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The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines
The untold story of a group of stranded US Army nurses and medics fighting to escape from Nazi-occupied Europe.
It is one of the greatest forgotten stories of World War II. When 26 Army Air Forces flight nurses and medics board a military transport plane in November 1943, they never anticipate a crash landing in Nazi territory, or their months-long fight to survive.
This long untold, true story begins as the group of men and women is on its way to evacuate wounded and sick troops near the frontlines in Italy. Caught in a violent storm, the plane is pushed off course and into the path of German fighter planes. Without a working radio or compass, the flight crew is flying blind after hours in the air and is forced to land in unforgiving and unknown terrain.
When the Americans emerge from their battered aircraft, they find themselves in Albania-a brutal and poverty-stricken country rife with chaos and danger-with only one gun among them. Met by battle-hardened partisans, they wander for months over rugged mountains during a brutal winter in their efforts to escape, facing a barrage of life-threatening incidents, including a German attack that almost costs them their lives. With hunger and sickness as their constant companions, the party is haunted by the threat of capture by the Nazis. Always on the move, they hide at night with courageous villagers who share what little food they have and risk death at Nazi hands to help them, hoping for the daring rescue attempts American and British agents plan in this tumultuous landscape of war.
The drama of the party captured the American public, but the details of their journey remained hidden for decades. A mesmerizing tale of the courage and bravery of ordinary people, THE SECRET RESCUE tells for the first time the whole story, of heroic struggle and endurance.
It is one of the greatest forgotten stories of World War II. When 26 Army Air Forces flight nurses and medics board a military transport plane in November 1943, they never anticipate a crash landing in Nazi territory, or their months-long fight to survive.
This long untold, true story begins as the group of men and women is on its way to evacuate wounded and sick troops near the frontlines in Italy. Caught in a violent storm, the plane is pushed off course and into the path of German fighter planes. Without a working radio or compass, the flight crew is flying blind after hours in the air and is forced to land in unforgiving and unknown terrain.
When the Americans emerge from their battered aircraft, they find themselves in Albania-a brutal and poverty-stricken country rife with chaos and danger-with only one gun among them. Met by battle-hardened partisans, they wander for months over rugged mountains during a brutal winter in their efforts to escape, facing a barrage of life-threatening incidents, including a German attack that almost costs them their lives. With hunger and sickness as their constant companions, the party is haunted by the threat of capture by the Nazis. Always on the move, they hide at night with courageous villagers who share what little food they have and risk death at Nazi hands to help them, hoping for the daring rescue attempts American and British agents plan in this tumultuous landscape of war.
The drama of the party captured the American public, but the details of their journey remained hidden for decades. A mesmerizing tale of the courage and bravery of ordinary people, THE SECRET RESCUE tells for the first time the whole story, of heroic struggle and endurance.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
501 people are currently reading
4162 people want to read
About the author
Cate Lineberry
2 books43 followersCATE LINEBERRY is the author of "Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls' Escape from Slavery to Union Hero" (coming June 20, 2017). She is also the author of "The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines," a #1 Wall Street Journal e-book bestseller and a finalist for the Edgar and Anthony Awards. Lineberry was previously a staff writer and editor for National Geographic Magazine and the web editor for Smithsonian Magazine. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times. Lineberry lives in Raleigh, NC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
August 20, 2023
Desperate times for those on the run.
Should have been a film - years and years ago.
There is so much I would miss out on if it were not for GR.
I shall tell this story to the nieces and nephews.
Should have been a film - years and years ago.
There is so much I would miss out on if it were not for GR.
I shall tell this story to the nieces and nephews.
August 25, 2013
I am not sure how you go about making a thrilling real story so boring but she managed it. She needs to take lessons from Laura Hillenbrand on how to write a compelling read from facts. This read more like a research paper which is fine but made the book very dry. Also, the number of links to end notes in the ebook version is really distracting.
June 8, 2013
Through our reading, no doubt many of us have learned that men and women can accomplish extraordinary feats, when facing extraordinary circumstances. Cate Lineberry's groundbreaking story of how twenty-six American military nurses and medics came to be rescued, after their medical transport plane crash-landed, behind enemy lines in Nazi Occupied Albania, is an exciting read.
They were missing for several weeks, and their fate unknown. Not only did they have to dodge Nazi patrols and air attacks, they found themselves caught up in the middle of a civil war between two warring groups, in the mountainous terrain of Albania. The Americans were unarmed except for one weapon, and had to rely on the kindness of Albanian villagers, as they trekked through mountainous ridge and valleys in freezing cold, snow, wind and rain. The medical personnel were not equipped for their ordeal, wearing regulation leather shoes, standard uniforms, and mostly light weight jackets-certainly not the clothing required for the altitudes and weather they encountered.
