Kidnap in Crete Read online

  ‘“I found Tara, a whole villa”’: W. Stanley Moss unpublished diary, IWM/05/74/1.

  ‘Sophie’s initial impressions’: Tarnowski, The Last Mazurka, p. 216.

  ‘They soon welcomed’: author interview with Candida Lycett Green and Daphne Astor.

  ‘He described the days’: ibid., p. 217.

  ‘The inhabitants of Tara’: ibid, p. 218.

  ‘On the eve of an agent’s deployment’: ibid, p. 221.

  ‘Moss wrote in his diary’: The diary of William Stanley Moss.

  9 The Cretan Resistance is Born

  ‘For Colonel Michail Filippakis’: eyewitness account, Clemenceau Filliakis, CEMA.

  ‘When he heard’: ibid.

  ‘A month later ’: ibid.

  ‘He was a’: Leigh Fermor, typewritten MS, NLS/13338/32.

  ‘Yerakari remained an important’: Harokopos, Fortress Crete, p. 95.

  ‘ The people were so hospitable’: Beevor, Kindle edition.

  ‘The letter stated’: Harokopos, pp. 92–112.

  ‘Fielding’s relationship with Papadakis’: Fielding, Kindle edition.

  ‘After several frustrating nights’: ibid.

  ‘One SOE agent wrote’: Rendel, Appointment in Crete.

  ‘The three men made it’: Kalitsounakis, CEMA.

  ‘There were other dangers’: Harokopos, p. 114.

  ‘There were no SS battalions’: Beevor, Kindle edition.

  ‘Cairo sent a signal’: NLS/PLF 13338/19.

  ‘In his testimony Morakis’: Harokopos, p. 120.

  ‘The executioner was armed’: CEMA.

  10 A Terrible Tragedy

  ‘In it he concluded’: NLS/PLF 13338/4 ‘Crete’.

  ‘Bräuer was under no misapprehension’: NLS/PLF/ 13338/6.

  ‘The area commander for Rethymnon’: ibid.

  ‘A British officer in Cairo’: Wood quoted in SOE report No. 1, NLS/PLF13338/19.

  ‘“That Greece denounces the King”’: NA HS5/671.

  ‘Leigh Fermor always claimed’: SOE Report, NLS/PLF/13338/19.

  ‘In his report’: NLS/PLF/13338/19.

  ‘Leigh Fermor believed’: NLS/PLF 13338/19.

  ‘In another of’: NLS/PLF 13338/19.

  ‘Any trained soldier’: Geoffrey Matthews, late Irish Guards.

  ‘Among the ten’: Lefteris Kalitsounakis, eyewitness account, CEMA.

  ‘This is called an “accidental discharge”’: author interview with Geoffrey Matthews, late Irish Guards.

  ‘Yanni’s body lay in the open’: Kalitsounakis, eyewitness account.

  ‘who was very excitable’: author interview, Adrian and Victoria Bartlett.

  11 The Italians Change Sides

  ‘The first meeting took place’: SOE Report, NLS/PLF/13338/19.

  ‘A message about the proposed’: Harokopos, Fortress Crete, p. 205.

  ‘Leigh Fermor says’: SOE Report, NLS/PLF/13338/19.

  ‘Leigh Fermor’s signal ended’: NA HS5/418.

  ‘Bandouvas’s headquarters were’: SOE Report, NLS/PLF/13338/19.

  ‘On 20 August, a huge drop’: ibid.

  ‘Bandouvas took the war’: Beevor, Kindle edition.

  ‘At first the troops’: eyewitness accounts, CEMA.

  ‘Bandouvas stood on the beach’: Rendel, Appointment in Crete, pp. 64–6.

  12 Operation Abduction

  ‘It occurred to him’: NA. HS5/732.

  ‘He argued strongly’: Sweet-Escott, Baker Street Irregular, p. 197.

  ‘“I made myself extemely unpopular”’: ibid.

  ‘On Crete, Tom Dunbabin’: Harokopos, Abduction, p. 63.

  ‘Dunbabin sent word’: Rendel, Appointment in Crete, p. 119.

  ‘Dunbabin then turned his attention’: NA/HS5/732.

  ‘He told his new friend’: ‘Abducting a General’, Patrick Leigh Fermor, handwritten MS, NLS/PLF/13338/31.

  ‘Moss was spared the training’: Moss, unpublished diary, IWM, 05/74/1.

  ‘Moss’s most enjoyable’: ibid.

