SOS… SOS… One hundred fifty members of American crew have been waiting for rescue… There are many sick and wounded… Call back… SOS… SOS
While I’ve read numerous fiction and non-fiction book set in the traditional European landscape of World War II (England, Germany, France) I have only recently begun broadening my horizons to the other parts of the world affected by the second World War. The Forgotten 500 focuses on Yugoslavia, specifically the town of Pranjane where hundreds of downed airmen congregated under the safety of the Yugoslavian townspeople.
American forces stationed in Italy were constantly bombing oil fields in Ploesti, however Germany occupied Yugoslavia and hundred of planes were shot down over the countryside. General Mihailovich and his supporters gave shelter to the mostly American airman despite the Allied forces, mistakenly believing him to be a Nazi supporter, were giving him no aid in return. George Vujnovich, the child of Yugoslavian immigrants, was an OSS officer who received intel from his wife (who worked for the Yugoslavian Embassy) about all the men stranded in Yugoslavia. After over a hundred and fifty men had made it to Pranjane they were finally able to radio word to OSS to verify that they were who they said they were and that Mihailovich was in fact someone the Allies could trust.
There were a lot of frustrating politics involved, particularly that a Communist spy who had earned the trust of high ranking Brits had poisoned the Allies against Mihailovich, but it’s ultimately an uplifting story. The makeshift airstrip the first airmen built on the Yugoslavian mountainside served as the pick up point for hundreds more men over several months.
It’s amazing what you learn when the government declassifies documents…
