Yesterday, I solved one mystery: the meaning of the abbreviation “Pz” in Opapa’s journal. It refers to the Yugoslav Partisans. During the war, the Partisans helped fight the German occupation of Yugoslavia, and they were important allies for the British and Americans. After the war, however, Tito — the leader of the Partisans — wanted to claim the territory of Trieste (Italy) and its surroundings for Yugoslavia, which led to rising tensions with the Allied forces and the ethnic Italian population.
Today, I’m digging into another mystery: what was Opapa’s secret intelligence mission to Yugoslavia in July 1945? I don’t remember Opapa ever talking about this mission. But I know, based on his journal, that he was preparing for one.
Here are the most relevant sections of his journal:
July 3: Batchelder gives me report on Lussino - asked for details, other contacts…Info man living upstairs going to Susak, brother also in T. was with Pz. Amelda also willing to work (Susak, Lussino)
Note: Lussino and Susak are small islands off the coast of Croatia
July 4: Go to Kocihancic, info pass will be given but not before July 9.
July 6: Msge: TOP SECRET. GERBNER TO PERRY. HAVE SET UP QUARTERS IN VILLA OUTSIDE TRIESTE FOR USE AS LOCAL BASE. COULD USE ONE EM RADIO OP PREFERABLY WITH LANGUAGES TO HANDLE PERMANENT CONTACTS REPORTING HERE. ARRANGING SLOVENIAN TOUR NEXT WEEK AS JOURNALIST BOB TO COME AS INTERPRETER. [bold added]
July 6: Drive out to Castagnevizza to see Berkin (formerly Commissar of 4th Op. Zone in Stajerska, then Commissar of 9th Corps, etc. not Cmdt of Yugoslovenska Odreda…Very friendly, eat lunch, promises to get Bob pass to Zagreb “to see his parents.”
July 7: Arrange for P.O. Box under Wood…Cramb also heard rumors of Allied personnel held by Pz. will check. Has phone number. To call on him again. Tells about Pz. concentration camp in BOROVICA, near Ljubljana.
Note: George Wood” was Opapa’s undercover name for the OSS.
July 8: Tedaldo, Guido, sea captain from Lussin Piccolo…Says [he] can take anyone to dalmatian coast in his sailboat. Has cover of fisherman…Drive back to Villa, meet FOCIC, mechanic and driver, used to be driver for the pz, willing to work as informer. Gives me various pz passes given to him as driver by pz. Go to town, pick up White, bring him to dinner. Will gather info as UNRRA functionary, to see him in office at Adriatico bldg. Will go to Yug.
July 10: Supposed to leave next Monday (16th).
From these notations, we know that Opapa spent a little over a week arranging an undercover operation in Yugoslavia. We don’t know where he was planning to go, but he does mention the islands of Susak and Lussino (off the coast of Croatia) multiple times, and one of his contacts has a cover as a fisherman. The other location he mentions is Borovnico, where he has intel that there is a “concentration camp” where some Allies are being held. The third location mentioned is Zagreb, where Bob Perry could “visit his parents.”
Here is a map showing all of the relevant locations:
During his mission, Opapa’s cover will be that he is a journalist, while Bob Perry will act as his interpreter.
In preparation, Opapa spent a great deal of time trying to get travel passes. On July 6, he drove out to Castagnevizza (now in Slovenia) to meet a Partisan commander named Berkin who promises to get Bob a pass “to see his parents.” (wink wink) Two days later, on July 8, Opapa has been able to get several Partisan passes from a mechanic, who “used to be a driver for the pz.” At the end of the document, Opapa reports that he “will go to Yug” and he is “supposed to leave next Monday (the 16th).”
We don’t know if Opapa left, as planned, on July 16, but we do know that he crossed into Yugoslavia at some point around that time.
Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure it did not go as planned. I’ll leave you with another document that was in Opapa’s files: a letter from the Slovenian Ministry, in which he and Bob Perry are being “liberated” after being in Yugoslavia “without any right documents.”
The document is dated July 23, 1945. So if Opapa departed, as scheduled, on July 16, then that means he was in Slovenia for, at most, one week.
My best guess is that Opapa spent most of that time in a Slovenian jail. Sorry for the cliffhangers, but the full explanation will have to wait until next week!