The Secret Rescue (45 page)

13. [failed air evacuation]
Duffy, “Report on Evacuation of American Party”; Hayes, interview; Agnes Jensen Mangerich,
Albanian Escape
(Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1999), 162–167; Abbott,
Out of Albania,
144–149; 1st Fighter Group mission reports, December 29, 1943, from the files of Jim Graham, 1st Fighter Group, 71st Fighter Squadron, as copied from NACP and found in Roll A6544, AFHRA; Operational Records Book of 150 Squadron RAF, TNA, AIR 27/1011. Though Duffy’s report said the planes arrived “just after 1200 hrs,” two mission reports indicate they arrived about 12:30 p.m. The mission reports also indicate twenty-one P-38s arrived, but Hayes remembers counting eighteen. British officer H. W. Tilman also recalled seeing eighteen:
When Men and Mountains Meet
(1946), collected in
The Seven Mountain-Travel Books
(1983; repr., London: Bâton Wicks, 2010), 367.

14. “If I live to be 100”
Agnes Jensen, statement, Roll A6544, AFHRA.

15. [realized air evacuation was possible]
Hayes, interview; Richard Lebo, statement, Roll A6544, AFHRA; Abbott,
Out of Albania,
147. Though Duffy’s report made no mention of the last-minute effort to attract the pilots’ attention, Hayes vividly recalled the scene, which was further backed by Lebo’s account in a 1944 intelligence report. He said, “We thought it would be too dangerous to signal the planes but at the last minute we did try to signal them.” The description in Abbott’s book supported Hayes’s claim as well, except Abbott wrote they used “parachute scarves” to try to signal the planes rather than panels from parachutes used in supply drops.

16. “One or two of the nurses did break down”
Duffy, “Report on Evacuation of American Party.”

17. dejected… sobbing
Ibid.; Debriefings of nurses and medics from Army Intelligence, Roll A6544, AFHRA; Hayes, interview; Mangerich,
Albanian Escape,
162–167; Abbott,
Out of Albania,
144–149.

18. “There were so few of us”
Lois Watson, statement, Roll A6544, AFHRA.

19. strafed them with machine-gun fire
1st Fighter Group mission reports, December 29, 1943, from the files of Jim Graham, 1st Fighter Group, 71st Fighter Squadron as copied from NACP and found in Roll A6544.

20. Hayes and Abbott volunteered
Hayes, interview. Abbott,
Out of Albania,
151, did not mention that he stayed behind after the air evacuation but mentioned a similar scene on December 31 while he was with Hornsby (152).

21. “Very regrettable”
Duffy, “Report on Evacuation of American Party.”

22. [Smith at Seaview on Christmas Day]
Lloyd Smith, “Report on Mission of Evacuation, American Rescue Party,” RG 226, entry 144, box 97, folder 1023, NACP.

23. “This job here is no cinch”
Roderick Bailey,
The Wildest Province
(London: Jonathan Cape, 2008), 197.

24. Field… injured
Bailey,
The Wildest Province,
205; Anthony Quayle,
A Time to Speak
(London: Sphere Books, 1990), 374–375.

25. “he has so low an opinion”
Bailey,
The Wildest Province,
206.

26. “I felt nothing but joy”
Quayle,
A Time to Speak,
372.

27. “ ‘Send out all the Intelligence’ ”
Ibid., 374.

28. Kukich
Bailey,
The Wildest Province,
209; Peter Lucas,
The OSS in World War II Albania
(Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2007), 42.

29. “Ahead was a narrow beach”
Quayle,
A Time to Speak,
375.

30. “I wish you joy”
Ibid.

31. “This is [standard operating procedure]”
Smith, “Report on Mission of Evacuation.”

32. move the party to Saraqinishtë
Hayes, interview; Duffy, “Report on Evacuation of American Party”; Mangerich,
Albanian Escape,
173; Abbott,
Out of Albania,
154.

33. “We were not exactly thrown out”
Duffy, “Report on Evacuation of American Party.”

34. Greek Orthodox church
Hayes, interview; Abbott,
Out of Albania,
154–155.

35. Duffy told the party
Hayes, interview; Duffy, “Report on Evacuation of American Party.”

36. leave immediately for Dhoksat
Hayes, interview; H. W. Tilman, report, TNA HS 5/128. Duffy’s report told of leaving for the coast from Saraqinishtë rather than stopping in Dhoksat again, but Dhoksat is where Tilman gave the party the shoes and other supplies. In Tilman’s report he mentioned seeing the party again on January 2.

