Albanian Escape

by Agnes Jensen Mangerich

On November 8, 1943, U.S. Army nurse Agnes Jensen stepped out of a cold rain in Catania, Sicily, into a C-53 transport plane. But she and twelve other nurses never arrived in Bari, Italy, where they were to transport wounded soldiers to hospitals farther from the front lines. A violent storm and pursuit by German Messerschmitts led to a crash landing in a remote part of Albania, leaving the nurses, their team of medics, and the flight crew stranded in Nazi-occupied territory. What followed was a dangerous nine-week game of hide-and-seek with the enemy, a situation President Roosevelt monitored daily. Albanian partisans aided the stranded Americans in the search for a British Intelligence Mission, and the group began a long and hazardous journey to the Adriatic coast. During the following weeks, they crossed Albania's second highest mountain in a blizzard, were strafed by German planes, managed to flee a town moments before it was bombed, and watched helplessly as an attempt to airlift them out was foiled by Nazi forces. Albanian Escape is the suspense-filled story of the only group of Army flight nurses to have spent any length of time in occupied territory during World War II. The nurses and flight crew endured frigid weather, survived on little food, and literally wore out their shoes trekking across the rugged countryside. Thrust into a perilous situation and determined to survive, these women found courage and strength in each other and in the kindness of Albanians and guerrillas who hid them from the Germans.

Genres: World War II, Nonfiction, History

250 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the 8th of November 1943, a US military 'plane carrying 13 nurses went off-course and crash landed in Nazi-occupied central Albania. Weather conditions were terrible. The country was infested with Nazi German soldiers, who were being opposed mainly by Communist partisans. The latter were not only fighting the Germans, but were also conducting a civil war against rival Albanian miltarised groups, notably the Balli Kombëtare, who, it has been said, might well have been aiding the Germans. The groups of Albanians, who were opposing the Germans, were being assisted by members of the British SOE and the US OSS.

Agnes Jensen ('Jens'), the principal author of this book, was one of the 13 nurses who were stranded behind enemy lines in Albania. She kept a diary whilst in Albania, and it is extracts from this alongside reports written by one of the SOE agents and one of the OSS agents that form the narrative of this excellent book.

Jens describes the day by day (mostly) trials and (few) tribulations of the nurses' several week's long stay in the mountainous heart of Albania. Accompanied by Albanian partisans and British SOE agents they criss-crossed central Albania in the most apalling wintry conditions , enduring physical hardships and multiple medical problems. Their aim was to keep out of sight of the Germans whilst trying to make their way to the sea coast. On their way, they experienced the generous, self-sacrificing, hospitality of Albanian country folk, who were having enough trouble keeping themselves alive.

This book is a real 'page-turner'. Jens and her co-authors not only describe the unbelievable discomforts that the nurses had to suffer, but present their story in such a way that you cannot put down this book, so great is the suspense.

This tale of adventure had to wait for many decades before it could be told. One reason was to try to protect those in Albania, who had helped them, from getting into trouble with Enver Hoxha's Stalinist dictatorship, during which contacts between Albanians and foreigners was regarded with great suspicion by the ruling regime.

I strongly reccommend this book because of the immediacy of its account and, also, because of what it reveals about conditions in occupied Albania during WW2. Just as ordinary Albanians risked their lives to protect Jews who had escaped to Albania in order to flee from the Nazis, so also did these brave people to protect the American nurses and the aircrew. This book is a fine illustration of the traditional Albanian high regard for the sanctity and protection of visitors to their land.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe I'm prejudiced, because I knew someone in the story who was a member of the church I attended. Her name was Elna Schwant. After the war, Elna married a farmer and had 3 children around my age. I always thought she was a very tough woman, but it wasn't until years later that I read this story about a plane crash, and the terrible danger and trouble these nurses faced for many months before escaping for good. Then I was better able to understand both her kindness in life that went along with a certain toughness that seemed so different from other farm women that I grew up around.
This book is a page turner, and if you're lucky enough to get your hands on a copy, I think you'll really like it.

[Scott Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having a high interest in history and in World War II specifically, I enjoyed this book. I’ve read two other books on WWII nurses by Monahan and Neidel-Greenlee, “And If I Perish” and “All This Hell”. I recommend both.

[Sadie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read around the world- Albania 🇦🇱

[Adam Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book relating a crazy tale of WW2 Albania. The bravery of all involved is incredible.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Albanian Escape details the harrowing escape of a group of Army nurses and flight crew after they crash in the Albanian mountains early in WWII. With little food, no supplies, and a desperation to get to a rendezvous point, they have to trust local Albanian resistance members to help guide them.

[Pam DiPasqua Fitzsimmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this book features my grandfather-in-law, I had a personal interest to read it. It's definitely quite an interesting story/adventure!!

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

fascinating experience. they were very lucky to escape. you realize how widespread the war was that an out of the way place like Albania was involved

[Debbie Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but not terribly exciting compared to other things I have read.

[Ken · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the nurses was a first cousin of my Mother