REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

38
Remembrance in Time
The information in official documents (Ministry of Interior - MI) and the report of the
only survivor were inconsistent on some issues related to the activities of the group. Thus,
according to a report of the Ministry of Interior, published in the press, "the enemy group
have not found any base for subversion or support among the population in the country".
According to the weapons of the group, the report states that the group was “equipped
with a large quantity of weapons, including a pistol with a suppressor". Besides that the
group also possessed “4 portable radio stations with broadcasting transmitters RT-3,
receiver type "RR-2B", "Babel" and "Bede" radio codes, encrypted tables, topographic
maps, amount of 50 000 Bulgarian levas, 60 gold Turkish liras, high calorie food, vials of
poison, clothing and other items". Official information is that saboteurs had maintained
radio contact with the reconnaissance center in Paris and informed the "American masters
about hopeless and critical situation in which they have fallen, and asked them for
help" 32 .
D. Karaivanov said for the weapons of the group: “Bogdan has a 9 mm gun with three
magazines, one “Mauser” 7/65 mm pistol with two or three magazines, one “Beretta”
7/65 mm gun with one magazine (later given to Emilia), a few 9 and 7/65 mm ammo, two
English and one small Italian bombs and a knife. Karaivanov stated that his equipment
was almost the same as Bogdan’s except his “Beretta” had its barrel twisted because of
the container crash but had 6 extra magazines for Schmeiser. M. Ivanov had the same
weapons, but "two English bombs plus a Russian gun given by the supporters along with
three round magazines with 72 ammo and a straight with 23 ammo in it". Emilia,
Karaivanov’s wife had the “Beretta" given by Bogdan and some spare ammo 7/65 mm.
ammo and a hunting knife" 33 .
As for the equipment that they had, D. Karaivanov said he jumped with the French
apparatus for transmitting and receiving, and Bogdan – with the small one (other
equipment was damaged due to the separation of container from the parachute and crash
to the ground). In his report Karaivanov spoke about an unsuccessful attempt to establish
radio contact on December 18, 1953 and for an established “incomplete and unclear
contact with the Paris headquarters" a little later 34 .
On the other hand, the statement in the official documents that paratroopers anarchists
have not found any support among the local population, is in contradiction with the fact
that in September 1954 eight people (from Pavel Banya and Gabarevo villages) were
brought to trial. They were charged in “giving an asylum to persons who have joined the
country's enemies and formed an armed group which aims to overthrow the people's
democratic power through rebellion" 35 .
In his report D. Karaivanov explained his conviction that finding the second container
by the two Karakachan brothers was the main reason for revealing the presence of
paratroopers in the area to the security forces. The circumstances about the disclosure of
the group are more detailed in the National Security files and periodicals. A report of the
National Security from May 20, 1955 states that there was a search in the area north of
Kazanlak regarding spreading "enemy propaganda materials" from an "enemy" aircraft on
22 September 23, 1953. During this search clothes and other belongings were found.
Initial information that people were not dropped by a plane was refuted by an agent who
gave information about the emerging M. Ivanov to the local Police Department. Along
with that information, a National Security agent in Razlog obtained data for local people
who have found the parachutes and other items during their stay as loggers in Kazanlak
region. Then the security forces started an operation on detecting persons landed in this
area in the autumn of 1953. The analysis of a hand-written note found there shows that its
author is M. Ivanov. National Security agents gradually revealed the identity of the
paratroopers and focused on their efforts in searching and capturing them near Pavel