Rome, 9 August 1952

BARDHOK SHKURTI from Prizren (Yugoslavia) on 2-8-1942 writes to Gjet Ndue Gjergji (the Kapidan’s nephew):

“Since I received your letter of 16-5-1952 to save your family, written together with Kapidan Ndue (son of the Kapidan), I have not written to you nor have you written to me as I have been working on this matter since June.

And so on 1- 6-1952 I crossed the border towards Gjakovo and could not cross the Drini river as it was very swollen and the ferry had been removed during the winter.

I, along with five other trusted men, was forced to return and to study a more favorable way.

During this trip we received information in Hasi (Gjakovo), leaked from Enver’s party sources about our country’s situation.

The situation is this: 14 resistance men in Kurbini were killed after 14 hours of fighting surrounded by three battalions of Enver and carpet bombed by the airplane because otherwise they would not have been able to annihilate them. It was a terrible battle.

I do not know the names of all of them, I know of only these: 1) Bib Marka Biba; 2) Llesh Kazju; 3) Preng Frrok Gjeta with two sons. I will be able to communicate the other names with another letter of mine.

There were many arrests. In Xhuxhë only Preng Nikoll Gjugja and four of my cousins are in prison.

Prena (Anna) is at home with her son. They have not been harassed by anyone yet, only that her son was expelled from the school he attended in Kukësi on the grounds that he belongs to a reactionary family.

There is nothing else new. I learned from Prenush Marka Pjetri from Ara Qaf e Malit that on 20-VII-52 he took refuge in Jugoslavia.

I can’t find out anything from the security personnel I meet, as I don’t trust myself to ask them about Prena.

Dear Gjet, according to the second plan I made for the withdrawal of your family this is what I executed: I, with Zef Shyti, Llesh Karaqi and 9 other men left on 15-VII-52 and organized ourselves like this; via Prizren we crossed the border on 23-VII-52 through the Alps. Everything was fine but at 10 o’clock on this date we ran into the border soldiers. Two and a half hours of fighting and I was seriously wounded on the right cheek. My face is very disfigured by the serious wound caused to my cheek by the shrapnel from the bomb. Four of my lower molars were broken but my jaw was saved. The other wound is on my chest under my right breast, but it is not serious and the third wound is on my left arm but without lesions.

Because of this misfortune I had to retreat and today I am in the hospital in Prizren.

I cannot send other people to collect your family without me being with them, because if I saw the situation being too difficult I would rather leave than put in danger the escape of the family itself.

If I get better soon I will try again like last year because now there is a ferry to cross the Drin and it is easier.

Don’t think that I am afraid of the wounds I have received. The Communists do not frighten me to death.

I’m sorry if I can’t write any more as I’m lying in bed.

Therefore there is nothing else.

I think that in 20 days I will have to go to Belgrade to have an operation and recuperate.

Please write to me as I will be worried until I get your reply,

Please write me at the address on the envelope and not the hospital address because it would take a while to reach me.

Do not worry because I hope to God that I will be able to fulfill your wish, in the meantime, I embrace you with nostalgia.

Signed

Bardhok Shkurti

 1952 – this is the actual date of the letter. The 1942 date is a typographical error.

 

 

 

 

Translation courtesy of Bianca Gjomarkaj