Tucked away in the rugged mountains of the Balkans lies one of the Second World War’s most overlooked theatres of clandestine warfare, Albania.
Remote, mountainous, and fiercely contested, this country became a vital operating ground for both the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in their efforts to support partisan resistance against Axis forces.
SOE Expeditions’ new Albania immersive Battlefield experience is a powerful 4x4 off road journey through wild, unspoilt landscapes, retracing the operations of Allied agents inserted deep behind enemy lines.
You will follow the routes taken by British and American operatives as they coordinated with local partisans, established supply drops, and sabotaged German infrastructure in some of the most inhospitable terrain in Europe.
You will also visit remote costal areas where Anthony Quayle, the renowned British actor and SOE officer operated during his mission in Albania. His wartime experience later inspired several of his roles and writings, offering a unique link between history and culture.
Across ten days, you will traverse remote valleys, high passes, and dense forests by 4x4, staying in mountain lodges, isolated villages, and former partisan shelters. Along the way, you will gain first hand insight into the incredible feats of SOE and OSS agents who operated here under constant threat.
Join SOE Expeditions in Albania next year to relive a forgotten chapter of Allied special operations on our immersive battlefield tour. Combining 4x4's raw adventure, untouched history, and rugged terrain in one unforgettable journey.
Do you have what it takes to drive into history and follow in the footsteps of legends?
A highlight of the expedition is the little known rescue of downed nurses from a crashed U.S. aircraft, who were hidden and protected by villagers and partisans before being extracted under OSS supervision.
In November 1943, a U.S. C-47 carrying 26 medics from the 807th Medical Air Evacuation Squadron crash-landed in Albania after storms and navigation failures forced the pilot down.
All survived, but it began a two-month, 650-mile trek to safety in freezing conditions with little food or gear.
Guided by Albanian partisans and later joined by British SOE agents and OSS officer Lloyd Smith, the group evaded German patrols and rival factions.
A failed air rescue attempt forced them to continue on foot until they reached the coast in January 1945 and escaped by boat.
The mission remains a remarkable story of survival, courage, and Allied cooperation behind enemy lines.
Join us as we follow in the footsteps of legends:
Our 10 day adventure includes the following:
All transportation and transfers.
Meals and accomodation.
Guide fees and museum entry.
Does not include flights and alcohol.
The "exciting" true story of a downed cargo plane and a group of stranded U.S. Army medical personnel fighting to survive in Nazi-occupied Albania (The Bowling Green Daily News).
"A Wall Street Journal Bestseller."
When twenty-six Army nurses and medics, part of the 807th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron boarded a cargo plane for transport in November 1943, they never anticipated the crash landing in Nazi-occupied Albania that would lead to a months-long struggle for survival.
In a drama that captured the attention of the American public, the group and its flight crew dodged bullets and battled blinding winter storms as they climbed mountains and fought to stay alive, aided by courageous villagers who risked death at Nazi hands to help them.
A mesmerizing tale of the heroism of ordinary people, The Secret Rescue tells a story of endurance kept secret for decades, and of the daring rescue attempts by clandestine American and British organizations amid the tumultuous landscape of the war.
This volume describes how the OSS aided the Communist-led partisans in an attempt to weaken the Nazi cause in Albania and neighboring Italy.
The book presents an in-depth look at the small core of hardened men who comprised these highly specialized teams, including each member's background and his special fitness for his wartime role behind enemy lines.
The American and British SOE presence in Albania during World War 2 and the later deterioration of Hoxha's relations with Captain Tom Stefan and the OSS mission are discussed in detail.
With firsthand interviews with still-living participants and extensive onsite research make this book a unique resource for a little-known dramatic piece of World War II history.