Additionally, they faced a language barrier, since non of them could speak with the various tribal leaders and villagers they encountered, nor did they know whom they could trust. Fortuitously, on a few occasions they met Albanian men who had spent some time in the United States as immigrants, who remembered their time there with fondness, and spoke rudimentary English. Without the bravery of these men and their families who hid them, shared incredibly low food supplies, and risked execution by the Nazis for harbouring "spies"', the medics and nurses likely would have perished.
Additionally, their rescue was an organizational nightmare to execute, requiring British and American intelligence forces to plan together, and execute that plan, using in-country military operatives who had been parachuted into Albania to establish secret communication and intelligence bases in mountain hideaways. The plan had to be carried out when the right combination of factors came together: weather, the absence of Nazi patrols in the rescue area, and no fighting among the Albanian rebel groups.
The book also provides important background material concerning the development of medical air transport as a means of saving a higher percentage of wounded or ill soldiers, traced back to before the war began. Many readers are likely to gain new information about the struggles between Allied forces and Germany to gain control of Albania. Sufficient background material is provided to set the stage for the dangerous mission to rescue these lost medics and nurses.
Lineberry provides ample evidence of her research in detailed notes for each chapter, and conducted countless interviews to prepare her text. She has shone a light on a group of individuals whose bravery and endurance had remained largely untold, until now. The survivors were told not to give details of their ordeal, and most never met again, after the rescue.
Incidentally, this review does not contain spoilers since the book is titled "The Secret Rescue"....what you must read and marvel at, are the details of how it all came about. This is a true-life adventure, and deserves to be told.
They were missing for several weeks, and their fate unknown. Not only did they have to dodge Nazi patrols and air attacks, they found themselves caught up in the middle of a civil war between two warring groups, in the mountainous terrain of Albania. The Americans were unarmed except for one weapon, and had to rely on the kindness of Albanian villagers, as they trekked through mountainous ridge and valleys in freezing cold, snow, wind and rain. The medical personnel were not equipped for their ordeal, wearing regulation leather shoes, standard uniforms, and mostly light weight jackets-certainly not the clothing required for the altitudes and weather they encountered.
Additionally, they faced a language barrier, since non of them could speak with the various tribal leaders and villagers they encountered, nor did they know whom they could trust. Fortuitously, on a few occasions they met Albanian men who had spent some time in the United States as immigrants, who remembered their time there with fondness, and spoke rudimentary English. Without the bravery of these men and their families who hid them, shared incredibly low food supplies, and risked execution by the Nazis for harbouring "spies"', the medics and nurses likely would have perished.
Additionally, their rescue was an organizational nightmare to execute, requiring British and American intelligence forces to plan together, and execute that plan, using in-country military operatives who had been parachuted into Albania to establish secret communication and intelligence bases in mountain hideaways. The plan had to be carried out when the right combination of factors came together: weather, the absence of Nazi patrols in the rescue area, and no fighting among the Albanian rebel groups.
The book also provides important background material concerning the development of medical air transport as a means of saving a higher percentage of wounded or ill soldiers, traced back to before the war began. Many readers are likely to gain new information about the struggles between Allied forces and Germany to gain control of Albania. Sufficient background material is provided to set the stage for the dangerous mission to rescue these lost medics and nurses.
Lineberry provides ample evidence of her research in detailed notes for each chapter, and conducted countless interviews to prepare her text. She has shone a light on a group of individuals whose bravery and endurance had remained largely untold, until now. The survivors were told not to give details of their ordeal, and most never met again, after the rescue.
Incidentally, this review does not contain spoilers since the book is titled "The Secret Rescue"....what you must read and marvel at, are the details of how it all came about. This is a true-life adventure, and deserves to be told.
February 2, 2014
I found this book a laudable entry to the escape genre of World War II history. Ms. Lineberry does an admirable job of tracing the cause/evasion and eventual evacuation of a group of 30 medical/flight personnel after their aircraft goes down in Albania in November of 1943.
She doesn’t just tell the story of the crash and the resulting evasion of German forces, but gives a brief overview of the formation of the 807th MAETS, the mission of the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadrons and how they were put together. She traces the miscues that caused a routine flight to Bari to become lost and eventually crashing the Albanian Mountains. Miraculously all 30 aboard the aircraft survive and are rescued by Albanian guerillas who eventually take them to British SOE and American OSS personnel, who then effect their evacuation.
