No. 352 (Y) R.A.F. Squadron

[jet manga]

FOREWORD

At the Teheran Conference, November 28 to December 1, 1943, the USA joined the UK and USSR in recognizing the Narodno Oslobodilačka Vojska Jugoslavije - NOVJ as an equal member of the anti-Axis coalition. The Allies decided to offer NOVJ military as well as humanitary aid, by providing for the wounded and for the large-scale exodus of the civilian population from the Dalmatian coastal area. The United Kingdom was, geographically, the nearest of the three forces and also the first Allied power with the most detailed knowledge of the actual events in the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was aware of NOVJ being the only force in the country that was really fighting the Axis. Most of the merit for what happened in Teheran is due to Sir Winston Churchill. Even before the conference, leaving political considerations aside, the great man decided to support militarily all forces fighting the Germans. He knew with certainity about what force there where in Yugoslavia. The man in his personal confidence Brigadier (later Sir) Fitzroy MacLean (with previous commando experience in Iran and North Africa), sat near the Vrhovni štab (SHQ) NOVJ and was a key man in the negotiation of the United Kingdom's military aid to NOVJ. That aid included the formation of Air Force units to meet NOVJs needs.

http://www.yuairwar.com/novj.asp

Book review is also avaliable at - http://stonebooks.com/archives/040208.shtml#c

[Franek Grabowski]

It is interesting, because a certain Serbian (then Yugoslav) historian has noted to me that Tito was more engaged in fighting Royalists rather than Germans. I am not discussing outcome of Teheran though.
PS There is no mention of Royalist AF on your site.

[Graham Boak]

Quite the reverse, Franek. Maclean's experience had also included reporting on Stalin's show trials in the thrities, so he had no illusions about the Communists. It was as a result of Fitzroy Maclean's investigations that British aid was switched from Mihailovitch's Chetniks to Tito. The Chetniks had come to an agreement with the occupiers and were using the aid to eliminate competition.

It is a bit difficult to argue that Tito was not fighting the Germans, for they were quite definitely fighting him. Maclean's mission was present in the evacuation, under fire, of Tito's base. It was Tito's partisans that "assisted" the removal of German forces from Yugoslavia, not something carried out without a certain amount of physical persuasion?

Perhaps your historian had his own axe to grind?