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Chameria Battalion
The Chameria battalion (Albanian: Batalioni Çamëria) was a battalion of the National Anti-Fascist Liberation Army of Albania during the Second World War. It was formed from the organized resistance groups of Cham Albanians on 15 June 1943 and was renamed as the IV Chameria Group (Albanian: Grupi IV Çamëria) in October 1943, which ceased to exist after the Liberation of Albania. It included at the time of its creation more than 500 armed troops, the vast majority of whom were Albanians from the Greek part of Chameria region and the rest from the Albanian part, and about 40 members of the Greek minority in Albania.
On April 7, 1939, Italian troops invaded Albania. The operation was led by General Alfredo Guzzoni. Despite some stubborn resistance by some patriots, especially at Durrës, the Italians made short work of the Albanians. Durrës was captured on April 7, Tirana the following day, Shkodër and Gjirokastër on April 9, and almost the entire country by April 10. Unwilling to become an Italian puppet, King Zog, his wife, Queen Geraldine Apponyi, and their infant son Leka fled to Greece and eventually to London. On April 12, the Albanian parliament voted to depose Zog and unite the nation with Italy "in personal union" by offering the Albanian crown to Victor Emmanuel III.
On 15 June 1943, members of unorganized resistance groups in Southern Albania and Northwestern Greece decided to create the Chameria battalion, during the meeting of the Regional Committee of the National Anti-fascist Liberation Army in Konispol. The decision was adopted on June 30, 1943, when three resistance groups were united. These groups included the Tahsini group based in Konispol, the Father Stathi Melani group based in Filiates, and the Alush Taka group based in Paramithia. Each group numbered about 170-180 members, from which only 75 were not Cham Albanians, of whom 35 were Albanians from Delvinë and 40 were members of the Greek minority in Albania.
This battalion was the first large partisan organization in the Gjirokastër County (which at that time included Gjirokastër, Sarandë and Delvinë districts) and head as leader Haki Rushit Shehu from Konispol and as group leaders, Taho Mehmet Sejko from Filiates, Lefter Miço Talo from Hajdëraga (today Lefter Talo), Ali Demi from Filiates and as political commissar, Qazim Kondi from Kuçi.
On October 10, 1943, the battalion was renamed as IV Chameria Group , which had more than 2 thousand troops, about half of them were Cham Albanians, and the rest Albanians and Greeks from southern Albania. In 1944, the XIX Assault Brigade was created on the basis of the IV Partisan Group, encompassing most of its units.[citation needed]
Chameria battalion was one of the main contributors in resistance to Italian and German forces in southern Albania. Four major battles are recorded to this battalion. At the end of 1943, a group of Cham Albanians, led by Ali Demi, attacked a German garrison, in Vlora, Albania, killing 39 German troops and losing 12 members of the battalion, including Ali Demi himself.
The second major operation was after September 8, 1943, when Italy capitulated, Chameria battalion entered Delvinë and disarmed the local regiment of the Italian Army, on September 12, 1943.
The Italian source (G. Bonomi - Sacrificio italiano in terra albanese - La Prora; T. Scanagatta - Gli ultimi trenta giorni della divisione "Perugia" - Hoepli; and others) reports that on September 12, 1943 in Delvine there was only the 2nd battalion of 129 Infantry Regiment "Perugia". Not the whole regiment. And the battalion left Delvine, full armed, to "Argirocastro" called back from the Commander of the Division Gen. Chiminello. The same for the 3rd battalion in Giorgiokat.
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Chameria Battalion
The Chameria battalion (Albanian: Batalioni Çamëria) was a battalion of the National Anti-Fascist Liberation Army of Albania during the Second World War. It was formed from the organized resistance groups of Cham Albanians on 15 June 1943 and was renamed as the IV Chameria Group (Albanian: Grupi IV Çamëria) in October 1943, which ceased to exist after the Liberation of Albania. It included at the time of its creation more than 500 armed troops, the vast majority of whom were Albanians from the Greek part of Chameria region and the rest from the Albanian part, and about 40 members of the Greek minority in Albania.
On April 7, 1939, Italian troops invaded Albania. The operation was led by General Alfredo Guzzoni. Despite some stubborn resistance by some patriots, especially at Durrës, the Italians made short work of the Albanians. Durrës was captured on April 7, Tirana the following day, Shkodër and Gjirokastër on April 9, and almost the entire country by April 10. Unwilling to become an Italian puppet, King Zog, his wife, Queen Geraldine Apponyi, and their infant son Leka fled to Greece and eventually to London. On April 12, the Albanian parliament voted to depose Zog and unite the nation with Italy "in personal union" by offering the Albanian crown to Victor Emmanuel III.
On 15 June 1943, members of unorganized resistance groups in Southern Albania and Northwestern Greece decided to create the Chameria battalion, during the meeting of the Regional Committee of the National Anti-fascist Liberation Army in Konispol. The decision was adopted on June 30, 1943, when three resistance groups were united. These groups included the Tahsini group based in Konispol, the Father Stathi Melani group based in Filiates, and the Alush Taka group based in Paramithia. Each group numbered about 170-180 members, from which only 75 were not Cham Albanians, of whom 35 were Albanians from Delvinë and 40 were members of the Greek minority in Albania.
This battalion was the first large partisan organization in the Gjirokastër County (which at that time included Gjirokastër, Sarandë and Delvinë districts) and head as leader Haki Rushit Shehu from Konispol and as group leaders, Taho Mehmet Sejko from Filiates, Lefter Miço Talo from Hajdëraga (today Lefter Talo), Ali Demi from Filiates and as political commissar, Qazim Kondi from Kuçi.
On October 10, 1943, the battalion was renamed as IV Chameria Group , which had more than 2 thousand troops, about half of them were Cham Albanians, and the rest Albanians and Greeks from southern Albania. In 1944, the XIX Assault Brigade was created on the basis of the IV Partisan Group, encompassing most of its units.[citation needed]
Chameria battalion was one of the main contributors in resistance to Italian and German forces in southern Albania. Four major battles are recorded to this battalion. At the end of 1943, a group of Cham Albanians, led by Ali Demi, attacked a German garrison, in Vlora, Albania, killing 39 German troops and losing 12 members of the battalion, including Ali Demi himself.
The second major operation was after September 8, 1943, when Italy capitulated, Chameria battalion entered Delvinë and disarmed the local regiment of the Italian Army, on September 12, 1943.
The Italian source (G. Bonomi - Sacrificio italiano in terra albanese - La Prora; T. Scanagatta - Gli ultimi trenta giorni della divisione "Perugia" - Hoepli; and others) reports that on September 12, 1943 in Delvine there was only the 2nd battalion of 129 Infantry Regiment "Perugia". Not the whole regiment. And the battalion left Delvine, full armed, to "Argirocastro" called back from the Commander of the Division Gen. Chiminello. The same for the 3rd battalion in Giorgiokat.