Greek Easter 1940
—Greek Easter 1941 by Olivia Manning
Produced by R. D. Smith
In August 1939 Olivia Manning married R. D. Smith (the producer of this programme). Immediately afterwards he was ordered to the Balkans, and she went with him. At Easter 1940 they returned to Rumania from leave in Athens to find the Balkan world collapsing around them. In October, after some weeks of German domination of Rumania, they made their way into Greece, just before the Italian declaration of war. On Good Friday 1941 they escaped from the blown-up port of Piraeus, three days ahead of the German advance. In tonight's programme Olivia Manning recalls these events.