1954-07-17 — Page 7

Page

Before

EX-KING

leaving with him Government for Catro la 1043, King Peter and his new Primé Milster, Pourlich, saw An- thony Eden, who, unlike Mir Churchill, thought chat Mihailovitch, the anti-Tita leader, was "ait right."

W

HETHER Eden was ignorant of Churchill's plans, or disagreed

with them, or whether

he

was merely keeping Mihailo- vitch as a card in the game. I do not know.

Alexandru wanted very much to accompany UN to Cairo and did all she could to be able to go-including writing letters to Churchill. and Unele Bertie.

But she remained in Lon- don, where she saw a lot of one of her favourite aunts. Marina, Duchess of Kent. who had always been a good friend to us.

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JULY 17, 1954.

PETER'S LIFE STORY

CHOICE BETWEEN TITO AND MIHAILOVITCH

van

CHAPTER 10 OF THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

EX-KING

PETER OF

YUGOSLAVIA

to me to see that the label was where they had

It was something of a shock stealing another plane at Foggin, to leave most written in Serbian. During my of their equisite t behind. trip to the U.S., General Dono- From there these gallant mea

that such too had mentioned

Adriatic over the it was bard for Alexautra supplies were being prepared They were never heard of again. and i that we should be sepurat- for my country-and here they 1 was discouraged from making ed at this time AU

more plans by constant control pondence

Over 15 movements by my Jeep wheen

escort of British Military Police

We ve umud 14 England Churchill's own York.

WHIS

corts-

even

censored

the diplomatie We often entrusted letters friends travelling between Caro and That to get hel this.

to

Hot

continues

t..

*111* press their pont that I shouted change

Government and suport Tit

They

might

גנון

יוזייfזן

I took it in Moscow

JE

A few days before I dia- missed Pouritish there was large meeting of the British Press, ut which I spoke ex- plaining Miballovitch and lis problems, revealing sucli de- talls as how the amount of arms sent out to him was only

Buffielent to equip one

battalion,

I complained

bitterly about the attacks upon him that had alrendy been made by the British Press. Not one word of what I sald was allowed to bo printed.

to me to be

Subnaic seemed vory neutral and fair-minded. At that time he pretended to be completely sympathetic to Mihailovitch but put forwardi

the view that

It would be better for him to be treated with Thu 117 41 separate com- mander.

I gave the mandate for form- ing the Government to Subaste but he could find no followers.

dle

So appointed him as my entire Government on June 1, flying from Smiths Lawn. Windsor. I re- vently read that Philip,

Duke of Edinburgh, Wild the first person to Lave it since Duke of Windsor and it private airport.

used

The reception on the ground for followed, and loter of old friends came in, making about 150 people. All the champagne was

Priner Слить present Bernhard of the Netherlands.

thic We diverged from the usual

bis untli procedure. by Muying

hoc eft Alexandru

As can be seen, This is not changed, and we cut through a true. I wonder if Philip re- barrage L

wailing of reporters

reived the same complaints us outside

and drove plane in

down to

I used to, because of the terrific three- noim Axrot where we sp

my Harvard Cottage make,

Souths Lawn was also used the US Air Force haison by plunes. I got permission to take up a wide variety of their planes.

dew Cubs, a Dakota, and Mustang Aghter, Generals Ralph

and Louis Brereton came home to fea.

We all diced for money nud

ту

had wife

such beginner's luck that she left the Centrals completely broke.

te

Dewber 1943 a meeting March 1944

Alexandro and of Amerien, and

Princess

ANH. serat

Northolt Claridges Marina, Kent, came to see us and told us that she was sure we would

able to marry

within tea

her mel

ww

mother, #t *310*

wetal Duchess of

Cartell Hult, Molotov Tito hopefully them a telegram which sated

We

Bekmwledge neither

the Yugoslav Government hoped that they

For the berance for Ewo thagh King abrent, me

a halt

they have duys thre Venus put do and

supported the enemy collabora -

The

Druta Rema

troitor del thonist, shop which Mihailovitch,

even

Alexandra, and

ably pressure upon her

ilare!

the

Peiflex,

hule

British been converted into a fron- ship, with 30

members of my English and als 200

party.

Then

troops on board ATS.

