YUGOSLAV FRONT

Grey River Argus, 8 January 1944, Page 6

YUGOSLAV FRONT

RUGBY, Jan. 5. Allied aircraft from Italy are taking an increasing part in the fighting in Yugoslavia. Travnik, where they attacked enemy troops yesterday, is on the railway 40 miles south-east of Banjaluka, where Yugoslav patriots are locked in battle against the Germans and Croat puppet troops. Doboj, also bombed, is a rail and river junction 45 miles east of Banjaluka- , ’ _ ~- According to the Yugoslav Liberation Army Headquarter?! the patriots are on the - offensive along a line from Bosanski Novi, eastwards through Prijedor to Banjaulka, 100 miles north of Split. Allied aircraft bombed German troops near Priiedor two days ago. In Banjaluka street fighting continues. In Eastern Bosnia the German offensive is stated to have been defeated ana the lost territory regained. ESCAPED PRISONERS LONDON, Jan. 5. A party of three. Allied officers and 60 men. including Britishers, New Zealanders and South Africans, have reached the Allied lines in Italy aftei- trekking for three months over the mountains from Yugoslavia, reports Reuter’s Cairo correspondent. A South African, Major Charles Ballentine, who was taken prisoner at Tobruk, said he and the others were being taken to Germany, bu. escaped from trucks after the Italian armistice. ‘ They headed for the Allied lines in Italy rather than neutral Switzerland. Yugoslav partisans, armed to the teeth, helped them from village to village. It was bitterly cold, and the German patrols always active, picked off some of the escapees when crossing a river. Tito’s provisional Government one night entertained Ballentine, whom they presented with Tito’s signed photograph.

GERMAN WOOLLENS SHORTAGE.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5. Germany w.as combing the world for woollen goods to clothe her armies in Russia, but British interests stepped in, and outbidding Germany, cleaned everything from Turkey and from pro-Axis Spain. This was disclosed by Sir Francis Joseph in a speech at a meeting of

the Association of British Chambers of Commerce. He added: “Neutralsj wanted manufactures instead of ca-lg for their goods. We managed to su;l ply them and so preserve the® goodwill for Britain.” ■