Terence Atherton

Terence Atherton
Atherton (on the right) in February 1942 in Foča
Born 1902
Died 1942
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch Special Operations Executive
Rank Major
Battles/wars

Terence Atherton (1902 — 1942)[1] was a British intelligence officer of Irish descent. As a member of the SOE he was a member of the Operation Hydra mission in the Axis occupied Yugoslavia. His task was to establish and maintain communication with the Chetnik headquarter. With other members of this mission he disembarked onto Montenegrin coast and begin his journey toward Chetnik headquarter in February 1942. He was soon noticed by Partisans who took him to their headquarter. The communists prevented Atherton to continue his trip to Chetniks and spent several weeks in futile attempts to persuade him to change his anti-communist and pro-Chetnik position. They even took him to Partisan headquarter in Foča to meet Josip Broz who was very suspicious about Atherton and warned Croatian communists about him.

Atherton disappeared after he escaped Partisan headquarter in March 1942 with his men. The Partisan sources blamed Chetniks for his death, while Western sources initially blamed Partisans and later accepted possibility that Atherton was killed by Chetniks. The Chetnik sources emphasize that during his stay in Foča Atherton was able to learn that Croatian communists organized cooperation between Partisans and Ustaše, so Partisans had to kill him to prevent him to send report about this cooperation.

Before Axis occupation of Yugoslavia

Atherton was a journalist in Belgrade and member of the SOE.[2] He was correspondent of the Daily Mail for ten years.[3] He was also the editor of the South Slav Herald and was married to a woman from Yugoslavia,[4] a Moslem woman from Sarajevo.[5] Atherton spoke Serbian language very well.[6]

After Axis occupation of Yugoslavia

Escape from Yugoslavia

According to some accounts, Atherton was in Belgrade during the April 1941 German bombing of Belgrade. He bought a car (a small blue Opel coach) and drove first to Banja Koviljača and then to Užice and to Zvornik following the retreating Yugoslav government.[7] He continued to Cetinje and then to Budva.[8] His voyage was very long one because he left the coast of Yugoslavia travelling in the small open boat. He first reached Corfu and then from Corfu he traveled to Argos on small fishing boat.[9] He was taken off from Argos by a British destroyer together with some British troops.[10] In 1941 a Newsweek published an article about Atherton and three other foreign correspondents who together with him escaped from Yugoslavia before it was fully occupied by Axis forces, describing it as "400-miles voyage of four trapped correspondents".[11]

Operation Hydra

Because of the deteriorated relation between Bill Hudson and Draža Mihailović, British intelligence service decided in the end of 1941 to send another mission to maintain connection with Chetniks.[12] Atherton was strongly anti-Communist.[13] The post-war Yugoslav sources later complained that at that point the Allies decided to increase their support to Chetniks who were struggling against communists instead to support genuine anti-Axis partisan forces.[14]

The first mission was not successful because its members were captured by Croatian authorities who handed them to Germans.[15]

Atherton was a member of the second mission of SOE (Operation Hydra (Yugoslavia)) to send a group of intelligence officers into the territory of occupied Yugoslavia at the beginning of World War II.[16]

They left Alexandria in Egypt on 17 January and disembarked on the coast of Montenegro on 4 February 1942.[17] Atherton carried a substantial quantity of gold strapped around his waist.[18] He was accompanied by an Irish radio operator and one officer of the Yugoslav army.[19]

With Partisans in Montenegro

Atherton had to travel from Adriatic coast through the territory controlled by Partisans, in order to reach Chetnik headquarters.[20] A couple of days after Atherton and members of his mission disembarked, they met the battalion controlled by Jovan Tomašević.[21] Tomašević took them to the headquarter of the Lovćen Partisan Detachment.[22] The Partisans were suspicious about their mission because believed that their contemporary conflict with Montenegrin Chetniks was result of the British and Yugoslav government-in-exile orders sent with Atherton's mission.[23] Ivan Milutinović wanted to kill Hydra team when they arrived to the Partisan headquarter on 12 February because he thought they were agents of the Yugoslav government-in-exile, but he did not do it because he receaved a letter from Josip Broz ordered them to bring Hydra team to the headquarter of supreme command near Foča.[24][25] Broz informed Comintern about arrival of one British mission and on 28 February received their reply that they knew nothing about this mission, which additionally increased suspicious of the Communists.[26] Broz also remained very suspicious about the Atherton, although Vladimir Dedijer recognized him because he met him in London before the war while he was the correspondent of Politika.[27]

