2 Cdo in Albania

I'm trying to pinpoint key locations and find further information of the 2 Cdo operations in Albania, namely:

Operation Healing II - Spilje, commenced 29th July 1944
Operation Houndforce - Sarande, commenced 22nd September 1944

Do WWII military maps of the areas exist? I'm trying to find the key locations, landing beaches, 'commando ridge', etc. as I am planning to visit later this year. Searching the NA and IWM online doesn't seem to throw up much in relation to these operations and the war diary is pretty sketchy.

Thanks
Paul

Paul,
Details of No2 Cdo in Albania are indeed very difficult to find - I have tried searching but haven't had much luck.
I even know of one award of an MC to an officer in No2 whilst in this theatre, but have been unable to find any mention of it in London Gazette or, for that matter, anywhere else.

I'd certainly be extremely interested in any information you manage to turn up...

Nick

Paul have you read this account by Victor 'Dusty'Miller of No.2 Commando regarding Sarande :

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/documents/Letters/sarande/dusty+letter+2.jpg.html

Quite a good description of the geography of the area

Additionally for Sarande, here is a section of the No.2 Cdo war Diary has the following entries:

23 Sept 44: Landed Sugar beach. Recce patrol met on beach. Conference on board LCI due to information received. German patrol had proceeded down the valley on Friday morning and very nearly surrounded Recce party. Beach was pounded with light mobile gun and neighbouring woods were raked with spandau fire, but on movement back Germans were caught by Partisans at head of valley. They killed or captured more than half of the 150 men in the patrol without loss to themselves. C.O. decided to occupy feature in centre of valley with Troops on either side of it. All positions were occupied by dawn. 4 Troop were then moved up to Point 586. Spitfires attacked Sarande. Rest of day spent diggin in.

24 Sept 44: Arrival of HQ No.2 SS Brigade under Brig. T.B.L. Churchill, MC. First day and night of rain. Corfu guns fired into Bay during afternoon. Partisan report received that 5 Germans had been killed in attack on Sarande yesterday. Patrol by 3 Troop down road towards Vermero, by 2 Troop to bridge at SHIAN, by 1 and 4 Troops towards Sarande.
2300 Demolition Party under Capt. Whitehouse, S.O.R.E., 2 SS Bde., blew crater in SHEN VASIL- SARANDE road at 315845

25 Sept 44:
0500 Arrival of Brig.Davey, Comd L.F.A. for brief visit. Shown over positions by C.O. More firing from Corfu guns.
1150 Venturas bombed S.E. of Delvine.
1450 Spitfires attempted to bomb bridge SHIAN without success.
Another night of rain. Patrol by 4 Troop reported enemy extremely active in Sarande area, but no enemy positions contacted. Engagement between Partisans and Germans at M.R.323828. 5 Troop reported considerable shell fire on position. Report from 3 Troops that Germans had taken to hills around Sarande. No civilians allowed in area. This patrol reached point 400 yards North of town of Sarande. Considerable M.T. activity on road and Naval activity in Sarande.

26 Sept 44:
0830 5 Troop returned from GHASHTE. 4 Troop reported Germans in occupation of METOG and LEKURES. Albanian militia with Italian uniform but unarmed reported in Sarande area - estimated 60 strong. 5 Troop reached VERMERO Church, then Eastwards down track to VERMERO ridge. Bumped small patrol but uncertain whether German or Partisan. Reached GJASHTE, threw H.E. Grenades but received no reaction. Fwd troops moved to Points 586 and 469. F.O.O. set up on latter. Telephone lines laid to link up these points with Brigade and Commando HQ.
1130 Brigadier and B.M. visited Commando HQ. Request to L.F.A. for bombing of DELVINE as soon as possible. Brigadier gave orders for a Troop (3 Troop) to be moved to area of SHIAN Bridge, to be followed by two more Troops and Commando fwd. HQ. Partisan diversion towards DELVINE arranged.
1510 Shelling of Commando valley from DELVINE. 4 Troop reported fire came from M.R. 345844. Informed 25 pounders would arrive BORSI approximately 1500 hours on the 27th.

27 Sept 44: Attempt by 3 Troop to bow up bridge failed. Demolition party lost contact with main body and unable to locate bridge. Lieut. ROE returned with demolition party to report. 3 Troop and Med. Det. left on ridge overlooking bridge and defended localities at VANE 337861. C.O. went out to recce positions and possibilities
1125 Report from 5 Troop of 5,000 ton ship lying off Corfu
1305 Shelling of Commando valley from German guns at 347843
1340 Counter battery work by R.S.R.
1500 C.O. reported by wireless on condition of 3 Troop.Shelling of bridge area good and would recce further forward with Os.C. 1 and 3 Troops
1900 Order received from B.M to send Patrols to Pt. 802 290883. Sections of 2 Troop detailed for this.
Rain during night

28 Sept 44: Sections from 2 Troop on Point 802 reported no enemy in area
1300 25 pounders reported in position SHEN VASIL
1708 5 Troop report enemy guns at 410878 and 395880firing at top of Commando valley
1900 Shelling of beach area
Rain during night.