In telling the story, Ms. Lineberry also looks and the rivalry between the two main guerilla groups and the resulting detours in the survivor’s evacuation route. The tale of their trek is filled with the kindness of the Albanian people. As they made their way to the coast and eventual rescue, the survivors were housed, fed and on occasion hidden by Albanian villagers at great risk to themselves and their families. As the survivors trek through the mountains, I thought the author also gives a fairly interesting look at the culture clash between the Americans and the Albanians. I found the stories of the Albanian guerillas who led them very interesting – it seems that most of the English speakers the Americans ran into either spent time in the US or learned it at an Albanian Technical College.
This is also the story of the SOE and OSS members who were running the Ops in Albania and put together the evacuation of all 30 survivors. Again Ms. Lineberry does an admirable job of telling their story.
While this is a story that is both fascinating and needed to be told, sometimes the authors writing styles comes off a little flat and impersonal. This brought my rating down from a 4+ star book to 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4 for Good Reads)
She doesn’t just tell the story of the crash and the resulting evasion of German forces, but gives a brief overview of the formation of the 807th MAETS, the mission of the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadrons and how they were put together. She traces the miscues that caused a routine flight to Bari to become lost and eventually crashing the Albanian Mountains. Miraculously all 30 aboard the aircraft survive and are rescued by Albanian guerillas who eventually take them to British SOE and American OSS personnel, who then effect their evacuation.
In telling the story, Ms. Lineberry also looks and the rivalry between the two main guerilla groups and the resulting detours in the survivor’s evacuation route. The tale of their trek is filled with the kindness of the Albanian people. As they made their way to the coast and eventual rescue, the survivors were housed, fed and on occasion hidden by Albanian villagers at great risk to themselves and their families. As the survivors trek through the mountains, I thought the author also gives a fairly interesting look at the culture clash between the Americans and the Albanians. I found the stories of the Albanian guerillas who led them very interesting – it seems that most of the English speakers the Americans ran into either spent time in the US or learned it at an Albanian Technical College.
This is also the story of the SOE and OSS members who were running the Ops in Albania and put together the evacuation of all 30 survivors. Again Ms. Lineberry does an admirable job of telling their story.
While this is a story that is both fascinating and needed to be told, sometimes the authors writing styles comes off a little flat and impersonal. This brought my rating down from a 4+ star book to 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4 for Good Reads)
Read
December 23, 2017I had a difficult time getting into this book. I didn't care for the first chapter. Once the group was on the plane, the book was exciting and impossible to put down.
February 24, 2014
The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines is a 4 Star exciting story that lay dormant and untold for 70 years until Ms. Lineberry brings it to life. This WWII story is mostly about the trek through the mountains of Albania by the nurses, medics and flight crew after they crash-land behind Nazi lines. Wonderful and harrowing stories of near capture by the Germans and unfriendly partisans are mixed with welcoming hearts of peasants who risk death to help these wandering Americans. They meet up with the British SOE helping Albanian partisans who eventually get them to the coast for rescue. Ms. Lineberry tells the background of many participants and some very interesting episodes and facts. It is a quick yet enjoyable story. Matches nicely with similar books I have read recently, such as Lost in Shangri-la: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II and We Band of Angels: The Untold Story of American Nurses Trapped on Bataan by the Japanese
April 3, 2024
Interesting, while at times a slog. Probably more my pickle brain not able to cope with the many names and the way the story is joined up.
It's suggested this is an untold story. Apparently one of the nurses who escaped did write a memoir - I'll try and hunt that down.
It's suggested this is an untold story. Apparently one of the nurses who escaped did write a memoir - I'll try and hunt that down.
December 4, 2014
Well, this is the type of WWII book I usually like to read because I love to read about human endurance and triumph over hardship or horrific trials. The title belies a thrilling tale, and I found myself reading faster and faster so I could be done with it. Even the blurbs on the back (I know, I shouldn't go by those) talk about "a thrilling story of courage behind enemy lines", "courageous journey", "a gripping story of courage under fire".
I appreciate that the author told an oft-neglected POV, that of medical personnel during WWII; however, she manages to make it sound merely dreary with the downed people sniping more at each other and their guides than anyone shoots at them. Honestly, I don't know how she made it so tedious.
I am a disabled veteran of the US Air Force, albeit a young one, and I freely admit I've got no on-the-ground combat experience. That said, I don't have any idea how terrifying it was for those folks to survive a plane crash, find out they were in a country most had never heard of, travel by foot (mostly) with meager clothing, footwear, food and water, for almost 1,000 miles over rough terrain. That they did it and all got back to Italy is an amazing feat in and of itself, but Lineberry's narrative manages to dull it down for me.