WATA

We

were isolated the whole tkne

with explorations tut bad conditions prevented even rudi THOWS COURA through. Never- thele bulletins were 135ind by the army ateul Tito's successkes ariel Aghts

A

"We shall not allow them to Yugoslavu

because that would mean evil wa

The British general fatichert to Tito's H.Q.) has already m

On March 18 I lunched alone with Mr Churchill, who criels- ed the way in which Mihailo- vitet had refused to make cer- Forz attacks proposed by the The ish Mission

ITE

H

forine! Les that the British Government will not insist on us supporting

the Kang wart the Yugoslav Government in exile

The Russians did not put this message on the agenda

Eden had called His way to Moscow Pourite wisest

sker! him simply Whic your political Yugoslavia?"

at Cairo on

coarse

arms

conserve

it com-

That Mslimido- even suk

his viteli

conserving wwws forces to Bght the Partisans, In

Courthill showed This plete lack of appreciation of the

Indeed the and

only Fast Minilovitels, what view as regards wished to nvold unnecessary up civilians, heavy reprisals "A completely

free Yugo- ami tu

bis limited A.D C.. Colonel slavia," replied Eden. "and to

return him"-pointing

Churchill's sim was to Agit to the throne.

Huns on all sides, on all all costs. TA ccasions, and at Kuerilla warface means heartless entire villages and towns. Unlike Milhahlovitch, he had no exten- sive first-hand knowledge of the hazards gorilla warfare in u country occupied by a powerful and brutal enemy.

no brenk

The monokuny

Raklich,

ind

1.

ጀጊፈ ጋ ገ ", " tiial

W

started 11 the hal rentsheri

were

given bride and that if you ate it for three days it rendered you imputent for six months.

ton

Hut Exteri saich thut Mihallo- lich's "passive resistance" was beginning to look like collabora

with the enemy. Eden his voice during the course of our talk without neces- sity, and so did Pouritch

This was provided, we stated, to quell raised Any admiration one might feel for the ATS. on board.

A day after, most of the con- tingent did not eat bread with their melk. A few days later erald also be remarked that there were

British officers who were pot eating bread.

ship arrived

several

Before the dock my ADC and 1, still val- ing bread, confessed that

had inventech

The

Dry

but

nobod, would believe us,

In Calea I went with Pouri'ch

10 visit King Farouk. Farouk was dressed

it Air Forge unt-

form with a fez on his head.

On an afternoon some days. later Farouk came to visit me. I served him with strong and generously sugared Jeinonade, which I had been told was one of his weaknesses,

also encountered Field-

Marshal Montgomery. He was of the opinion that America could help us much more in Europe than she was doing. America was sending her forces to tho Montgomery thought Far Enst. that

they should Arst liberato Europe.

Montgoinery

Pourich told me that in Mos- cow I was to be

4 betrayed. rebuked my Minister for losing his temper with Eden, but he said this was necessary and the

to show the enly way

British that we were no willing To Crift with their tide.

Before the

Teherun ference, Chung Kai-shek tempted contact ing govern- ment and myself to stari diplo matic relations. We were never allowed to see hun.

Con- at-

ASKED to sec Hoosevill

on his return from Teheran, but was told that he was very fl. 1 knew that he received other people and felt that perhaps he was ashamed to talk to me after the way he had let me down at Teheran

I went to the British Embassy on December 10. Churchill was in bed looking

very tired and

worn out. He was in an ex- tremely bad temper-and not at casually, all his usual seif. was rather stoppiły, dressed in battle dress trousers and a sweater.

Churchill told me that Tito would be his man and that I should go back to Yugoslavia,

I replied: "Shall I go away?"

the

such a policy destruction of

day honeymoon. Ja a lent by Mrs James Horlick

ATER,

111 settled

The We Ile Mauor" at Egham- about 40 minutes from Landon. One brother filed us up with ching, the other with linen, Berohard had while Prince provided all the silver.

spent much of the time I bad

free from

my dulles. Hardening

on the one and a We half acres of land there. had 25 hens, five ducks, and a Раздо rabbile cared for by my valet.

ז

גע.

1

Royce

1

Latest published picture of Ex-king Peter, taken in London at Christmas 1953. His seven-year-old son went from school in Switzerland to London for the holidays.

con-

to handle,

old Bern-

I

Ree

the

Arc

often went out partridge Mustang one of the fastest air- ficent planning of France's shooting with this landing it on any level plot of

plane, cruft of that period, beautiful capital.

and I was storing Jand. This of course supplo- up

for memories

my mented

our moot ration

aviation tutor. Prince siderably.

hard. The first time really saw Turis was by alr, just before "U" Day. I flew an American Mustang, powered by a Rolls Noyce engine, and I was quite prepared to shoot it out with any German aircraft.

1 had not the slightest right to be there at all.

