ROYAL PATRIOT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 280, 26 November 1941, Page 6

ROYAL PATRIOT

YOUNG KING PETER

SHARED WAR RISKS

HOW HE ESCAPED THE NAZIS

(By COL. Z. S. RADOYCHICH) WASHINGTON,

Belgrade was bombed by the Germans on Palm Sunday, April 6, eight days after the Yugoslav people manifested their determination to fight the entire power of Germany rather than enter into a shameful partnership with Hitler. The German leaders and the German Press referred to young King Peter as "Peterchen." His name stood first on the list of Yugoslavs scheduled by the Nazis for destruction.

When the German bombers appeared over Belgrade,-King Peter was at Dedinye, a residential district about ten miles south-east of Belgrade. There stood the summer residence of the Royal Family. In successive waves, German planes flew over Dedinye and unloaded their hail of bombs. The King's home and the\surrounding buildings were hit, but the wing in which the King lived remained untouched.

Under the Palace there was an underground corridor connecting the kitchen with the King's quarters. In | preparation for the air raids, that corridor had been converted into an air shelter. About 100 men, women and children were gathered m it when the bombs began to fall. Practically all of them were killed or wounded. The King came to the scene of disaster to help the wounded. " The War Has Started " The night preceding the attack. General Simovich, Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, had spent in his office. He left it in the morning to attend the wedding of his only daughter to a young man who was leaving that day to join the army. The wedding was completed to the accompaniment of the explosion of German bombs. General Simovich rushed back to his office to issue the first orders for the defence of the country. Then he started toward Dedinye. over which he saw swarms of German planes. There he found King Peter in front of the main building observing through binoculars the unequal, fight between Yugoslav fighter planes and German bombers. There were fen German bombers against each Yugoslav fighter. The King was serious, but calm and unafraid. "General Simovich. the war has started," said the King. "Yes, Your Majesty, we have been attacked and we will defend ourselves," answered the Prime Minister. Without saying another word, the! King shook hands firmly with General Simovich. ' i

From that moment on, the King shared the sufferings of the people and of the army. He slept on a soldier's bed and ate a soldier's food. Even in places where he could have had greater comforts he refused to accept them. The supreme command was in Zvorik. in Bosnia. There the King spent a day following the course of operations. When retreat became necessary, he went on foot across the mist-enveloped Bosnian mountains. Toward the end of this arduous trip, still cheerful, the King turned to one of his tired companions and said: "You see, my friend, the sport which I love can* be useful in life." I

History Repeating Itself

On April ] !. the Yugoslav Government. was compelled to reach the conclusion that it was necessary to leave the country in order to carry on the struggle from abroad on the side of the powerful Allies of Yugoslavia. The King and the Government waited to board the planes. There could not have been one person among those present who did not at that moment remember that the grandfather and the father of the young King were compelled to leave their country under similar circumstances.

Three Savoia Marchetti bombers and two Lockheed transport planes stood on the Nikshich aerodrome in the mountains of Montenegro. About noon on April 15, they started on their hazardous journev. With the King went General Simovich as a substitute pilot. Simovich himself had been an aviator and Chief of the Yugoslav Air Force. The King sat in the place of the observer. One of the machine-guns was manned bv young Captain TTistich. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ninchich, and Knezhevich. the former tutor of the King and his first Minister of the Court, were the only other occupants of the plane.

The planes had to fly over the Italian anti-aircraft defences at the mouth of the River Boyana and the town of Scutari. In that region there were Italian warships carrying anti-aircraft guns and fighter planes. The Yugoslav aeroplanes rose immediately to 15.000 feet. When the planes arrived over the mouth of the River Drin, two enemy observer planes were seen in the distance. Smiling, the young King moved over to the second machinegun and shouted at Captain Ristich. "Not to deDrive him of glorv by aiming at the same plane." Aimost with regret the King watched the two enemy planes disappear over the horizon.

To Fight Until Victory Over Durazzo the Yugoslav planes were met by three British Hurricanes. which came to escort the King and the Government to the selected aerodrome. After exchanging recognition signals they surrounded the King's plane. It was at that moment that the young ruler reached his unbreakable decision to fight until the final victory for his people and for democracv on the side of the fighters of the powerful All}" of Yugoslavia.

The planes had barely descended on the aerodrome when a Greek major came running and informed their occupants that the place had just been bombed by the enemy and that it was likely enemy bombers would any moment return in even greater strength. The trip was resumed toward Athens. Half an hour later the capital of Greece appeared in brilliant sunshine. Inabde the planes the air was extremely hot and humid.

A Greek and a British general met the party. The King greeted everybody cordially, pointed to his wet shirt and said that even the lightest breeze felt pleasantly cool. He was warned that he might catch cold, but nothing could be done about it since his baggage had been left behind. Then an English captain took off his shirt and smilinglv offered it to the King. Somewhat confused, the King thanked him and. in front of his Allied friends, completed the exchange.

In Athens, the Government stayed two days, in Egypt two davs. and in Jerusalem two months. To-day the King is in London after many dangerous flights and undertakings. With his young eyes and courage he watches the efforts of the Yugoslav people at home and abroad to do everything in their power now, as always in their historj', to bring about the final victory of democracy and truth. — Auckland Star and N.A.N.A.