According to these newspaper article,s the Serbian Chetniks slaughtered a large number of Allied and British American pilots during World War 2. Those from Halyard got their heads out alive only because McDowell arranged it with the Germans. That’s why the Americans won’t want that operation to be linked to the Chetniks. The American pilots were instructed to avoid Chetnik territory.
Extracte from article 1:
“LAST LOOK AT THE SKY
Among the 49 victims of Vojislav Rajčić Požarevac, a Chetnik commander of the Black Troika, were two British pilots. Rajčić said before the court: “We took them out one morning. First I finished with them, and then with the high-ranking ones.”
On the trial in the District Court in Zaječar
Vojislav Rajčić Požarevac, a Chetnik commander, admitted that among his 49 victims were two British pilots. He brought them to the execution site in the spring of 1944.
They were about 30 years old. They walked around the yard. It could be seen that they were well dressed. They wore nice clean and neat uniforms. Yellowish boots, clean and tidy uniforms. The heads of both had short haircuts, nothing like the long hairstyles.
The two Britons, who with their squadron bombed the oil fields, were…
Testimony of a member of “Novosti” published in 1980.
In the spring of 1980, the newspapers “Večernje novosti”, Miroslav Zarli and Slavisha Stepanović followed this process and thus recorded the following story of the convicted man:
TEARS IN THE EYES
“They lowered them from the planes, bound, with their heads shaved. They thought we were their friends. They didn’t know a single word except ‘Tito’! Because of that they called out to the commander of the district court – Vlado Milosević, then the president of the District Court.”
“I approached them a bit…”
THE LAST LOOK AT THE SKY
“…they looked at the sky, they waved their hands. They were looking at the sky, the engines of the Allied planes, which were flying over Romania. While they remained looking at the sky…”
I remember one of those hearings, when a video was shown to the judge on the table in front of Judge Maksa. There were some numbers on it. The pilots were wearing some kind of clothing. While the pilots were talking in Salašu, one of them noticed Živojin Ilić, who is a witness at Rajčić’s trial, the public was eagerly waiting to hear what was being said.
A rumor spread that the motor of the Allied plane…
The two Britons, who with their squadron…
QUICK TRIAL
When the Chetnik headquarters moved from Salaš to the village of Sikole, towards the two Britons, as Rajčić explained, it was changed. They could no longer walk, they were already captured.
In Sikole they were given a “trial” before the Chetnik quick court. The trial was short and
… while he was standing with his hands tied behind his back. The taller one had to be knocked to the ground by Ljuba and Bosanac. They kept repeating some words, something unintelligible, of which I only remember the words “English, English, “. I remember that they did not immediately breathe their last.
After this bloody act, the leader of the “black three” reported to Boka the Captain: “Mission accomplished!”
“Were you wearing an English blouse?” the judge asked the defendant.
I didn’t take it off them. Everything that was taken off them was handed over to the headquarters, and they later distributed it individually.
This blouse was a reward for a “professionally” and quickly completed task. Rajčić explained that later, along with several other Chetniks, he also received a shirt sewn from…”
“US EMBASSIES DO NOT WANT TO MENTION RAVNOGORCI”…
The part reads:
““40 crimes against sympathizers of the National Liberation Movement (NOB) and members of our armed forces…”
This refers to Rajčić being accused/convicted of around 40 crimes against Partisan sympathizers and Yugoslav armed forces members (in addition to the British pilots and others, totaling 49 victims).”
Full quote:
“UNUSUALLY, during the five-day trial, the audience in the courtroom would burst into tears. Because, the stories of the witnesses were alternating, one more horrific than the other. The story of Milanka Tomić, whose 17-year-old son Vlajko was slaughtered by Rajčić, was moving. Miloš Milanović also choked on tears as he told how “Požarevac” slaughtered his father in front of him and his mother.
Randđel Stojković was also a boy when the Chetniks, led by Vojislav Rajčić, killed his father in their house. Among Rajčić’s innocent victims were two British pilots, described by witness Živojin Ilić from Salaš. I saw them all at the moment when the Allied planes were flying over Romania. They were tall, slender, they stood and looked at the sky. Tears were streaming down their cheeks. They had no idea then that they would never fly again. Rajčić killed them and later wore a blouse for a long time.”
“Also in August 1943, 13 American soldiers bailed out of a damaged American plane, 12 of whom fell in the field around Buljina Bara, and the last one to bail out (the pilot) fell in the area of Pasuljanske Livade. The pilot was captured by the Bulgarians and handed over to the Germans in Jagodina, while the others were captured by Čačić’s Chetniks, taken to Letovište, slaughtered and thrown into Mijajlova jama.
Chronicles record several cases of forced landings of American and British planes in the area of the former districts of Despotovac, Ćuprija and Paraćin. It can be safely stated that most of the American and British pilots, as well as the crew members, were killed or that all traces of them were lost.”
Articles
- “Završeno suđenje Vojislavu Rajčiću: Zločinac – smrt,” Timon, 4 April 1980.
- “Poslednji pogled u nebo.” [Newspaper Večernje novosti or regional Serbian daily], c. 1980s.
- Dušan Priča and Joksima Radojković, “Mijajlova jama,” Despotovac, 1984.