  ‘“In our flat we had’: Annette Street, ‘Long Ago and Far Away’, unpublished memoir, IWM 95/34/1.

  ‘He wanted to take Billy Moss’: ibid. In the next sentence Annette wrote: ‘ In fact when the operation came off Billy was invaluable.’

  ‘His audience of two’: David Smiley, quoted in Tarnowski, Last Mazurka, p. 219.

  ‘When at last’: The Diary of William Stanley Moss.

  ‘They were delayed several times’ ibid.

  ‘On one occasion’: ibid.

  13 The Best Laid Plans . . .

  ‘At abour four’: Rendel, Appointment in Crete, p. 130.

  ‘The plane lumbered into the sky’: Sortie report, Feb. 4/5, 1944 NA/Air 23/1443.

  ‘On the Omalos plateau’: Rendel, p. 129.

  ‘To Rendel’s disgust’: ibid., p. 130.

  ‘Leigh Fermor’s first’: ‘Abducting a General’, handwritten MS, NLS/PLF/13338/31.

  ‘Dear Annette, Well’: Leigh Fermor letter to Annette Crean, IWM/Annette Street/95/34/1.

  ‘It is absolutely grand’: Rendel letter to Annette Crean, IWM/Annette Street/95/34/1.

  ‘At dawn the guerrillas’: Rendel, p. 138.

  ‘Leigh Fermor found the waiting’: SOE Report, NLS/PLF/13338/19.

  ‘Half asleep, he sensed’: Rendel, p. 140.

  ‘The abbot offered them’: ibid., p. 151.

  ‘Through her brother’: eyewitness account, CEMA.

  ‘This time the captain’: Moss, Ill Met By Moonlight, p. 27.

  ‘Billy Moss was not prepared’: ibid., p. 34.

  ‘Moss was excited’: Moss, unpublished diary, IWM, 05/74/1.

  ‘Moss thought that’: ibid.

  ‘The party had to cross’: Harokopos, Abduction, p. 82.

  ‘They awoke the next morning’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 40.

  ‘John Stanley passed out’: The Diary of William Stanley Moss.

  ‘Moss watched Rendel’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 42.

  ‘Manolis Paterakis recognised’: Mamalakis.

  ‘Moss came to realise’: Moss, diary.

  ‘Like Manolis Paterakis’: Mamalakis.

  ‘Later, the women’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 51.

  14 First Base

  ‘The next day they woke’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 51.

  ‘The presence of the military hospital’: author interview, Mamalakis.

  ‘That evening they filled’: Manolis Paterakis, eyewitness account, CEMA.

  ‘Outside Heraklion the bus’: SOE report, NLS/PLF/13338/19.

  ‘Military policemen with whistles’: ibid.

  ‘Leigh Fermor found’: Leigh Fermor, ‘Abducting a General’, handwritten MS, NLS/PLF/13338/31.

  ‘Back at the Zografakis’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 54.

  ‘A natural undercover agent’: CEMA.

  ‘The building was surrounded’: ibid.

  ‘Micky’s sister, Philia’: Taxatake, with Kalogerakis, The Legendary Capture of General Kreipe, pp. 81–91.

  ‘Leigh Fermor and Akoumianakis’: Leigh Fermor, ‘Abducting a General’.

  ‘While they stood’: unnumbered photographs, Kreipe Reunion, NLS/PLF 13338.

  ‘Micky had a friend’: Mamalakis.

  ‘In the remote cave’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 59.

  ‘Chnarakis was grandfather’: Harokopos, Abduction, p. 110.

  ‘The Cretans crushed’: Leigh Fermor, ‘Abducting a General’.

  ‘Ilias offered to go back’: Abduction.

  ‘The briefing over’: Manoli Paterakis, CEMA.

  ‘In the late morning’: Leigh Fermor, ‘Abducting a General’.

  ‘He was keeping a written’: author interview with Mr C. E. Mamalakis.

  ‘At dusk the twenty-five-strong’: ibid.

  ‘A few minutes later’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 73.

  ‘Moss found the going’: ibid., p. 75.

  15 The Waiting

  ‘A resistance worker in the city’: Harokopos, p. 116.
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  ‘Later that night the team’: Leigh Fermor, NLS/PLF/13338/31.

  ‘Later that day Leigh Fermor’: CEMA.

  ‘The next day Zografistos’: Harokopos, p. 119.

  ‘Tyrakis wondered who else’: Giorgios Tyrakis, eyewitness account, CEMA.