Milutinović was instructed by Broz not to allow Hydra team to contact Chetniks.[28] Atherton and members of his mission were kept in some kind of captivity, isolated from Partisan forces and ordinary people, kept by parts of the Lovćen Partisan Detachment Atherton in Partisan Headquarter for Montenegro and Gulf Kotor in Gostilj near Danilovgrad in period between 12 February 1942 until 10 March when they headed to supreme Partisan Headquarters in Foča.[29][30]

With Partisans in Herzegovina

On 19 or 22 March Antherton and members of his mission reached Foča where he stayed until 15 April 1942.[31][32] In Foča in March 1942 he also met Vladimir Velebit who later confirmed that for Atherton Partisans were only "a bypass station" on the way to Draža Mihailović, just like for Hudson a year before.[33] During his stay in Foča with Partisans, Atherton contacted with his supreme command using his radio station.[34]

On 6 April 1942 the leader of Yugoslav communists Josip Broz wrote a letter to Moša Pijade expressing his concerns about Atherton's mission.[35] On 8 April 1942 issued a secret directive to the communist commesairs to warn them about Atherton.[36] This secret directive was allegedly issued to the Communist Party of Croatia[37] According to some anticommunist sources, Atherton was able to learn about contacts between Josip Broz and his most trusted men from the Central Committee of Croatia with leaders of the Independent State of Croatia.[38] This sources emphasize that Partisans and Ustaše made an agreement according to which Ustaše allowed Partisans to enter Foča, supplied them with ammunition to fight against Chetniks and to stay in Foča for several months without any obstruction from Croatian side.[39] Some pro-Chetnik sources even emphasize that Partisans killed Atherton because he had intention to inform his superiors about the cooperation between Partisans and Ustaše.[40]

Broz was afraid that Atherton was a member of just one of many other British missions who were all encouraging Chetniks to attack communists.[41] The Chetnik attacks on communist forces in the region coincided with arrival of the Athertons mission.[42] Based on the discussions during the session of the Central Communist Committee held on 4 April 1942, Josip Broz issued instructions to find and isolate all British missions.[43] Broz suggested to Atherton not to continue his voyage toward Chetniks, which was understood by Atherton that he was forbidden to leave Foča.[44]

Communists' attempts to indoctrinate Atherton

During Atherton's stay with Partisans, they tried to convince him to change his pro-Chetnik and anti-Communist orientation. Ivan Milutinović had numerous exhausting polemics with Atherton in futile attempts to convince him to change his positive view about Chetnik leader Draža Mihailović.[45] Moša Pijade took him on a tour of inspection of the organization of the communist forces in Žabljak.[46] When they arrived at Partisans headquarter near Foča, Atherton also met Vladimir Dedijer[47] who showed him some agreement about alleged Chetniks cooperation with Milan Nedić. The communists claimed that Yugoslav government-in-exile approved that agreement and that it was the proof of collaboration between Chetniks and Axis forces.[48] Broz presented to Atherton his proposal to establish new Yugoslav Government from democratic elements from both Yugoslavia and abroad and to invite population of Yugoslavia to rebel against Axis, condemning all collaborators with occupying Axis forces.[49]

At the beginning of April 1942, Atherton was taken by communists to inspection tour of front toward Rogatica to demonstrate that only the Communist forces were fighting against the Axis.[50] The Yugoslav post-war sources emphasize that Partisans managed to convince Atherton to change his pro-Chetnik and anticommunist view at the extent that he began arguing with General Nedeljković, according to the letter sent to Pijade by Broz on 11 April.[51]

Escape from Partisans

Atherton secretly left Foča during the night between 15 and 16 April[52] with support of General Nedeljković and local Chetnik commander Spasoje Dakić[53] and hid in caves around Čelebići until 22 April.[54] He left his radio station with Partisans in Foča.[55] The Partisans sent their units to search for Atherton as soon as they realised they left Foča.[56]

On 22 April Atherton sent a letter to Mihailović in which he asked Mihailović to inform his superiors that he is alive and that he will send more informations very soon.[57]