I'm sure some WWII vets can straighten me out on this, but it seemed like the group didn't come together well, even in their dire straits: they didn't gather much gear when they left the plane--including the K and D rations! The pilot should have taken the lead and told everyone what to gather up to take with them. Even when a few guys went back to destroy the plane, their scavenging was haphazard and a bit stealthy, with 2 of the enlisted men gathering some of the rations (which everyone could have used in the month to come). Overall, the enlisted men felt left out of any communication loop and often didn't know what was going on regarding their route or plan to get back to Italy. I know officers and enlisted aren't supposed to co-mingle (discipline, rank, chain of command, etc), but I guess I naively thought that they would coalesce into one group of Americans, not the fractured factions that resembled the BK and partisans of Albania.
What could have been indeed been a thrilling story for me turned into a slog. I will check out some of the other books on this story: Mangerich's "Albanian Escape" or Quayle's "A Time to Speak", Bailey's "The Wildest Province", or Abbott's "Out of Albania". I think the editor missed the mark on this one.
I appreciate that the author told an oft-neglected POV, that of medical personnel during WWII; however, she manages to make it sound merely dreary with the downed people sniping more at each other and their guides than anyone shoots at them. Honestly, I don't know how she made it so tedious.
I am a disabled veteran of the US Air Force, albeit a young one, and I freely admit I've got no on-the-ground combat experience. That said, I don't have any idea how terrifying it was for those folks to survive a plane crash, find out they were in a country most had never heard of, travel by foot (mostly) with meager clothing, footwear, food and water, for almost 1,000 miles over rough terrain. That they did it and all got back to Italy is an amazing feat in and of itself, but Lineberry's narrative manages to dull it down for me.
I'm sure some WWII vets can straighten me out on this, but it seemed like the group didn't come together well, even in their dire straits: they didn't gather much gear when they left the plane--including the K and D rations! The pilot should have taken the lead and told everyone what to gather up to take with them. Even when a few guys went back to destroy the plane, their scavenging was haphazard and a bit stealthy, with 2 of the enlisted men gathering some of the rations (which everyone could have used in the month to come). Overall, the enlisted men felt left out of any communication loop and often didn't know what was going on regarding their route or plan to get back to Italy. I know officers and enlisted aren't supposed to co-mingle (discipline, rank, chain of command, etc), but I guess I naively thought that they would coalesce into one group of Americans, not the fractured factions that resembled the BK and partisans of Albania.
What could have been indeed been a thrilling story for me turned into a slog. I will check out some of the other books on this story: Mangerich's "Albanian Escape" or Quayle's "A Time to Speak", Bailey's "The Wildest Province", or Abbott's "Out of Albania". I think the editor missed the mark on this one.
October 11, 2013
You would think this true story would be an exciting read - but it wasn't. This true tale was written like a university text book. Facts only - no emotion, no character descriptions, no humanization. Judge it like a math book and it might get a high rating, but judge it as a readable story and it severely lacks.
February 18, 2017
It would make a good movie! Great story!
June 18, 2017
STRANDED IN ALBANIA
In late 1943. an American 'plane carrying several nurses and other medical staff crash landed in mountains south of the Albanian city of Elbasan. "The Secret Rescue" by Cate Lineberry is the second account of this fascinating episode during which the Americans were cared for by Albanians and also by British and American military personel operating behind enemy lines. The first account that I read, "Albanian Escape" was by one of the nurses, Agnes Jensen Mangerich who kept a diary throughoutthe long, tough weeks that she and her party spent in Albania, trudging around trying to avoid the enemy as well as trying to reach the coast where they would be rescued.
While Mangerich tells her own story, Lineberry provides a detailed, well-documented, butt slightly dry, overview of the whole series of events from before the moment of the crash until after the Americans were eventually rescued. Lineberry's account, packed with detail, zips along nicely, becoming quite exciting nearer the end. However, good as it is Lineberry's account lacks the immediacy that I felt was present in Mangerich's first-hand account.
Given the choice, I would reccommend Mangerich's less-detailed but more immediate account of this small piece of Balkan history in preference to Lineberry's. But, don't let that put you off reading Lineberry's interesting book.
In late 1943. an American 'plane carrying several nurses and other medical staff crash landed in mountains south of the Albanian city of Elbasan. "The Secret Rescue" by Cate Lineberry is the second account of this fascinating episode during which the Americans were cared for by Albanians and also by British and American military personel operating behind enemy lines. The first account that I read, "Albanian Escape" was by one of the nurses, Agnes Jensen Mangerich who kept a diary throughoutthe long, tough weeks that she and her party spent in Albania, trudging around trying to avoid the enemy as well as trying to reach the coast where they would be rescued.