Taler

could!

de Triompho and the radial boule- vards which have since spell beauty, culture And

civilisa- tion for me. Nothing could rob me of this lovely aerial sight of a very regularly cut dia- Bl in the incompar- the Nlver

I hummed a popular tune as we akimmed over the Channel and I marvelled us we appear- ed to crawl over the patchwork mond. quilt of Northern nearly five miles below. was no fink.

France, able platinum of

There Seine.

consequences Lo others might MY colleague had the danger-

It was a great lark, and only did realise that the

have been embarrassing,

ous task. I was free lo Early

one morning

weave wherever liked, keep- I met friends

a weather eye open at a Kent

for Dir strip, ing One

enemy #ghters, pilot had to drop out of

while my อก arranged

colleague photo

made

dead his straight runs above the target. naissance.

It

We carried out the reconnals gance without Interference and, having petrol and time in hand, the other pilot said over the radio:

recon-

WAS forbidden to fly solo by the Air Minustry, but the Ninth U.S. Ale Porce hnd nu such restrictions

was suggeste that 1 In July the U.S. Air Force should take his place, and

i presented me with

these mad days, I accepted. twin- engined Cerena

Now Crane halson

my friend's role was I often took my wife that plane.

of fighter escort to on- this plane

as she was other Mustang armed only with up in ufraid of the

guns and cameras, more powerful machine

found realised that this models, and I generally

might menn it very

useful, although a bit lighting. tame.

a fut loo- used to read

Ixxks techrient mustly aviation. The main exercise of both my wife and myself was walking and we found lovely walks in Windsor Great Park, I used to drive a jeep around, lent to me by the U.S. Alr Force,

We had truble with our cooks.

Our irst, Morla, Croat and a wonderful cook. ws of suite violent character that we had to get rid of her for the sake of the other vd only a small landing Deld. servants.

Some

My valet did the cooking for time. Eventually found a Hungarian

we cook who

was very satisfactory until one day she simply

disappeared and was never heard of again. We had

Swedish cook. murried We parted on

to a Scoisman. She was a hypochondriac and had to ko.

Maria, the Croat, re- turned to our kitchen.

Churchill stressed that if I did not take the course he wished, I should be working against thu allied war effort. strained terms.

Uncle Berlie fxed our wert- ding

day for March 20,

Just eight days after my return from Cairo. Mamic Romanovski Pavlovskl gave Alexandra her wedding dress, which had to b cut down, and Murina lent herved wedding veil. Alexandrs had no Trousseau whatsoever,

On March 19 Alexandru and 1 to see Uncle drove to Windsor Bertie for the last arrangements. I showed the King an album of photographs of Mihallovitch and his Chetniks living and fighting. Uncle Bertle was considerably did his best to Impressed and warn Churchill not to give support exclusively

#

re-

March 27, 1944, I

Colonel Lukacevic Mihailovich's delegate, and fentrusted him with private letter to Mihailovitch, Kolden ruff-links, a revolver, and 2 submachine gun embossed

with my insignia.

We went back via Bart, in Italy, where ho was delayed until the British could spare a his plane. Before he was dropped

the over Yugoslavia to Tito,

British Unele Bertie felt that I would Look away the message and be

In obliged to come

presents for Mihallovitch, to some

the end he was taken by the agreement with the Titoists.

Partisans and shot.

On

Our wedding was 2 very simple one at the Yugoslav Ein- bassy in Upper Grosvenor Street London.

There were beuutiful flowers The large all the roofs. right in

drawing room on the first floor was arranged for the ceremony the boudoir on the same and

Air Chief Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas arranged that 1 should continue my training at Cairo Airport, and, after month's "No," said Churchill, "not im- intensive advanced training, pre-mediately, as Tito would then

ented my wings to me.

be compromised, go in about six Boor had been chosen to receive months This must happen if guests and for photographs.

to

NE week-end } flew

ondria with two of my a colonel and пу The Americans lent

ministers, navigator.

me

0 five-seater plane. My three passengers were rather corpulent

ouisido

short

We were diverted from the main Alexandria airport to a smmbli landing strip Aboukir. The runway, and limited with tall palm trees on both ends, made me wonder how could bring in the over- loaded plane without an aç cident.

In the end my weighty pas- sengers leaned over us at the controls and I finally made a landing, avoiding the palm trees by a couple of inches. Captain Lowly, my navigator, was as white as a sheet, I was scarlet

hut

the rest of them were

feeling thoroughly i.

for no other reason than to sivj another Tito Moscow ment"

agree-

1

decided, with a group of WAS wearing the uniform at friends, that some gesture show-

1 Licut-Colonel of the Air

ing my continued and absolute Force and Alexandra was wear- trust in Mihailovitch should be ing a white dress, a veil with made. We collected arms and orange blossom and, a long train at which was held by my youngest

brother, Andrej.

equipment and stored them

my house in Cairo.