Latas explained that Atherton had some disagreements with General Nedeljković and continued on 22 April toward German occupied Serbia to seek Draža Mihailović, accompanied only by O'Donovan.[58] Latas further explain that two of them were shadowed by Spasoje Dakić until they approached a village of Tatarevina.[59]

Death

Atherton was killed in 1942 by a bandit.[60] The early reports blamed Communists for his death. Because Atherton's superiors from London never heard from Atherton after he contacted them from Partisan's headquarter, initially they blamed Partisans for his death.[61] Some early accounts explained that Atherton was executed by Partisans because they concluded he brought "undesired sired influence" from Cairo.[62]

Based on initial testimonies that he was killed by Partisans, the New York Times published an article blaming communists for his death, which was denied by a letter written by Broz himself.[63]

According to post-war Yugoslav sources, he was killed by Chetniks.[64] The person who committed murder remained unknown.[65] According to Jozo Tomašević, the later investigation led by Hudson and Bailey concluded that Atherton was murdered and robbed by local Chetnik commander Spasoje Dakić in a village of Tatarevina.[66] According to some sources, Dakić was a commander of Chetnik battalion from Čelebići.[67] According to Dedijer, Dakić was a criminal from Montenegro.[68]

References

  1. ↑ (Šnuderl 1994, p. 153): " Terence Atherton (1902-1942), publicist, major britanske vojske; šef vojaške obveščevalne misije..."
  2. ↑ (Roberts 1973, p. 54): "....Major Terence Atherton, who before the war had been a newspaperman in Belgrade and was a member of SOE."
  3. ↑ (John 1948, p. 193): "... Terence Atherton, the London Daily Mail correspondent."
  4. ↑ (Matić 1984, p. 108)
  5. ↑ (Radlovic 1948, p. 48): "Major Terence Atherton*, who was for ten years a journalist in Belgrade, was the chief. He was the editor of the South Slav Herald. He married a Moslem in Sarajevo. With him was a radio operator, an Irishman, and a lieutenant of the Yugoslav ..."
  6. ↑ (Zečević 1968, p. 165)
  7. ↑ (White 1944, p. 242)
  8. ↑ Hearst's International Combined with Cosmopolitan. International Magazine Company. 1941.
  9. ↑ (Hersey 2001, p. 837)
  10. ↑ Hammerton, Sir John Alexander (1941). The War Illustrated. Amalgamated Press. p. 525. Four weeks after he left shattered Belgrade, Mr. Terence Atherton, special correspondent of the " Daily Mail," was taken oft by a British destroyer with a number of British troops from Argos, after nightmare voyages in open boat and trawler.
  11. ↑ Newsweek. Newsweek, Incorporated. 1941. p. 57. ... the 400-mile voyage of four trapped correspondents: Russell Hill of The New York Herald Tribune, Leigh White of the Columbia Broadcasting System, Robert St. John of the Associated Press, and Terence Atherton of The London Daily Mail.
  12. ↑ (Kardelj 1982, p. 33)
  13. ↑ (Larson 1979, p. 45): "The previous March a British submarine had landed the strongly anti-Communist Major Terence Atherton..."
  14. ↑ Socialist Thought and Practice. Aktuelna pitanja socijalizma. 1981.
  15. ↑ (Roberts 1973, p. 54)
  16. ↑ (Roberts 1973, p. 54): "The second group was headed by Major Terence Atherton,...."
  17. ↑ Vojnoistorijski institut (Belgrade, Serbia) (1982). The National liberation war and revolution in Yugoslavia (1941-1945): selected documents. Military History Institute of the Yugoslav People's Army.
  18. ↑ (John 1957, p. 280)
  19. ↑ (Roberts 1973, p. 54)
  20. ↑ (Kardelj 1982, p. 33)"In order to reach Draza Mihailovic's headquarters he had to travel from the coast to Foca, across territory held by ..."
  21. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 69)
  22. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 69)
  23. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 69)
  24. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 69)
  25. ↑ (Vukcevich 1990, p. 124): "Tito, therefore, ordered Ivan Milutinovich "Milutin" to send Atherton's mission to his headquarters near Foca"
  26. ↑ Vojnoistorijski institut (Belgrade, Serbia) (1982). The National liberation war and revolution in Yugoslavia (1941-1945): selected documents. Military History Institute of the Yugoslav People's Army. p. 267.