  ‘He and Micky Akoumianakis’: Letter Giorgios Tyrakis to Mr C. E. Mamalakis, CEMA.

  ‘Zoidakis appeared at around two’: NLS/PLF/13338/31.

  ‘At midday Pavlo’: Harokopos, p. 129.

  ‘The next day dawned’: NLS/PLF/13338/31.

  ‘The two men agreed’: ibid.

  16 The Trap Springs

  ‘That evening, in the officers’ mess’: P. Akoumianakis, CEMA.

  ‘Moss worried that’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 96.

  ‘Mitsos Tzatzas ran across’: Manoli Paterakis eyewitness account, CEMA.

  ‘Billy Moss who’: Moss, unpublished diary.

  ‘Kreipe settled into the leather’: NLS/PLF/13338/31.

  ‘Through the windscreen’: ibid.

  ‘Zografistos saw something’: Antonios Papaleonidas, eyewitness account, CEMA. Years after the war, Zografistos would show off the medal. He also had a gun stolen from Leigh Fermor.

  17 Through the Checkpoints

  ‘Kreipe began to shout’: NLS/PLF/13338/31 & NLS/PLF/13338/1.

  ‘Leigh Fermor could’: Powell. The Villa Ariadne, p. 177. In an interview with Dilys Powell Kreipe denied that he had given his word not to shout and said that he had successfully taken out an injunction preventing Moss’s book Ill Met By Moonlight and the film of the same name being distributed in Germany on the grounds that it defamed his character.

  ‘Moss drove fast’: CEMA.

  ‘From somewhere on the terrace’: ibid.

  ‘Ahead Moss could see’: author interview, Mr C. E. Mamalakis.

  ‘From the back of the car’: NLS/PLF/13338/31 & NLS/PLF/13338/1.

  ‘Manolis and Stratis slid’: CEMA.

  ‘There were a lot of soldiers’: CEMA.

  ‘finally he decapitated him’: author interview, Mamalakis.

  ‘Leigh Fermor said all’: NLS/PLF/13338/1.

  ‘From the back of the car’: Moss, unpublished diary.

  ‘Ahead of them a familiar figure’: CEMA.

  ‘As it got lighter’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 108.

  ‘He approached a woman’: Giorgios Frangoulitakis, typewritten fragment, ‘The Eagles of Mount Ida’, translated and annotated by Leigh Fermor. NLS/PLF/13338/30.

  ‘The Cretans had’: ibid.

  ‘Manoli held his’: Paterakis, CEMA.

  18 Radio Silence

  ‘Tom Dunbabin was lying low’: Giorgios Frangoulitakis, typewritten fragment ‘The Eagles of Mount Ida’, translated and annotated by Leigh Fermor. NLS/PLF/13338/30.

  ‘Paterakis recalled the time’: author interview with Mr C. E. Mamalakis.

  ‘The graffiti were’: the Cretans did not know that this Gothic script, known as Schwabacher Judenlettern, had been banned in Germany as being Jewish. On Hitler’s orders Martin Bormann had issued a proclamation which contained the order: ‘Authorities will refrain from using the Schwabacher Jew letters in future.’

  ‘To Leigh Fermor’: NLS/PLF/13338/30.

  ‘Lo Mount Soracte’: trans. Geoffrey Matthews.

  ‘Kreipe jolting along’: Moss, unpublished diary.

  ‘His name was John Lewis’: He had entered into the Cretan spirit with gusto, at one point executing a spy by breaking the man’s neck with this bare hands. Lefteris Kalitsounakis, eyewitness account, CEMA.

  ‘Moss became more’: Moss, unpublished diary, IWM/05/74/1.

  ‘When he was asked’: Giorgios Kalogirakis/Mamalakis interview, CEMA.

  ‘We had both drunk’: NLS/PLF/13338/1. On the MS in the NLS Leigh Fermor has written: ‘I am not sure this is the location for this incident.’ On his annotated and fragmentary translation of the ‘Eagles of Mount Ida’, Leigh Fermor says that the exchange took place several days later under some very dense pear trees in a ‘sown field’. I think this is the most likely place. I have found it impossible to identify where in time and space the ‘sown field’ is, so have left the incident here.

  ‘All the while the group was’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 118.

  19 Situation Ugly

  ‘General Heinrich Kreipe’: NA/HS5/671.

  ‘The night duty officer’: BBC internal inquiry into what happened to the SOE request for a transmission 8 May 1944. NA/HS5/671.