While Mangerich tells her own story, Lineberry provides a detailed, well-documented, butt slightly dry, overview of the whole series of events from before the moment of the crash until after the Americans were eventually rescued. Lineberry's account, packed with detail, zips along nicely, becoming quite exciting nearer the end. However, good as it is Lineberry's account lacks the immediacy that I felt was present in Mangerich's first-hand account.
Given the choice, I would reccommend Mangerich's less-detailed but more immediate account of this small piece of Balkan history in preference to Lineberry's. But, don't let that put you off reading Lineberry's interesting book.
May 31, 2013
A well written and constantly interesting story. You may think that the endless trudging from village to village, tired, hungry and on edge would have the potential to become repetitive and boring; but it never was. All credit to the author! It is also what I call an easy read. The story just flows along effortlessly. One of my favourite books so far this year.
November 15, 2020
True story; tough struggles; real heroes. She had them all, how she managed to write such a bad book?
Is there no one else that wrote about this? Im sad if answer is « no »!
Is there no one else that wrote about this? Im sad if answer is « no »!
March 23, 2022
I loved it! It includes fantastic information from interviews with much detail and photos are included.
July 13, 2020
Recently, I have been tapping into previously untold stories about World War II. These stories have provided another glimpse into a horrific war. However, these stories have shown bravery, compassion, and a better side of humanity.
The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines
by Cate Lineberry is one of those stories. I found the book in Bernadette’s collection of books. It was an interesting story. I can’t even begin to imagine what they went through. Read more
March 17, 2021
Great story, although a difficult task for the author.
There were so many individuals, and so many side shoots of different Albanian individuals, British individuals, the downed Americans, etc.. that it was hard to really get absorbed in the book without feeling quite disconnected from them all and trying to remember who was who.
Covered so much history in depth of aircraft in the military, etc. it was more informational than a story that grabs you and you fall in love with the characters.
True events always fascinate me though, so it was a good read.
There were so many individuals, and so many side shoots of different Albanian individuals, British individuals, the downed Americans, etc.. that it was hard to really get absorbed in the book without feeling quite disconnected from them all and trying to remember who was who.
Covered so much history in depth of aircraft in the military, etc. it was more informational than a story that grabs you and you fall in love with the characters.
True events always fascinate me though, so it was a good read.
February 4, 2024
I did enjoy this, but for a title that specifically mentions nurses - there wasn’t much about the nurses perspective - though many of them wrote memoirs about their time. I would say that is my only disappointment.
November 26, 2013
On November 8, 1943, an Allied plane that was transporting 13 female nurses and 17 male medics—all members of the U.S. Army's 807th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron—on its way to an Italian location was forced to crash-land due to bad weather, a German plane, and loss of radio contact. The members of the medical team didn't even know where they were until approached by a local partisan fighter: they were in German-occupied Albania. The months-long odyssey that ensued is the subject of Cate Lineberry's book, The Secret Rescue.
During World War II, Albania was first occupied by the Italians. After Italy surrendered to the Allies in September, 1943, the Germans moved in, allowing the Albanians a measure of self-government while launching fierce reprisals against partisan Resistance fighters. Then the tensions that already existed between the two main factions of the Albanian Resistance, both of whom wanted to control the country following the war, exploded into violence.
Crash-land some unarmed and unprepared Americans into this hotbed of civil strife and world war and you have a pretty exciting story, a close-up view of one section of the Balkan campaign, and a tale that hasn't previously been given full-length treatment. Although the reader knows from the outset that the team will make it out (the word "rescue" in the title sort of gives this away), author Cate Lineberry has organized the book in a manner that allows the reader to experience each new twist and turn just as the nurses and medics did. Guided by partisans who promise to help them connect with agents of the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), the Americans make their grueling trek on foot from one impoverished village to another, most of the inhabitants trying to be as hospitable as possible by sharing what little they have but all facing deadly German reprisals for doing so.
Lineberry's own odyssey is a researcher's dream. After she "stumbled across" the story in an old newspaper, she obtained two related memoirs then accessed various declassified documents and letters (the American government forced the rescued team to remain silent about their ordeal for decades) before tracking down the one remaining member of the team, 89 year-old Harold Hayes. Lineberry claims that Hayes had a sharp memory, and there's no doubt of that; although the narrative has the ring of truth—nothing seems exaggerated or fictionalized—there are some startling details here, especially regarding the Germans who are, so to speak, constantly just offstage. At one point they charge into a village where the Americans are staying, leaving most of them barely enough time to scramble out. Later, one of the officers of the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) who becomes involved in the rescue sees a group of Albanian partisans wearing German boots and carrying German weapons. "Every partisan I met," he said later, "claimed that he alone had killed eight to ten Germans."