  27. ↑ (Ridley 1994, p. 190): "Tito, too, was suspicious, despite the fact that Dedijer recognized Atherton, whom he had met briefly when he was in England as the correspondent of Politika before the war."
  28. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 69)
  29. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 69)
  30. ↑ (Institute 1982, p. 266)
  31. ↑ (Radlovic 1948, p. 48): "Major Terence Atherton*, who was for ten years a journalist in Belgrade, was the chief. He was the editor of the South Slav Herald. He married a Moslem in Sarajevo. With him was a radio operator, an Irishman, and a lieutenant of the Yugoslav ..."
  32. ↑ Vojno-istoriski glasnik. 1986. p. 78. Aterton je boravio u Vrhovnom štabu NOP i DV Jugoslavije od 19. marta do 15. aprila 1942.
  33. ↑ (Šuvar & Velebit 2001, p. 299): "U Foči ste se u martu 1942. godine neplanirano susreli s drugim britanskim oficirom koji je nakon Hudsona došao među partizane, ali su i njemu partizani bili samo "usputna stanica" prema Draži. Bio je to britanski major Terence Atherton, koji ..."
  34. ↑ (Karić 1984, p. 88)
  35. ↑ (Roberts 1973, p. 54): "In a letter to Mose Pijade, Tito wrote on April 6 that there was something "not right" about the English mission."
  36. ↑ (Larson 1979, p. 45)
  37. ↑ (Roberts 1973, p. 54)
  38. ↑ (Jovanović 1999, p. 167): "За контакте Броза и његових неколико најповерљивијих људи, првен ствено из Централног комитета Хрватске, са вођама НДХ сазнао је британ ски мајор Теренс Атертон. "
  39. ↑ (Redžić 2002, p. 254)
  40. ↑ Glasnik Srpskog istorijsko-kulturnog društva "Njegoš". Njegoš. 1992.
  41. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 69)
  42. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 69)
  43. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 69)
  44. ↑ Istorijski zapisi. 1971.
  45. ↑ (Marković 1970, p. 167): "За вријеме док су у Главном штабу за Црну Гору и Боку боравили енглески мајор Теренс Атертон, један бивши југословенски официр и телеграфиста Ирац Пат, Иван је водио са енглеским официром исцрпљујуће полемике."
  46. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 67): "Atherton, it seems, was given the full treatment on the latter points. He was taken on a tour of inspection by Mosa Pijade of the partisan organization in Zabljak, Montenegro, and on the evening of his arrival at Tito's headquarters in Foca on 19 "
  47. ↑ (Zečević 1968, p. 165)
  48. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 67): "... and on the evening of his arrival at Tito's headquarters in Foca on 19 "
  49. ↑ (Pleterski 2008, p. 566): "Josip Broz - Tito je 19. marca 1942 predlagal britanski misiji, ki jo je vodil Terence Atherton, naj se »oblikuje nova vlada iz demokratičnih elementov v ..."
  50. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 67)
  51. ↑ Istorijski zapisi. 1971. p. 322.
  52. ↑ (Roberts 1973, p. 54)
  53. ↑ Istorijski zapisi. 1971.
  54. ↑ (Latas 1979, p. 364)
  55. ↑ (Ridley 1994, p. 191)
  56. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 68)
  57. ↑ (Williams 2003, p. 68)
  58. ↑ (Latas 1979, p. 364)
  59. ↑ (Latas 1979, p. 364)
  60. ↑ (Carmichael 2015, p. 91): "A second agent, Terence Atherton, who also knew Yugoslavia well having worked there before the war, was murdered in 1942 by a bandit. "
  61. ↑ (Karić 1984, p. 88)
  62. ↑ (Mencken 1943, p. 34): "was these same Partisans who seized a group of six British officers, including my friend Terence Atherton, and executed them on the ground that they were bringing "unde sired influence" from Cairo."
  63. ↑ (Dedijer 1990, p. 84): "Some tramp reported in New York that we killed Terence Atherton. Stari, in the name of the Supreme Staff, issued the following denial: The London correspondent, Sulzberger, published a report in the..."
  64. ↑ Vojno-istoriski glasnik. 1986. p. 78. ... posle ubistva britanskog majora Terensa Atertona (Terence Atherton) od strane četnika.
  65. ↑ (Davidson 1946, p. 85) :"... it is also probable that Major Terence Atherton, who landed by submarine early in 1942 in Montenegro, was murdered by chetniks, although the actual culprit could never be found.)"
  66. ↑ (Tomašević 1979, p. 257)
  67. ↑ (Čekić 1996, p. 581)
  68. ↑ (Dedijer 1990, p. 168)

