Albanian Escape: The True Story of U.S. Army Nurses Behind Enemy Lines

14. Smith to the Rescue

14 Smith to the Rescue Report of Major Lloyd G. Smith, OSS Orders were received from the Commanding Officer, SBS on January 30, 1944 to proceed with the evacuation of the three American nurses of an air corps medical unit who were reported to be in the vicinity of BERAT. Due to naval operations the American ship YANKEE was unable to leave its port at BRINDISI until 1000 hours February 2, 1944. It arrived at the base at SEAVIEW at 2300 hours of the same day. At SEAVIEW I was met by Major Kendall (Dale McAdoo, SI). He informed me that several individuals who were quite prominent BALLISTS had promised to bring the nurses to the base. He suggested that I wait a few days at the base rather than set out for BERAT immediately. He said that if the nurses came with the men who had promised to bring them they would be at the base within the next ten days. On or about 12 February 1944 the local representative of BALLI KOMBETAR began to worry a great deal over the safety of the two bases, SEAVIEW and SEA ELEPHANT. They were certain the Germans knew of our location and they thought it would be a matter of only a few days before we were attacked. I made a reconnaisance to the north of Seaview looking for possible bases and emergency hide-outs. On this recce Germans were spotted living in a house on a 204 Albanian Escape high point approximately two hundred meters north of Orso Bay. Guards, (shepherds) were posted and instructed to inform us should the Germans decide to move south toward our bases. While I was away on this reconnaisance SKENDER MUCHO one of the prominent Ballists of VALONA visited GRAMMA BAY (Sea Elephant). Mucho had been unable to fulfill his promise to Major Kendall. He had promised to bring the nurses to the base. Because of my absence on reconnaissance I was unable to talk with Mucho on the occasion of his visit. The situation was rather critical at this time because we were expecting the Germans any day and I did not care to risk leaving the base, pick up the nurses and return to find it in German hands. On 24 February 1944, HODO METO, an English speaking local Ballist whom I had met on my first assignment in Albania came to Gramma Bay. His services were commandeered immediately for help in evacuating the nurses. I had talked with Marine Corps Gy. Sergeant Nick Cooky (SI) and we agreed that when we received word that the Germans were coming he would hide his battery and we would go together taking his Wrr set with him. In this way we would still have communications to arrange for bringing a ship to some safe place along the southern cost [coast] for evacuation. WIth the help of Hodo Meto, letters were written to MITDHAT FRASHER! and CADRE CAKRON. They were informed of my specific assignment and that several members of their organization had promised to bring the nurses to the base and had done nothing; that the United States Army knew the nurses were with them and under their care and if they were not evacuated within a certain lenght [length] of time I would be asked for reasons and would be obliged to state that my failure was due to a lack of cooperation on the part of Balli Kombetar. Hodo was to send the letters with his cousin who he assured me is very reliable and exactly the man for the assignment. This cousin was provided Smith to the Rescue 205 with money to secure credentials and to purchase civilian cloths [clothes] for the nurses to make the trip from Berat by automobile should they decide to get out of uniform. In my letter to the nurses, I told them the decision as to whether or not they wished to change to civilian clothes and make the trip by car or have me come up and bring them down by foot was entirely theirs. Hodo was very much opposed to the idea of my going to Berat on foot and bringing the nurses down to the base since he knew that I would insist on his accompanying me and that we would have to pass through some Partisan-held territory. He also could not understand why the nurses should have any...