– Kushtrim Brezash –
Eighty-Two Years Since the Formation of the 16th Assault Brigade
On 20 August 1944, by order of the General Staff of the National Liberation Army, the 16th Assault Brigade was formed at Therepel in Skrapar. The brigade was established from four partisan groups operating in this territory: the 3rd Partisan Group of Skrapar, the 3rd Partisan Group of Mallakastra, the 1st Group of Kurvelesh and the Myzeqe Group. Rrahman Ruçi, the legendary figure of Myzeqe, was appointed commander of the brigade, while Avdyl Këllezi was appointed commissar and Myzafer Trebeshina deputy commissar. The brigade was assigned combat duties in the areas of Myzeqe, Berat, Lushnja and Fier, with the objective of clearing these areas of the remnants of the Balli Kombëtar, who, as collaborators of the German occupiers, were carrying out killings and plundering the innocent population of the region. On the first day of its formation, the brigade numbered 465 partisans, sixty of whom were women.
Eternal glory to the partisans and martyrs of the 16th Assault Brigade!
(Translated by The Voice of Albania from the Albanian original)
The 18th Assault Brigade and the Liberation of Dibra
The 18th Assault Brigade was inaugurated at Fusha e Vogël, between the villages of Sllatina and Sllova in Peshkopia. Esat Ndreu, former commander of the Sllova Detachment, was appointed commander of the brigade, Zoi Themeli deputy commander, Miço Kallamata commissar and Sotir Vullkani deputy commissar.
The formation of this brigade arose as a necessity and consequence of the expansion of the fronts of the war, both throughout Albania and in Dibra, making it necessary to establish a larger combat formation.
The idea of establishing a brigade in the Dibra Region had been proposed by the Commander-in-Chief of the National Liberation Army, Colonel-General Enver Hoxha, as early as September 1943. In a letter addressed to Comrade Haxhi Lleshi, he wrote: “Haxhi, you must now give serious consideration to the possibility of establishing a brigade in Dibra, so that, when we give the order for its formation, we shall have at least 150–200 men from Dibra.”
The establishment of this brigade in the Dibra Region represented a great and outstanding victory for the Anti-Fascist National Liberation Movement.
It demonstrated that the people of Dibra were patriotic and revolutionary and had risen to their feet to fight for the liberation not only of Dibra, but of the whole of Albania. This was also demonstrated by their mass participation in all formations of the National Liberation Army.
On this eighty-second anniversary, we, the people of Dibra, proudly and gratefully also celebrate the eighty-second anniversary of the liberation of our town of Peshkopia and of the whole of Dibra. The liberation on 23 August 1944 came as the culmination of numerous battles fought throughout the Dibra region.
Eternal glory to the partisans and martyrs of the 18th Assault Brigade.
May their memory and monumental achievements live forever.
(Translated by The Voice of Albania from the Albanian original)
Kushtrim Brezash [Call to the Generations] is the organ of the “Honour of the Nation” Veterans and Descendants of the National Liberation War of the Albanian People.
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