Ottoman Balkans and Greece

OTBA 118

Two photo albums and an unpublished 271 page original manuscript intended for publication, belonging to Italian Lieutenant Athos Martinelli, all recalling his time in Albania during WW2. He arrived in Albania November 11, 1940 and was attached to a medical unit. Close to 600 photos, all legibly captioned and dated. Showing numerous towns in Albania such as Perenjes, Kimbraka, Lischa, Avanzata, Kododick, Linn, Struga, Ohrida, Koritza, Travesata, crossing to Brindisi temporarily, departing Koritza for Tirana, Tirana, Petrella and Scutari as well as Podgorize in Montenegro. He was wounded or fell ill and returned to Italy August 15, 1942. Shows various field hospitals as well as buildings converted into hospitals, local life and customs, military life in the field, ravages of war, etc. Martinelli was an avid photographer and had a very good camera.

Price: $2500.00

OTBA 117

Two General Orders issued to the 2nd Division in Tripoli concerning the occupation of Rodi. May 4, 8, 1912.

Price: $60.00

OTBA 116

12 photos from an Italian soldier fighting in Berat Albania in March 1941. Berat was a centre of anti-fascist resistance during the war. The photos show Italian tankettes, destroyed Albanian tank, destruction to a forest, Italian dead, infantry on the march. These photos were taken during the fighting with the partisan Unity Front, which was finally defeated one month later. One photo taken in Tirana.

Price: $200.00

Note from Wikipedia: After the invasion of Albania by Italy in April 1939, 100,000 Italian soldiers and 11,000 Italian colonists settled in the country. Initially the Albanian Fascist Party received support from the population, mainly because of the unification of Kosovo and other Albanian-populated territories with Albania proper after the conquest of Yugoslavia and Greece by the Axis powers in the spring 1941. Benito Mussolini boasted in May 1941 to a group of Albanian fascists that he had achieved the Greater Albania long desired by Tirana nationalists. The Albanian Fascist Party of Tefik Mborja had strong support among the population after the Albania annexation of Kosovo. Several groups were led by Baba Faja Martaneshi, former gendarmerie officer Gani bey Kryeziu, communist Mustafa Gjinishi, and rightist politician Muharrem Bajraktari. An attempt to unite those groups in one organization was undertaken by Major Abaz Kupi, by now a democratic politician, who created an underground organisation called the Unity Front. This front, which increased in numbers within several months, was crushed in April 1941 after the defeat of Yugoslavia and Greece.

OTBA 115

Two rare short-run newspapers issued for the Italalian military in Albania and the Balkans. L’Elmetto, Giornale delle Armate Italiane nei Balcani. Beginning February 10, 1941, through to March 17, 1941. Issues 1, 2, 3, 5, 6. Radiofante, Gionale Settimanale dei Combattenti in Albania. Beginning December 2, 1940, through to December 30, 1940. Issues 1-5. Neither of these newspapers are found in Worldcat. Remarkable condition.

Price: $2000.00

OTBA 114

Postcard commemorating the presence of the Brigata Aosta la Veja, 5th Regiment, based in Crete, late 19th century.

Price: $40.00

OTBA 113

Collection of 6 photos of Rhodes taken by an Italian engineer named Mazzochi (he is shown in photos), in 1914. He participated in the draining of the Pontine Marsh in 1930

Price: $250.00

OTBA 112

Card issued by the Near East Relief agency. It reads:

The bearer [written name unreadable], aged 16 years, is placed under the guardianship of this organization in Macedonia and Thrace for work and due submission, of every Greek citizen, to the authority and prefecture.

This was issued by the responsible Governor and is valid for one year from today.

08 Feb(?) 1925 [written part]

Gen. Manager

H.C. Jaquith

Price: $120.00

OTBA 111

Collection of 30 letters from an Italian soldier named Pietro. I am not sure where he is serving but the letters make much reference to the Germans and the war in Greece. The period covered is March, 1940 to June 15, 1941. Toward the end he is transferred to Rodi.

Price: $600.00

OTBA 110

File folder from the Office of Propaganda and Turism in Albania, titled Rassegna della sampa Albanese (review of the Albanian press). It contains four 1940 reports summarizing the local and international news as reported in KEMISH E ZEZE (October 7), TOMORI (October 10 and 11) and KULTURA ISLAME (October 12).

Price: $400.00

OTBA 109

October 22, 1939 issue of FASHIZMI, the official organ of the fascist party in Albania. Only Oxford holds 12 issues of this. Extremely rare.

Price: $250.00

OTBA 108

Two issues of ToMori (Tumor). An Alanian newspaper controlled by Italy. Stories in both Albanian and Italian. Dated October 10 and 11, 1940. Not found in Worldcat. Extremely rare.

Price: $450.00

OTBA 107