Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al publishes some unknown archival documents taken from the Central State Archive in Tirana (Anglo-American Allies Fund) which belong to 1944 where there are two reports-information of the Prefecture of Elbasan, sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Tirana, when the prefect, Lutfi Shehu, informs his superiors about the bombing of Anglo-American forces in his prefecture, which through combat aviation were causing casualties and injuries to the civilian population. Full report-information of the prefecture of Elbasan dated March 27, 1944, which provides detailed information on the Anglo-American aviation bombing in the city of Elbasan and the names of those killed and wounded by the civilian population, mainly of the Roma community, of who the German forces took and hospitalized and treated in their military hospital of Krasta, on the outskirts of the city of Elbasan!
The year 1944, Albania was occupied by Hitler’s Nazi forces and the Anglo-American allied aviation that bombed and caused casualties to the civilian population on the outskirts of the city of Elbasan, mainly the Roma community wandering around there, begging for the nearest villages. While the German forces that come to his aid, collecting the corpses, first giving the ambulance to the wounded and transporting them with their vehicles to the German Military Hospital of Krasta, where the German doctors laid the wounded and treated the wounded. or and operating them. It seems that history has turned “upside down” and that in this passage of this article, we have confused the “roles played” by the Anglo-Americans and the Germans during the war in Albania?! But this is what really happened, this is one of the pictures of the war chronicles in March 1944 on the outskirts of the city of Elbasan, which is also made known by archival documents found in the Central State Archive (Fund: English Allies correspondence between the Prefecture of Elbasan and the Ministry of Interior in Tirana, regarding the victims and wounded caused by the bombings of the Anglo-American aviation in that prefecture. What is noticeable and of some interest regarding the period of the War in Albania (or more precisely that; from September 1943 to the end of the war in November 1944), is the fact that the wounded from the bombing of the allied military aviation Anglo-American in various cities and areas of Albania, everywhere from south to north, were offered the help of German forces, who transported them with their vehicles and treated them, hospitalized and operated in military hospitals, such as the Military Hospital German in Krasta of Elbasan. This has happened in other prefectures of Albania, wherever the Anglo-Americans fought against the German forces. We said a little above that this is of interest, because, in no case, as before 1990 until today, it has never been said and made known, not only by official historiography and propaganda, but also by the press. Another thing that can be noticed in these archival documents that are published for the first time, is the care that the Albanian government and administration of that period showed for its citizens, which is also evident from the detailed data and the excesses that it has and gives to the wounded or killed by the Anglo-American bombing, as in this case those from the Roma community who lived in Kichevo and wandered the villages of Elbasan, collecting tangles, which must be said to have inherited from the period of Zog Monarchy. Another fact that speaks volumes and is somehow clarified by these documents, is the role of the nationalist organization “Balli Kombëtar” during the period of occupation of the country, which communist historiography has accused as collaborators with the German occupying forces in Albania”. While in this document, a detail is given that speaks to the opposite, while a part of the wounded was sent to the German Military Hospital in Krasta of Elbasan, the other wounded came to the aid of “Rinija e Balli” and sent them at the State Hospital in Elbasan. Along with the two documents that are published in full and with the relevant facsimiles, Memorie.al is also publishing some rare photos of Anglo-Americans and Germans in Albania.
Report-information of the Prefect of Elbasan sent to the Ministry of Interior in Tirana, for the Anglo-American bombings
ALBANIAN STATE
PREFECTURE OF ELBASAN Elbasan, on 27/3/1944
ABBREVIATION: P. T.
On the injury of the P. MINISTRY OF INTERIOR
Sergeant Haxhi Xhaferraj (Correspondence Directorate)
T I R A N E
We would like to inform you that the Command of the District of Gendarmerie here informs us that on the 22nd of k.m. at 13 o’clock on the General Road coming from Tirana to Elbasan near this city, in the place called “Shabanaj Mill” by English planes with machine guns, Sergeant Haxhi Jonuz Xhaferraj, a member of the Gendarmerie District Command, was seriously wounded in the car. His wife, Rryzhdije Xhaferraj, the daughter of Ismail and Selvia, 24, born and living in the village of Kalivaç in Tepelena, was also injured in the same car.
The sergeant received three wounds in the right thigh and on the 23rd of k.m. In the operation performed by the operators of the German Military Hospital in Krasta, they cut off his leg and injured him.
The mentioned Rryzhdije received these light wounds, one in her left hand, one in her left arm and one in her right thigh, which at the moment of the concussion together with her husband Sergeant, were hospitalized in the above-mentioned Hospital, after the wounds were healed, Rruzhdija went to the house of Petrit Koka who lives in this town, which has her tribe.
The minutes of the case together with the Medical report were sent to the District Command of the Korça Gendarmerie, by the High Command mentioned.
Prefect
(Lutfi Shehu)
ALBANIAN STATE
PREFECTURE OF ELBASAN Elbasan, on 27/3/1944
ABBREVIATION: P. T.
On the machine gun of some P. MINISTRY OF INTERIOR
Persons from the Aircraft (Correspondence Directorate)
English T I R A N E
The Regional Command of the Gendarmerie here informs us that on the 19th of this month, along the road Elbasan – Belsh, four English planes had machine guns and two civilian vehicles and the following persons were injured:
- Azem Dalipi, son of Abdullah and Selime, 15 years old, born and living in Kichevo, married, received two wounds, one on the right arm and the other on the right thigh.
- Ramiz Selimi, son of Selimi, from Kichevo, who died on the spot.
- Mehmet Ahmeti, the son of Sefer and Hakija, 20 years old, born and living in Kichevo, married, received two wounds, one on the right leg and one on the head on the right side.
- Hajrulla Imeti, the son of Bari and Sanija, 13 years old, was born and lives in Kichevo, who received two wounds, one in his left hand and one in his left thigh.
- Abib Abdullahi, son of Abdullah and Selime, 11 years old, was born and lives in Kichevo, who received two wounds, one in the left arm and one in the left thigh.
- Delip Avdullahi, son of Abdullah and Selime, 21 years old, born and living in Kichevo, married.
- Selvije Hatipi, wife of Dalip Abdullahu, 20 years old, born and living in Kichevo.
For Dalip Abdullahu and his wife Selvije Hatipi, they received a wound in the hand, but the exact wounds are not known, after being transported by German soldiers to the Hospital of Krasta, the first four were transported from the Youth of Balli to the State Hospital and are hospitalized for treatment. All of the above mentioned are arrivals and were on walks among the begging villages, which happened to be near machine guns. /Memorie.al
Prefect
(Lutfi Shehu)
