19th Nov 2022
 |
| A statue in the Great Park |
Left: The Tirana City street plan. Click on to enlarge (if you want to), as per any other pics following. The main square is the grey bit in the centre. My (2nd) hotel, La Voglia, was 200yds down the main street, Ibrahim Rugova, from the SW corner. The Great Park is at the southern side.
This is Saturday and the rain has stopped, temporarily. I moved hotel. Nothing wrong with the 'Driti but it was a bit of a walk from the centre and I found another called ' La Voglia' (at £30pn = 4,020 Lek; £1 = 134 Lek) which was more conveniently located and very comfortable with charming staff. There are are couple of decent bars and restaurants in the courtyard outside. All most civilised.
I decided to walk down to the Park. What lovely place. A large hilly forested area and artificial lake with well maintained, if slippery when wet, marble type paths leading in various directions through it. There were several cafés around, locals jogging and others sitting on the park benches enjoying the break in the rain.
I happened to chance upon a couple of cemeteries. Right: This one was for Germans killed in WW2. The gates were locked and I couldn't get in.
Left: Nearby was a beautifully maintained Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery for the British. The gates were 'semi -locked'. I got in.
I had no idea what the British forces were up to in Albania in WW2, but this cemetery contained about 50 graves of servicemen from various Regiments (such as the Highland Light Infantry, Somerset Light Infantry, Royal Marines, Royal Artillery, Royal Tank Regiment) as well as several RAF pilots and aircrew.
Right: One in particular stood out. It was that of Brigadier A.E.C.Nicholls GC ERD ex-Coldstream Guards who had been in charge of 'Commands and Staff', whatever that was. He died on 11th February 1944 aged 33 (young Brigadiers in those days!). Click on to enlarge to read.
I happened, by good fortune, to have a poppy with me which I had worn, wherever I was on the Remembrance Sunday, so I planted it as his grave.
A friend of mine (thanks Tony!) did some research and found the story of this heroic soldier's sad and painful demise. I copy it below:
In March 1942 he joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE). In October 1943, by now a temporary lieutenant-colonel, he parachuted into Albania to serve as Staff Officer to Brigadier Edmund Frank "Trotsky" Davies with the task of inciting resistance to the German occupation and tying down enemy forces.
Their Headquarters were attacked by enemy forces in January 1944 and they escaped to the mountains, pursued by the Germans and local militia. Davies was wounded and captured on 8 January 1944. Nicholls led the remains of the party to safety through dreadful winter weather. He suffered severe frostbite during the escape and had to have both his feet amputated, after this he was transported by being dragged on his greatcoat.
Nicholls received medical attention in the city of Tirana, however he died from his wounds on 11 February 1944 at the age of 33, after managing to make a final report on the situation in Albania to British authorities. He was mentioned in despatches on 1 June 1944. He is commemorated in a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery, in the Tirana Park Memorial Cemetery.
Left: The inscription plaques at the Cemetery. Someone had thoughtfully placed a beautiful wreath there. There isn't, as far as I gathered, a British Embassy in Tirana so it must have been done by proxy. I wasn't carrying one of those with me!
I took photos of several of the other gravestones but won't bore you with those. Suffice to say that I was impressed.
I spent a couple of hours wandering around the park. I was actually trying to find the 'Presidential Palace' which was marked on the map as being there somewhere. I never did find it although I passed down the side of a tall wall with barbed wire on top and an entrance which was guarded and entry prohibited. Maybe that was it.
Right: A 'fitness training' area where I witnessed some incredibly athletic men doing remarkable things on parallel bars and other equipment.
Nearby was the National Football Stadium. It was impossible to see the footer pitch as the vast structure was from floor to roof-top enclosed by shops and restaurants. I wasn't allowed in as that evening Albania was due to play Armenia in some vital match. There was a large potential crowd hanging about the area. All very well behaved, I hasten to add.
Right: A swish bar and restaurant called something like 'La Castilla'. I went in for a beer, which wasn't too expensive. It was very upmarket with several bars and dining rooms both inside and on verandahs, plus very pretty and polite staff.
Left: It was getting dark as I passed the Presidential Office. All locked up of course. I believe the current President is called Bajram Begaj, who has only been in post since July this year. They do 5 years in office. The Prime Minister is the real power behind the throne (vis the dreadful Enver Hoxha, 1944 - 85).
That night it started to rain, again, plus violent thunderstorms. Just before the heavens opened, at about 11.00pm there were also some extremely alarming fireworks let off somewhere nearby. I thought WW3 had broken out. I was told later that it might have been a celebration of someone's birthday. It was a very noisy night.
Further wanderings to follow.........
No comments:
Post a Comment