We planned to fly with these supplies to Yugoslavia

Behind me stood my best man, in H Uncle Bertie, and behind Alex- andra, Uncle Georgle of Greece.

on an old Italifax used at the

stolen aircraft. We had our On the right-hand side of the Al Maza alrüeid and intended salon were sitting their Majesties to make a crash-landing in Queen Elizabeth and Queen Wil- Serblo.

helmina of the Netherlands, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duchess Kent, Prince Bernhard and King Haakon of Norway.

I put in as much practice in heavy bombers as I could.

of

were

13 I was

April 12 and called to see Churchill again, He said that in his eyes the differences between Partisans and Chetniks were of

only local interest. He believed that

were really Tito's forces

movement national

and only His only partly Communistic. preoccupation was to fight the Boche, and he could not under- sland

my refusal to accept

alone

Tito.

έχου

and your Government will be considered as hamper- ing the general war effort," he saich You wil be declared responsible if you do not sup- port

great Resistance movement.

He

diamiss pressed me to Fouritch and form a committee of three, Subasic, Konstantino

ed me vitch, and Furland. He inform- that he had arranged, without

consulting me for Subasic. who was then in Lon- America, to be flown to don.

W shortly

WHEN

after this meeting he announced in wearing Parliament WON

"King Field Marahnl

Poter hins sasured mo that in a few daya'

On the second row were Anthony Eden, and Prime Minister Pouritch. the eve of our planned Unicle Bertle night, Lt. Slobodan Ninko- the uniform of vitch, who was to By with me, and the Greek and Norwegian Uma Dr Pouritch will be dis- was interrogated by our Chief of Kings

in Admirals inned and a now Goverment Air Staff Colonel Scrivanitch,

uniform A jeep drove up and Sir who revealed that he knew about Uncle Bertie,

formed under the old head of as bost man, Croatia," Sholto Douglas emerged, red in our planned

Habbergasted flight

exchanged the rings of myself the face, abusing our landing

We had

to make last-minute and my bride, while the priest,

and deeply affronted. and its pilot. I

In my helples lolation ellmbed down changes. It was decided that I put crowns op our heads, remembered President Roo from the cockpit, stood to alien- should not accompany the first Aface this, according to the old wate tion and apologised, and he soon plane, bus that the plane should Berbian custom, wa

complete walked disinterestedness and Innate love

sympathy, - calmed down,

nevertheless go to join Milballo three mes round the altar, the of freedom, At a lunch given me at the witch by way of Barl- and that I two. priests leading, then Payne air field, with some US, was to follow on a second ex- Alexandra and myself my left

knowing that ho

ho was © Force ... sinfT,

much changed, had pedition to be organised with: Wa

hmad led my

to her right hand. wrote

He answered vegetables out of a tan that government.

to him. with handkerchief, and then the he had full confidence in tntist havo „ been originally Under my orders. Lleutenant « Uncle Bertio and Uncle the plane, of Ke Churchill and invaded to be dropped over Ninkovitch and a mail party, Georgia Griece, the latter finland, - "Plekse Yugoslavia.

accept ble KdView ke-47 It were my dwLI

AL

few to Bari and succeeded in - holding candleNK.

Not

Ano er plane like was un observation plane, which need

R

I "What About a Hip over Paris?" Of course I agreed,

Paris looked like

a jewel about three feet square from

was a brilliant May day We climbed to 24.000ft. and the height we were dying. Even passed over the Pas de Calais

high one gon vivit im- without Incident. I found the pression of Hausmann's magni-

50

Hong Kong's favourite

BRAVER

1 cannot tell you the name of the other pilot because he may still be subject to disclp- lue. Neither can I disclose the of the adjutant of the American air station.

סרפח

He spent two hours of mental agony knowing when

I WELS well and truly airborne--that King Peter was flying one of his

aircraft over enemy terri- lory.

of

When I safely touched down ho

gave me the licking-off my life. There was the lovellest twinkle in his eyes, however, and when he finished I will never forget his Anal admoni- tion: "For Pete's sake, don't put this in your log book,"

And for Peter's sake, I didn't."

(Ex-King Petor will wind up his story next Saturday)

German Beer...

BECK'S

BECK,

CK-BRAUERE!

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494) CALDBECKI, MACGREGOR