckoning it would take them two day’s march to reach Split.’
Tito looked at Rankovic. ‘How many days from Bugojno?’
‘Hard to do it in less than four,’ Rankovic said.
‘It must be done in two,’ Tito said. ‘I have every confidence in Koca.’
When the details of the plan had been finalised the members of the Staff, except for Lola Ribar, who was Tito’s closest confidant, returned to their lodgings but Deakin remained at Tito’s insistence. Tito paced the room, his shoulders hunched moodily.
‘I knew I was a fool to trust you British. How long ago was this armistice signed? Were you given prior warning?’
Deakin looked stunned. ‘No. I only received that signal today, at the same time as the capitulation of Italy was made public.’
‘But who is to say that the message was not conveyed earlier to Mihailovic, to give him time to get to the Italian weapons first?’
‘I have no contact, as you know, with the British mission to Mihailovic,’ Deakin said, ‘but I have no reason to suppose they were given any more warning than us.’
‘No?’ Tito raised his eyebrows. ‘I believe your people are still backing him. They want to see him in charge here, in preparation for restoring the king.’
Deakin lifted his shoulders helplessly. ‘All I can do is report faithfully what I have seen here, that you and your army are the only people in the position to take over when the time comes. I cannot be responsible for what goes on in government circles in London.’
Tito looked at him for a moment, then his face softened. ‘Understood. Very well. I do not hold you responsible.’
Deakin got to his feet and said goodnight. When he had gone Tito turned to Lola. ‘I don’t like the smell of this. If the British decide to invade Yugoslavia it may be necessary to make a temporary arrangement with the Germans to repel them. Do we still have contact with Hans Ott?’
‘The German engineer we took prisoner last year? Yes.’
‘Make sure we keep our lines of communication open. We may need him to get a message through to the Boches.’
Alix had listened to all this, sitting quietly in a corner. Her unobtrusive presence in Tito’s office was so much a matter of routine that she was easily ignored when important matters were being discussed. Tito’s last remark horrified her, but she had tried to protest once and she knew if she tried again in Tito’s present mood she would be dismissed from his presence – and worse still, he might decide that she was a part of the conspiracy to marginalise the Partisans in favour of the Royalists and to install King Peter.