Sources

  • Roberts, Walter R. (1973). Tito, Mihailović, and the Allies, 1941-1945. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-0740-8.
  • Carmichael, Cathie (2 July 2015). A Concise History of Bosnia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-01615-6.
  • John, Robert St. (1948). The silent people speak. Doubleday.
  • Radlovic, I. Monte (1948). Titoś Republic. Coldharbour Press.
  • White, Leigh (1944). The Long Balkan Night. C. Scribner's sons.
  • Institute (1982). The National liberation war and revolution in Yugoslavia (1941-1945): selected documents. Military History Institute of the Yugoslav People's Army.
  • Kardelj, Edvard (1982). Reminiscences--the Struggle for Recognition and Independence: The New Yugoslavia, 1944-1957. Blond & Briggs. ISBN 978-0-85634-135-9.
  • Larson, David L. (1979). United States Foreign Policy Toward Yugoslavia: 1943-1963. University Press of America. ISBN 978-0-8191-0669-8.
  • Šuvar, Mira; Velebit, Vladimir (2001). Vladimir Velebit: svjedok historije. Razlog. ISBN 978-953-6985-00-5.
  • Hersey, John (2001). Reporting World War 2. Library of America. ISBN 978-1-931082-05-1.
  • Dedijer, Vladimir (1 May 1990). The War Diaries of Vladimir Dedijer: From November 28, 1942, to September 10, 1943. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-10109-2.
  • Nathan, George Jean; Mencken, Henry Louis (1943). The American Mercury. American Mercury Magazine.
  • Šnuderl, Makso (1994). Dnevnik 1941-1945: V partizanih. Založba Obzorja. ISBN 978-86-377-0739-4.
  • Matić, Boško (1984). Krcun: (životopis Slobodana Penezića Krcuna). Dečje novine.
  • Jovanović, Aleksandar S. (1999). Broz i Hrvati. Ldij.
  • Marković, Lazo (1970). Ivan Milutinović Milutin. Grafički zavod,.
  • John, Robert St. (1957). Foreign correspondent. Doubleday.
  • Tomašević, Jozo (1979). Četnici u Drugom svjetskom ratu: 1941-1945. Sveučilišna naklada Liber.
  • Latas, Branko (1979). Četnički pokret Draže Mihailovića: 1941-1945. Beogradski izdavačko-grafički zavod.
  • Dedijer, Vladimir (1990). From November 28, 1942, to September 10, 1943. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-10109-2.
  • Čekić, Smail (1996). Genocid nad Bošnjacima u Drugom svjetskom ratu: dokumenti. Udruženje Muslimana za antigenocidne aktivnosti.
  • Redžić, Vučeta (2002). Građanski rat u Crnoj Gori: Dešavanja od sredine 1942. godine do sredine 1945. godine. Stupovi.
  • Zečević, Vlada (1968). Raste ustanak: I ovo da se zna. Prosveta,.
  • Williams, Heather (2003). Parachutes, Patriots and Partisans: The Special Operations Executive and Yugoslavia, 1941-1945. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. ISBN 978-1-85065-592-3.
  • Ridley, Jasper Godwin (1994). Tito. Constable. ISBN 978-0-09-471260-7.
  • Ridley, Jasper Godwin (1994). Tito. Constable. ISBN 978-0-09-471260-7.
  • Vukcevich, Bosko S. (1990). Diverse forces in Yugoslavia: 1941-1945. Authors Unlimited. ISBN 978-1-55666-053-5.
  • Pleterski, Janko (2008). Pravica in moč za samoodločbo: med Metternichom in Badinterjem : študije, razgledi, preudarki iz petnajstletja po tretji odločitvi Slavencev. Modrijan. ISBN 978-961-241-261-6.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.