37. “I have a present for you.”
Hayes, interview.

38. [Owen and Hayes switch shoes]
Ibid.

39. [Supplies from Tilman]
Ibid.

Chapter 14

1. “super-human effort”
Gavan Duffy, “Report on Evacuation of American Party from Albania,” TNA, HS 5/124.

2. arrived at Karjan
Ibid.; Hayes, interview. Hayes’s account and Jens’s diary did not agree with Duffy’s report regarding the names of the villages they stayed in. Neither Agnes Jensen Mangerich,
Albanian Escape
(Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1999), nor Lawrence O. Abbott,
Out of Albania,
ed. Clinton W. Abbott (Lulu Press, 2010), mentioned walking through the night, as Duffy’s report indicated.

3. McKenzie wrote
Nolan McKenzie to Office of the Adjutant General, letter, January 2, 1944.

4. Cruise’s brother
Jim Cruise’s brother to Office of the Adjutant General, letter, James P. Cruise personnel file, NPRC.

5. Hayes’s mother
Hayes, interview.

6. oranges
Ibid. Abbott,
Out of Albania,
156, said Schwant was cutting a piece of cornbread.

7. Drino River
Hayes, interview. Abbott,
Out of Albania,
157, said they crossed in the dark.

8. “crack up”
Duffy, “Report on Evacuation of American Party.”

9. “a bunch of prisoners on the Russian front”
Ibid.

10. “pushing the party through”
Ibid.

11. Tacina… bad ankle
Ibid.

12. [description of storm]
Ibid.; Hayes, interview; Abbott,
Out of Albania,
164–165; “Balkan Escape,”
Collier’s,
April 1, 1944, 64.

13. “Everything during this acrobatic display”
Duffy, “Report on Evacuation of American Party.”

14. Hayes fell back
Hayes, interview.

15. [meeting Smith]
Ibid.; Mangerich,
Albanian Escape,
181–183; Abbott,
Out of Albania,
166; Duffy, “Report on Evacuation of American Party”; Lloyd Smith, “Report on Mission of Evacuation, American Rescue Party,” RG 226, entry 144, box 97, folder 1023, NACP.

16. [Smith’s journey]
Smith, “Report on Mission of Evacuation.”

17. recommended for a promotion
TNA, HS 9/454/8.

18. “After this reorganization”
Smith, “Report on Mission of Evacuation.”

19. safely proceed
Ibid.

20. four partisans running
Ibid.

21. olives from a barrel
Hayes, interview.

22. Smith suggested
Smith, “Report on Mission of Evacuation.”

23. three giant steps
Ibid.; Hayes, interview; Abbott,
Out of Albania,
168.

24. raced ahead
Smith, “Report on Mission of Evacuation.”

25. [Stefa said goodbye]
Hayes, interview. Mangerich,
Albanian Escape,
183–185, described Stefa leaving at a different time of day and location.

26. arrest him
Stefa family, written statement delivered to the author in person in Berat, March 20, 2012; Kostaq Stefa (grandson), e-mail interview, December 31, 2012.

27. Smith and his guide
Smith, “Report on Mission of Evacuation.”

28. [description of truck ride]
Ibid.; Hayes, interview; Mangerich,
Albanian Escape,
190–192; Abbott,
Out of Albania,
170–172; Duffy, “Report on Evacuation of American Party.”

Chapter 15

1. “That was seven weeks ago”
Hayes, interview.

2. “I cannot remember any group”
Lloyd Smith, “Report on Mission of Evacuation, American Rescue Party,” RG 226, entry 144, box 97, folder 1023, NACP.

3. [boat delayed]
Hayes, interview.

4. moonlight
“Phases of the Moon: 1901 to 2000,” NASA, http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases1901.html.

5. radio in hand, Brodie
David Brodie, “The Rescue of American Nurses from Albania,” in
The OSS CommVets Papers,
ed. J. F. Ranney and A. L. Ranney (Covington, KY: James F. Ranney, 2002), 28.

6. Davies… under attack
E. W. (“Trotsky”) Davies,
Illyrian Venture
(London: Bodley Head, 1952), 148–153.

7. Orahood… received a message
Hayes, interview.