Battle of Sarande
Albania
1st parachute Company log.
Courtesy - CSM Graeme Deeley [UK]
1st Parachute company 200 personnel.
4 platoons
No1 platoon [Assyrian]
No.2 platoon [Assyrian]
No.3 platoon [Kurdish]
No.4 Mortars [Assyrian]
Photo; area of operations, courtesy Brigadier General Churchill
The company boarded the British War Ship SS Durban Castle in Alexandria and disembarked in Taranto Italy on the 15th September 1945. One week later were given orders to stand by at 24rs notice. On the 6th October the company was moved by road to Brindisi and arrived at 1100rs. At 1400 the company boarded Infantry Landing Crafts and sailed for Albania.
6th Oct, 2400hrs, The Company arrives at Sugar beach [Sarande], by 0500 all company had disembarked and moved 250mtrs inland and pitched bivouac tents. On the 7th at 0900 the Officer commanding Parachute Company attended a conference at Brigade Head quarters, orders issued; On the 9th Oct at 0400hrs Sarande was to be attacked. British Commandos and Albanian Partisans from the North and the Levy Parachute Company from the South. The company was to be landed by Infantry Landing Crafts at 0415hrs on Parachute Beach and to attack and secure Pt. 264.
1930hrs, Platoon commanders, Lieutenant Reeves and Lt Sherwood reconnoiter landing beach by small boat. From 1930 to 2000, the company came under Shellfire on the beach, no casualties reported.
8th October at 0900 All British officer’s and senior Assyrian Officer taken by boat to Yoke beach then climbed to point 507 for a look at point 264, returned at 1700.
9th Oct at 0930, the company paraded opposite their Landing crafts [six boats] and was issued with Rum rations. At 0200 the Company sailed for battle.
At 0400 hrs Company lands at Parachute beach, with overcast sky and ground visibility Ten Yards, the landing was silent and successful. Number 2 platoon [Assyrian] headed the advance up the slope followed ten minutes later, on its right flank by No. 3 platoon [Kurdish]. During the accent, 3 platoon drifted too far to the right and lost contact with 2 platoon. Captain E Clark was sent to tell platoon to swing back to the left. No; 2 platoon now moved up what should have been no.3 platoons line of advance. Now the company formation was; no.2 platoon in lead, No. 3 platoon right rear, No. 1 platoon left rear, H.Q. and Mortars at rear.
Rain began to fall as company advanced, At 0430 Enemy light machine Gun opened up on the left flank, No. 1 platoon went in and overran the position sending back prisoners. At 0500 [First light] No2 and 3 platoons engaged enemy posts, overran their positions and sent back more prisoners. 0530- No 2 platoon arrived on the right side of first objective [point 254] and came under heavy fire but could not locate enemy positions, engaged enemy among the ruins, they pushed on and arrived at the right side of main objective [point 264] at 0650hrs and came under fire from Breda 20mm Guns, firing explosive shells. No.1 platoon moved up the left flank, came under long-range enemy fire; they pushed on and arrived on the left side of point 264 at 0730. Mortar platoon and HQ also arrived at that time. Company was then accidentally machine-gunned by a spitfire. No. 3 platoon moving up on the right flank engaged odd enemy positions and overran them. Before they reached the main objective however, they came under Breda Gun fire and were pinned down. They were then ordered to move off the right slope to the left slope behind No. 1 platoon. They arrived at 0830 and took up positions previously held by No1 platoon.
Photo RAB 50 Shlimon Bukho
After being relieved, No 1 platoon moved off to recce Breda Gun positions. At 1030 four prisoners arrived with escort from No;1 platoon, escort said the platoon was moving towards Sarande. Orders were quickly sent out to inform them not to enter Sarande but to return to point 264. At 1100hrs the Runner returned and said he could not locate No.1 platoon.
1200hrs One wounded soldier from No.1 platoon arrives at point 264 and reports that Lt Peterson and the platoon has been shot up and all were dead or wounded. Brigade was informed of the situation, orders were issued that no one was to leave point 264. At Approximately 1500hrs RAB 50 Shlimon and three other ranks were brought in from No.1 platoon, all badly wounded.
1600hrs- point 264 came under Mortar fire; No.4 Assyrian Mortar platoon came into action and silenced the Guns with twenty bombs. All wounded and POW’s [96] were evacuated off point 264.
1700hrs- Sarande falls, enemy defeated. Brigade orders a patrol to be sent out to make contact with British 40th commando at fork Road. At 1715, platoon commander Lt Sherwood, Sergeant Hormis and three other ranks were ordered to go and make contact with the commando and move via Breda Gun positions and see if Lt Peterson and the rest of No.1 platoon were there.
2200hrs one man from the patrol with a chest wound arrives at point 264 and reports that the patrol has been shot up near Fork Road. They did not find Lt Peterson. Brigade orders no one to leave point 246 until further notice. Rain was heavy all night, the company soaked. At 0645 the 40th commando reports they have the patrol, all wounded. At 0700 Lt Peterson using 40th commando radio reports him self and 2 other ranks okay.
12th Oct- Company moved off point 264, relieved by 40th Commando. 1430hrs Company sailed to Italy.
On the 10th of November 1945, one year after this battle, the British Government representative and the war graves commission were expelled from Albania by the same resistance forces that they helped liberate. In 1946 British Ships were fired on, in the same year 44 British Seamen lost their lives.
Photo; Sarande 2005 and 1944
Casualties;
killed in action
1246 Sgt Odisho Sulaka 9-10-44
1463 Sgt Youkhana Sliwo 9-10-44
1726 Cpl Youkhana Mikhail 9-10-44
Wounded in action
207773 Lt. R.W. Sherwood
X95 RAB 50 Shlimon Bukho
1437 L/C Warda Enwia
1319 Sgt Sliwo Shabandar
2026 Sgt Hormis Youkhana
1518 Pte Dinkha Dawid
1879 Pte Dawid Odisho
2098 Pte Enwia Hormis
1827 Pte Noona Eshu
4167 Pte Moosa Marogiel
63409 Pte Kader Nader
4648 pte Hormis Mansoor
10562 Pte Oraham Hormis
10820 Pte Hanna Mikhail
Died of wounds
10389 Pte Paulos Essa 15-10-44
4750 Cpl Hormis Daniel 19-10-44
1083 Pte Zaia Enwia 15-10-44
Captured
97 German prisoners -Russian Front veterans.
Medium Machineguns - 4
Light Machineguns -6
Heavy Mortar -1
2 inch Mortars - 4
