Description

This unusual report in Chinese language, was hand-written on the United Nations letterhead by a UNSCOB observer Dr. F. C. Yang of Rome Univerity.

UNSCOB, or United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans, was formed in 1947, to observe the relations and the borders of Greece with Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania. After WWII Greece experienced a polarising civil war between communist and anticommunist forces until 1949. Observers and spies were sent there by the Western organisations to observe the fights send in the first-hand reports.

The accompanying printed letter was written in Thessaloniki (Salonika), on April 23 1951, by a Chief Observer Brigadier H.W.D. McDonald, who describes Dr. Yang’s dedication to work amid the civil war:

During 1948-49 the guerrilla war was at its height and in order to carry out their tasks, observers were more than often in the forefront oft he fighting, living with and sharing the same dangers and hardships as the Greek soldiers. In particular I recall two outstanding exploits carried out by Dr. Yang.

Firstly, im May 1945, during the fighting along the Greek-Albanian border Dr. Yang … was forced to crawl to a forward position right on the border, where he was under heavy rifle and machine-gun fire… 

Secondly, in May 1950, during the GNA operations to clear the Greek guerrillas out of Evros in eastern Thrace, Dr. Yang and his fellow observer…. had no food or water, but with keeping with the foremost troops they were able to observe fire from across the border and at one particular point found obvious signs of a hasty retreat across the Bulgarian border. This information was of great value to the Committee…

UN military observers were withdrawn from Greece on July 31, 1954.