GROSUPLJE attacks by SAAF 16 sqdn 1945

Herewith emails received from Igor:

Hello Tinus!

Today was very interesting day for me. On two different web sites I find you name an on both Slovenia is also mentioned.

My name is Igor Tratnik and I live in Grosuplje, Slovenia. More than 20 years I have researched aviation history, mostly events over Slovenia during WWII. Your web site which I rediscovered today has become much more extensive and rich with photographs. It is a real treasure for researchers of WWII aviation. I went through the photos very quickly and saw that some information can be added.

The second surprise was the discovery that you were last summer in Slovenia. I heard from people living in Zuzemberk and Gradenc that somebody from South Africa were in Gradenc to see memorial dedicated to downed B-17 and it's crew. In the local newspaper it was mentioned that this visitor were you. Unfortunately this info came to me too late.

I hope in the future we will find some interesting questions connected with SAAF and Slovenia.

Best regards,

Igor T.

Thank you for your fast response. The photos from your site give many new information about SAAF air attacks in Slovenia. So far, little has been known about this. The topic is interesting, but it can also be connected with civilian casualties. This may be the reason that there is little known about it, and people sometimes are not too eloquent.

So far, the most researched topic in the past has been the rescuing of allied airmen which fell on Slovenian soil. Among them were some from South Africa. This topic could be discussed in the future too.

Your photos of Grosuplje are correctly marked. The attack on Grosuplje was on the 20th April 1945, 19 days before liberation. It is known that in Grosuplje was small enemy garrison which defended the railway lines.

At this moment I do not yet know exactly where it was stationed. It is known that enemy soldiers (Italians utill September 1943 and domobranci) were stationed in the house marked with G1 (see attached photo 34312.jpg). It could be that enemy garrison was in the building marked G2, because this was the bigest building in Grosuplje at that time. It was school before the WWII and is school also today.