Lineberry has done a fine job shaping all the various testimonies into a cohesive narrative while also giving a good description of each character. That's no mean feat, because the book has quite a cast. Yet all the nurses, medics, agents of the SOE and OSS, and Albanian partisans are described with enough detail to give a clear picture of the individual without bogging down the narrative flow.
Only once or twice did I get the feeling that the author possibly hadn't done all of her background homework. For instance, while briefly comparing the aims of the British SOE and the American OSS, she states that "OSS training distinguished itself from SOE training by focusing less on strict military discipline and formalities between officers and enlisted men and more on self-reliance and initiative." The SOE was huge on self-reliance and initiative and wasn't populated by actual military personnel (although each agent was assigned a faux military rank in hopes it would save them from being shot as a spy if captured). But since those two organizations are tangential to the story, this is a relatively minor issue. Bringing this great tale to light is a major achievement on Lineberry's part, and The Secret Rescue is a thrilling nonfiction read.
This review is also posted at Curled Up With a Good Book: http://www.curledup.com/secret_rescue...
July 4, 2013
First sentence: "On a chilly, overcast December day in 1943, Gavan "Garry" Duffy, a tough, no-nonsense twenty-four-year-old special operations lieutenant working for Britain, peered through his binoculars from the cover of an Albanian hillside and watched in frustration as waves of German troops and tanks moved through the steep and winding roads of a town on the valley's other side."
In 1943, a group of medics and nurses from the 807th Medial Air Evacuation Transport Squadron boarded a plane on their Italian base to fly to Bari and evacuate the wounded there. They would never make it to Bari. Because of bad visibility and the weather, the plane ended up off course and the pilots were forced to make a landing in Nazi-occupied Albania. Thus began a arduous and frightening 56-day trek across the small European country. The 30 nurses and medics had to stave off Germans, starvation, and sickness, and hope against hope for a rescue that seemed to never come.
I have been on sort of a kick lately reading about the little known history of World War II, so when I saw this book I knew I would have to read it. It really was a fascinating story of the brave men and women trapped behind enemy lines and the Albanians, Americans, and British that risked their lives keeping them alive and getting them to safety. It is an uplifting story restoring faith in humanity. It is also the story of the anguish of not knowing if they would ever make it home again alive. The author does a brilliant job of using the words of the trapped men and women to let them tell their story. This, as well as the author's own talent for description, gives the reader a good idea of what the ordeal was like for those who lived it.
I highly recommend this to those who are interested in the history of WWII, especially the lesser-known stories. It is a highly uplifting and inspiring read. And not to spoil anything (though the book is called The Secret Rescue, so that should give you a heads up):
Alphabet challenge: S
In 1943, a group of medics and nurses from the 807th Medial Air Evacuation Transport Squadron boarded a plane on their Italian base to fly to Bari and evacuate the wounded there. They would never make it to Bari. Because of bad visibility and the weather, the plane ended up off course and the pilots were forced to make a landing in Nazi-occupied Albania. Thus began a arduous and frightening 56-day trek across the small European country. The 30 nurses and medics had to stave off Germans, starvation, and sickness, and hope against hope for a rescue that seemed to never come.
I have been on sort of a kick lately reading about the little known history of World War II, so when I saw this book I knew I would have to read it. It really was a fascinating story of the brave men and women trapped behind enemy lines and the Albanians, Americans, and British that risked their lives keeping them alive and getting them to safety. It is an uplifting story restoring faith in humanity. It is also the story of the anguish of not knowing if they would ever make it home again alive. The author does a brilliant job of using the words of the trapped men and women to let them tell their story. This, as well as the author's own talent for description, gives the reader a good idea of what the ordeal was like for those who lived it.
I highly recommend this to those who are interested in the history of WWII, especially the lesser-known stories. It is a highly uplifting and inspiring read. And not to spoil anything (though the book is called The Secret Rescue, so that should give you a heads up):
Alphabet challenge: S
April 19, 2015
Received as part of a First Reads giveaway.
3.5 stars
An American transport plane carrying nurses and medics got lost and crash landed in Nazi-ocupied Albania in November of 1943. The 30 people on board had a grueling experience attempting to escape while evading Germans in a country they knew very little about.
A pretty incredible story and a part of WWII I hadn't known about! I'm planning on passing it on to some friends and family, who I think would enjoy this.
Lineberry clearly goes to great lengths to ensure as much accuracy as possible. I really appreciate her attention to detail and the ways she emphasizes the sources when necessary. However, it makes the storytelling a little strange at times - things that are fairly major are minimized if the sources don't give great detail while little stories are made into bigger events (e.g, the story of the pebble in one of the villages).
Lineberry also has a large cast of characters (well, people) to deal with. The result is some awkward descriptors to distinguish people ("Eldridge, who had taken the rock from the imam"; various information about hometowns deep into the book). It's useful but stylistically a bit jarring.