29 Sept 44:
0900 C.O. told not to advance from present position except to move from Pt. 586 to Pt. 469
1200 Rain continuous for 16 hours stops at last - temporarily
1700Orders received to send out 2 Patrols of 3 Subalterns each to shoot up transport on main road

Memories of Sarande by George Samuel Plim, 40RM Commando

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/88/a5823588.shtml

Thanks chaps

I'm trying to establish if a map exists that the specifc 6 digit grid refs tally with to pinpoint the locations exactly. There is a rough map (unfortunatley very low resolution) here:
http://www.assyriatimes.com/engine/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3318

cheers
Paul

for others seeking information on Albania I am posting the obituary of Capt John Cutresss Of the 111th field Regiment RA

Best wishes

Steve Silvester

--------------------------------------------------------------

JOHN CUTRESS, who has died aged 80, was awarded an MC for his part in the action which led to the capture of the German-occupied port of Sarande, Albania, in November 1944.
Cutress was serving as a captain in 111th Field Regiment RA, when his battery - which had just taken part, in support of the Commandos and Tito's Partisans, in the battle for Sumartin on the island of Brac - was ordered to join up with Brigadier Tom Churchill's Commando force in Albania.
Having landed at night near "Sugar Beach" and teamed up with a troop of No 2 Commando, it was not long before Cutress and his battery were bringing fire down on enemy positions - which prompted the Germans to send a patrol up to the battery's observation post (OP) overlooking Sarande's defences.
Cutress was on his way with a party of men to relieve the observation post when he heard small arms fire and met four Commandos of the OP protection party who told him that a group of between 40 and 50 Germans had come between them and the OP and that they had been forced to withdraw.
Cutress now entered a shepherd's croft, used as a night shelter for the OP signallers, and telephoned the information through to Force HQ. He rejoined his OP party at the place where he had left them - to find only one of his signallers there, the others having withdrawn with the Commandos.
In a fast enveloping mist, he and the signaller, after a reconnaissance of the hill, made their way to the OP. Hearing Germans shouting nearby, Cutress returned to the shepherd's croft, there to find two more of his battery signallers who had left the Commandos and returned to look for him.
Cutress now set off to rescue the OP equipment. As the mist cleared, the German patrol opened fire; Cutress returned fire and withdrew his party - one of whom was wounded - to the cover of some nearby rocks. He organised the evacuation of his wireless/telephone set and equipment, and sent the party back.
Now alone, Cutress teed-in his telephone to the OP line, reported the situation to Force HQ and directed gunfire on to the enemy, who began to withdraw. Forty minutes later, a party of Commandos and gunner-signallers arrived, and Cutress led them to re-occupy
the OP.
"Due entirely to Captain Cutress's coolness and initiative," his citation proclaimed, "he single-handedly recaptured an OP vital to the whole operation and drove off some 40 Germans."
The next day (October 4 1944), his citation continued, Cutress "followed up this act of gallantry by some very fine shooting when he destroyed one staff car, one half-track vehicle, and a motor-cycle. Two lorry loads and one ambulance of wounded and dead were seen to be removed from the enemy position."
John Stephen Cutress was born on September 9 1920 in a room above his father's bakery at Ditchling in Sussex. At Brighton and Hove Grammar School he won his cricket colours and was captain of water polo, as well as being an enthusiastic member of the OTC.
In 1938-39 he worked in London as an apprentice baker at John Barkers, and also at Floris, in Jermyn Street. In the evenings he attended a Crafts & Guilds course at Borough Bakery School, winning first prize.
He returned home to Sussex to work at his father's business, Forfars Bakers, in 1939, and also joined the Territorials - 113 Field Regiment - at Shoreham. He attended an OCTU at Catterick before being commissioned, in early 1941, into 111th Field Regiment and posted to 212 Battery.
In the course of the Second World War, Cutress served at Alamein and in Tunisia and Sicily, as well as in Yugoslavia with the Partisans, the Dalmation islands and Albania. He ended the war in Italy - where his younger brother Charles had won an MC at Monte Cassino.
On demobilisation in 1946, he returned to working for Forfars Bakers and in outside catering. In 1948 he went to Switzerland to attend a nine-month course at the Lausanne Ecole Hotelier, obtaining a diploma and winning the Prix Stamm Cours de Cuisine.
Thereafter, Cutress spent his career in the bakery, hotel, restaurant and catering business in Sussex, with several establishments, including the Pump House in Brighton, and the Eaton restaurant and Courtlands Hotel in Hove. He undertook the catering - sometimes for as many as 3,000 people - for events at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton.
He was active in the Brighton and Hove Hotels and Restaurants Association, and in the Hove Traders' Association.
He served as president of the Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce, and for many years as a local magistrate. He was also a member of Sussex County Cricket Committee.
He edited the newsletter of the Reunion des Gastronomes, and in 1952 he was honoured by Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy, as a Chevalier du Tastevin, being promoted Officier Commandeur in 1994.
He married, in 1948, June Ring; they had four daughters.