The Greatest Escape: A Gripping Story of Wartime Courage and Adventure by Neil Churches

Author:Neil Churches [Churches, Neil]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, Great Britain, 20th Century, Wars & Conflicts, World War II, General, Biography & Autobiography, Historical, Survival, Military
ISBN: 9781529060362
Google: -Z1LEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: 2022-05-26T20:27:58+00:00

29

A Partisan Agent

Leslie dawdled his way up the hill, water pails hoisted across his shoulders. Reaching the cottage, he was taken aback to see Lisa chatting with Harry the Bum. Noticing Les, Lisa smiled. True to his nickname, Harry was finishing a cigarette and gestured to Les for another. Les was reluctant to pass a cigarette to this shady character, but Lisa’s smile eased his concerns. ‘Hello, Leslie, this is my cousin, Anton,’ she said.1 Les wasn’t surprised they had got his name so wrong and passed him a cigarette.

Anton lit it up and inhaled deeply. ‘I hear you want to meet some Partisans?’ he said.

Les was almost breathless.

‘I’m meeting three tomorrow, a short distance from here. Please come if you wish.’

As Anton continued chatting to Lisa, Leslie was left with tea and his thoughts. He’d have to tell Ralph that evening.

Back at the camp, Leslie pulled Ralph aside for a walk inside the wire and told him the story. Ralph had to work very hard to keep his cool and not attract attention.

Leslie made the rendezvous the next day without issue and met Anton and three Partisan fighters in the woods near the cottage. Each Partisan was almost a human armoury, wrapped in bullet loops and grenades. One held a small, odd-looking gun Les had never seen before: a Sten submachine gun, courtesy of a British airdrop. Les thought the Partisans resembled operetta bandits from The Maid of the Mountains.2 The trio explained that in a few weeks the Partisans would move into the area in strength. When that happened, a Partisan force would come to the railway and rescue the whole crew.3 Anton had most likely been sent at Lindsay and 4th Zone HQ’s behest to put this plan into motion.

‘We’ll be ready,’ Leslie declared. In an instant, the plan had gone from Leslie and Ralph escaping to the entire railway crew.

There would be major logistical problems. Corn and fruit were ripening all over the country, so they might have enough food to survive on, but living off the land for survival and fuelling potentially strenuous marches or a long winter in hiding were very different matters. The best hope was that the Partisans would be able to provide some food. Leslie and Ralph weren’t relying on this. If it were to be a rescue, then everyone would be breaking out, no matter what, and they needed supplies and co-conspirators. They both wanted to bring their best friends, Andy and Kit, in on the scheme, but they knew that once they had done so it would be impossible to keep the secret from the rest of their section. They decided to bring in Griff, Bob, Phil, and Len too.

To start with the response from the other six was lukewarm, but the frequent air raids and mounting German losses helped them warm to the plan.4 However, Leslie and Ralph kept their companions in the dark about the Partisan raid: as far as the other six knew, it’d be them alone escaping.

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