I can't help imagining that this will be made into a movie someday. I imagine the huge cast will be reduced to about a third of the actual size, if not smaller, which gives you an idea of the disadvantage the author was at in trying to provide accurate history and compelling storytelling. All in all, I think she did a great job. As it is being presented as history (which it is, don't get me wrong - Lineberry seems to have done a lot of research for this book!), I wish it was contextualized a bit more. I imagine documents would be available with a FoIA request. I also would have loved more information about Duffy and the rest of his wartime activities, though it's possible he didn't write or talk much about them and there wasn't anything available.
3.5 stars
An American transport plane carrying nurses and medics got lost and crash landed in Nazi-ocupied Albania in November of 1943. The 30 people on board had a grueling experience attempting to escape while evading Germans in a country they knew very little about.
A pretty incredible story and a part of WWII I hadn't known about! I'm planning on passing it on to some friends and family, who I think would enjoy this.
Lineberry clearly goes to great lengths to ensure as much accuracy as possible. I really appreciate her attention to detail and the ways she emphasizes the sources when necessary. However, it makes the storytelling a little strange at times - things that are fairly major are minimized if the sources don't give great detail while little stories are made into bigger events (e.g, the story of the pebble in one of the villages).
Lineberry also has a large cast of characters (well, people) to deal with. The result is some awkward descriptors to distinguish people ("Eldridge, who had taken the rock from the imam"; various information about hometowns deep into the book). It's useful but stylistically a bit jarring.
I can't help imagining that this will be made into a movie someday. I imagine the huge cast will be reduced to about a third of the actual size, if not smaller, which gives you an idea of the disadvantage the author was at in trying to provide accurate history and compelling storytelling. All in all, I think she did a great job. As it is being presented as history (which it is, don't get me wrong - Lineberry seems to have done a lot of research for this book!), I wish it was contextualized a bit more. I imagine documents would be available with a FoIA request. I also would have loved more information about Duffy and the rest of his wartime activities, though it's possible he didn't write or talk much about them and there wasn't anything available.
February 2, 2015
This story of a WWII rescue could not be told until after the Communist government of Albania fell in 1995, because Albanians who helped the downed American nurses, doctors, medics, pilots, and support staff could have been persecuted or killed for their actions. So the secret was kept by almost all involved for more than 40 years. Unfortunately, this means that only one of the survivors of the crash was still alive at the time Lineberry did her research. Albania was occupied by the Nazis at the time the American Medevac plane flew off course and crashed in 1943. It took weeks and the help of British SOE and American OSS agents, as well as Albanian partisans and villagers who shared their homes and meager food supplies, to effect the rescue. The threat of discovery and capture by the German Army, who were under orders to execute Allied personnel discovered behind their lines, was constant. Even the threat of being taken as POWs was frightening enough. To make matters worse, the American personnel were not equipped for hiking many miles in the freezing Albanian winter weather, over mountainous and rugged terrain. Lineberry has does a great job of putting the story together based on interviews with the lone survivor, the families of survivors who have passed on, people in Albania who helped or who knew the helpers, and government archives and resources in the United States, England, and Albania. Although she obviously tracked down every available detail, the author did not inflict them all on the reader so as to justify her in-depth research (a failing in some histories), but instead created an interesting and suspenseful story. I wish that more first-person information had been available--the author probably does, too--but she has made the most of what is available to tell an interesting story and create a good read.
June 7, 2015
Wow. What a compelling story!
The author wonderfully researched and lovingly wrote the story that few have ever heard about. Considering the details of the story had to remain a secret until Albania's communist government fell, it's really no wonder we haven't heard about this. By the time the author started researching the book, only one survivor from the plane crash was still alive. I love the context. Not only will you learn about the history of medical evacuation and aviation, but the use of both by the Allies in World War II. You will also get a good dosage of the history of espionage and the early formations of intelligence organizations in both the U.K. and the U.S., both of which played an integral part in rescuing this particular group out of Nazi-held Albania. Add in technological advances (i.e. walkie talkies). And if that's not enough, jump into the messy waters of the Albanian civil war that was made only more complicated by Italian and later Nazi invasions. The ethnographer in me really appreciates the details on the Albanians that the party met, whether their hosts or guides. Interestingly, people from every side of the fighting (even the Germans on one occasion) helped the 30 survivors get out from Albania at one point.
In short: Highly Recommended.