  ‘At 8.30 the next morning’: Miss Barker was an important figure in the BBC internal inquiry. Her trip from the World’s End in SW3 is a fiction which I have used to give a feel for the state of London after four years of war, and the Blitz and later bombing. Miss Barker’s journey is based on interviews with BBC employee Betty Willingale, who worked for the Corporation during the war and went on to become a distinguished television producer.

  ‘Festungskommmandant General Oberst’: NA/HS5/671.

  ‘At the same time’: ibid.

  ‘By now a frustrated’: ibid.

  ‘Dearest Paddy, the word’: NLS/PLF/13338/6.

  ‘The Kapitan shook his head’: Frangoulitakis, NLS/PLF/13338/30.

  ‘The group set off in daylight’: ibid.

  ‘Tsikritsis showed the leaflet’: ibid.

  ‘The general’s state of mind’: ibid.

  ‘They made their’: Moss, unpublished diary.

  ‘The Cretans worried’: ibid.

  ‘Scuttlegeorge was impressed’: ibid.

  ‘What are you doing’: NLS/PLF/13338/1.

  20 Marooned

  ‘At the same time’: Paterakis, CEMA.

  ‘Giorgios Psychoundakis was with Barnes’: Psychoundakis, The Cretan Runner, p. 268. ‘In the late afternoon’: NLS/PLF/13338/5.

  ‘the Germans set up’: Frangoulitakis, NLS/PLF/13338/30.

  ‘In his diary he fumed’: Moss, unpublished diary, IWM, 05/74/1.

  ‘On 5 May, Tyrakis’: NLS/PLF/13338/1.

  ‘Eventually Psychoundakis tracked’: Psychoundakis, p. 267.

  ‘Moving a wireless station’: Fielding, Hide and Seek, p. 133.

  ‘Leigh Fermor asked that Psychoundakis’: Psychoundakis, p. 268.

  ‘Psychoundakis returned the next day’: NLS/PLF/13338/1.

  ‘This was a comic improvisation’: Psychoundakis, p. 269.

  ‘At Cairo the SOE’: NA/HS5/671.

  21 Hide and Seek

  ‘Dear Billy, All’: NLS/PLF/13338/6.

  ‘Moss wrote in his diary’: Moss, unpublished diary.

  ‘When Kreipe heard this’: ibid.

  ‘After this outburst’: See Powell, The Villa Ariadne, p. 177. Kreipe did not like Moss. He told Dilys Powell that: ‘Paddy, I liked Paddy, but Moss, always with his pistol, it was childish.’ He also claimed that Moss hit him with a rifle butt during the kidnap moments. This is unlikely, because Moss was on the opposite side of the car dealing with the driver and taking control of the vehicle; he was not armed with a rifle.

  ‘Manolis Paterakis began’: Paterakis, CEMA.

  ‘The brazen and criminal’: Cooper, Patrick Leigh Fermor, Kindle edition.

  ‘It was the local raki factory’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 143.

  ‘Leigh Fermor, Tyrakis’: Harokopos, p. 164.

  ‘Dear Paddy, have already’: original signal NLS/PLF/13338/31.

  ‘In the afternoon’: Harokopos, p. 169.

  22 Men of Darkness

  ‘A few days before’: Frangoulitakis, ‘The Eagles of Mount Ida’, MS, NLF/PLF.

  ‘The SOE officers told’: Harokopos, p. 185.

  ‘They walked towards the rising moon’: NLS/PLF/13338/31.

  ‘Taking no chances’: A few months later, Antonis Zoidakis was wounded and captured at exactly the same spot. German soldiers knocked him to the ground, tied his feet to the back of a lorry and drove off, dragging him for four miles. His flayed and unrecognisable body was left by the road, a warning to others.

  ‘After a while he be
gan’: Moss, unpublished diary.

  ‘Moss took a’: Moss, unpublished diary.

  ‘The tensions of the last’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 162.

  ‘An hysterical, feminine’: Moss, diary.

  ‘In an attempt to warm’: Moss, Moonlight, p. 166.

  ‘Leigh Fermor talked’: Moss, unpublished diary.

  23 Home Run

  ‘Most of the men had fair hair’: NLS/PLF/13338/31.

  ‘The party sat overlooking’: ibid.

  ‘You must be pleased’: ibid.

  ‘They were in a tiny’: ibid.

  ‘“Bloody fools,” replied Ciclitira’: author interview with Paul Ciclitira.

  ‘The men heading for Egypt’: ibid.

  ‘Surprisingly many of the andartes’: Paterakis, CEMA.