Partisan

First published in 1945, I found a much more recent edition at a book sale, and was eager to read it.

John Denvir was from a Scottish family emigrated to New Zealand, and he volunteered to fight in the New Zealand Army, attached to the New Zealand Battalion. After training in Egypt, Corporal Denvir was among the many captured quickly after deployment in Greece in April 1941, and interned as a prisoner of war initially in Greece, but then followed a long, often gruelling, journey to
Maribor, Slovenia - known to the Germans as STALAG XVIII D. There were 12000 men in the prison camp there, around half British (mostly Australians and New Zealanders), the other half Yugoslavian, French and later Russians.

From the beginning Denvir had no objective other than escape, and returning to fight in the war. He found others in the camp willing to take the same risks and made his first escape with two other men. Their intention was to head to Turkey - although this was a vast distance to travel through enemy territory and inevitably they were recaptured.

On the next escape, made with Australian gunner Colin Cargill, later killed by Italian troops (the book is dedicated to Cargill, he made such an impression on Denvir), they stayed local, having been warned of the heavy axis occupation for any journey to safety. They were told of men in the mountains fighting the Italian occupiers, and made their way to join them. These were the Slovenian Partisans, and Cargill and Denvir joined as machine gunners.

The partisans were engaged in challenging the Italians as they moved around the occupied land, but eventually evolved into more guerilla tactics, being heavily outnumbered. Strongly supported by the local villages the partisans were considered heroes, but the civilians paid heavily when the Italians suspected they had aided the rebel soldiers. Throughout the war civilians were killed and villages were burned in appalling circumstances. The partisans took their own revenge where able.

When Denvir heads out on a mission one day his gives Cargill his military ID to keep safe. When their camp is raided, Cargill is killed, the papers are found on him and it is reported to his family that Denvir has been killed. It is not for over a year that he has the opportunity to send a message to the British that he is alive and fighting with the partisans in Slovenia.

As the partisans become more professional, more successful and more dangerous to the axis forces they increase their efforts to eliminate them. Politics play their part, with another group (the Serbian chetniks) taking credit for much of the partisan success and were often hostile to the partisans. The chetniks were supported by the British, who considered the Partisans (wrongly) were not a professional force capable of challenging the Italians and Germans. Denvir was promoted and when the Slovenian partisans joined up with Tito and the partisans in Croatia across the border Denvir spent time in the central command.

This story was written from Denvir's diaries, and from numerous interviews with Denvir himself, but you can feel the reluctance of the soldier to explain his contribution to the Partisans in Slovenia. The author saw past this modesty and self deprecation, but relied on the input of others to explain some of Denvir's heroic acts. I outlined it briefly above, but it details the years Denvir spend in Slovenia, the military actions and the details of many who died.

Denvir was wounded several times, the last was an elbow injury which prevented him from fighting, but also required more medial care than could not be provided locally. He was evacuated to allied controlled Italy for care which ultimately ended his war.

He was awarded the DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal) and was the only British soldier to be awarded the Soviet Medal of Valour.

This is an easy to read, yet detailed biography, and it is great to see these types of histories recorded.

4.5 stars, rounded down.