The author wonderfully researched and lovingly wrote the story that few have ever heard about. Considering the details of the story had to remain a secret until Albania's communist government fell, it's really no wonder we haven't heard about this. By the time the author started researching the book, only one survivor from the plane crash was still alive. I love the context. Not only will you learn about the history of medical evacuation and aviation, but the use of both by the Allies in World War II. You will also get a good dosage of the history of espionage and the early formations of intelligence organizations in both the U.K. and the U.S., both of which played an integral part in rescuing this particular group out of Nazi-held Albania. Add in technological advances (i.e. walkie talkies). And if that's not enough, jump into the messy waters of the Albanian civil war that was made only more complicated by Italian and later Nazi invasions. The ethnographer in me really appreciates the details on the Albanians that the party met, whether their hosts or guides. Interestingly, people from every side of the fighting (even the Germans on one occasion) helped the 30 survivors get out from Albania at one point.
In short: Highly Recommended.
April 27, 2014
I quite enjoy true WWII books and I am overwhelmed by the bravery of the men and women who fought in this war. This is the true story of a group on nurses, medics and flight crew of an air evacuation place that becomes lost and then crashes in Nazi occupied Albania. It is a great story and I enjoyed reading about the life lived by Albanians during this time. It was also interesting to hear what the Americans did in response to this situation. I'd give 5 stars to the people who were written about for their courage and survival. The reason for 3 stars is that the author seemed to make a short story long by giving every singe detail of every single minute of every single day from the moment the people enlisted in the military up until they were rescued. I listened to the audible version and the narrator seemed to be almost "computer like" at times using such a monotone voice that I would become easily distracted. Clean as to language, sex and descriptive violence. Read it if you've had a speed reading course and know how to read faster than my narrator talked.
November 19, 2017
A boringly written account of a rather interesting slice of WWII history. It was pretty well-researched but executed poorly. A lot of, "first they walked here, then they stayed in this village. They were hungry and cold." Plus, annoyingly, the author included a who's who page of just the Americans in the story, but didn't include any of the other British or Albanian people who were important to the rescue, and it would have been nice to have thumbnail sketches of them too. I am biased on this final gripe - because my grandfather was born in Albania - but I got the sense that the author did not really do her homework regarding the people or the country as well as she could have. It would have been really cool if SHE traveled there to follow part of the distance the Americans walked, staying at the same villages and crossing the mountain trails as they did. People unfamiliar with that country and it's wild, mountainous terrain, would have benefitted from more description here, and I think would have improved her narrative overall.
December 29, 2016
Summary of Review: An enjoyable true account of the rescue of 30 Americans (including a large group of military nurses) from German controlled WWII Albania. The book is short, but the author has done an excellent job of leaving the reader with the sense of a complete story, getting to know each of the men and women involved even before the "meat" of the narrative after crash landing in Albanian. This is not a novel, but the author has made it almost feel like one at times. Some historians may take issue with the way the information and sources are presented, but because it was not written for historical research, I doubt there will be any serious complaints there.
Conclusion: A quick and worthwhile read, a strong 4 stars.
Conclusion: A quick and worthwhile read, a strong 4 stars.
June 11, 2017
Really an interesting story!! This is TRUE--during WWII a group of American medics and nurses crashed in Albania, which was being overrun by Germans AND 2 native groups who were at war with each other. This is the story of the Americans' time behind enemy lines, trying to survive and make it to a viable rescue point. The writing is very factual. At times, I felt that the absolute fear, frustration and experience of the group was minimized by the dry writing style. I was grateful for the map included at the front of the book. It helped me follow the journey of the Americans. What a story--I just wish it had been told with more passion.
March 5, 2013
I loved it! I found it well written and incredibly riveting as did my husband. I applaud the author who must have done a great deal of research to have such detailed descriptions of the perils facing these nurses and medics. It was a very enjoyable read and I have already recommended it to my family as well as to a number of my friends.
May 31, 2013
The author of The Secret Rescue chronicles the struggling journey to freedom of flight medics and nurses who crash landed in Nazi-occupied Albania.
Thoroughly researched and carefully chronicled, I found myself turning each page in anticipation of the next village, victory and upset on their quest to the coast.
I highly recommended this book.
Thoroughly researched and carefully chronicled, I found myself turning each page in anticipation of the next village, victory and upset on their quest to the coast.
I highly recommended this book.
August 30, 2013
More of a simple relating of the details of the story than a real 'you are there' type story so much of the emotion of it was lost in my opinion. However, the facts of it were very interesting and it remains a little known event. That alone made the reading worth my time and I enjoyed it for what it was.
July 10, 2014
I liked this true story about a plane crash in WWII. The nurses and medics survived the crash but landed in Albania. Another remarkable story that has not been told for over 70 years. Hunger, cold and Germans made their ordeal especially difficult. They had to rely on the local partisans and civilians to help them return to safety. Another good history lesson.
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