With SOE in Greece by Tom Evans

Author:Tom Evans [Evans, Tom]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, History, Military, World War II, Biography & Memoir, Historical
ISBN: 9781526725141
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books
Published: 2018-04-30T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

NOAH’S ARK

While Fertiliser was camped out of harm’s way by Little Prespa, the three divisions of the German 22 Army Corps swept through the North Pindus Mountains and ‘Free Greece’. The ELAS Ninth Division left Pindus en masse, in a hurry, for the distant safety of the Pieria; the mission and Raiding Support Regiment evacuated Pendalofos, broke up into small groups and scattered into the surrounding mountains with the Germans in hot pursuit.

When the drive was over, the scattered British forces regrouped at Pendalofos and counted the damage. All the mission staff were safe, although the Germans had captured three RSR soldiers and a wireless operator. As usual, the Greek population had borne the brunt of the suffering. Boodle signalled to Cairo that the Germans had taken 300 captive civilians, 50 Andartes and 5 girl Andartes to Ioannina, with 2,000 mules and horses, and 10,000 sheep and goats. Some 300 Italians, an unknown number of civilians and Andartes, 1,000 mules and horses, and 5,000 to 10,000 sheep and goats were taken to Argos Orestikon. Boodle estimated that 160 villages and 3,000 houses had been burned. The villagers welcomed the mission back warmly but were furious with ELAS, which had not protected them and now returned to re-impose itself with terror and summary justice.

From the military perspective, the damage lay in the loss of matériel and the harm done to relations between the Special Forces and ELAS. The British had lost three of their four anti-tank guns and two mortars, enormous quantities of ammunition and tons of explosives. Relations between ELAS and the mission were as bad as they had ever been: ELAS had ordered the AMM to concentrate in Pendalofos and had stolen ammunition and explosives from several dumps.

Relations between the Raiding Support Regiment and ELAS were even worse. The RSR was there to support the Andartes with heavy weapons. However, apart from one small engagement at Eptachori, there had been no ELAS to support: the Andartes had simply disappeared before the enemy got close. ELAS now went so far as to arrest several RSR personnel, impose travel restrictions and demand that the RSR should stay together under Andarte guard.

Major Astell recommended that the RSR should be withdrawn altogether and left for Italy. Edmonds also sent a withdrawal plan for London’s consideration. Woodhouse (commanding officer, but still away from Greece) and Hammond (acting commander on the ground) both recommended that the mission and RSR should stay put. Withdrawal would be dangerous and there was still a chance to mend relations with ELAS. However, it was clear that operational plans would have to be rethought: as a result of the drive and losses, it would be weeks before the SOE and the RSR could possibly be ready. German withdrawal could begin at any moment and what would ELAS do then?

Eggs moved Edmonds south to his headquarters to act as chief liaison with ELAS, giving Prentice operational command of SOE mission operations in Western Macedonia. Given his head, Prentice proved to be a strong leader and took a hard line.

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