- Sally Becker
Sally Becker is an author and former leader of
Operation Angel , a British convoy in Kosovo [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/77844.stm] (not to be confused with the [http://www.operationangel.com American charity] or any of the other many "Operation Angel" entities known worldwide). She has spent time volunteering inBosnia and Kosovo and is credited with at one time saving 170 people there. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/12/98/review_of_98/newsmakers/234607.stm]Volunteering in Bosnia
She was 33 years old when she decided to go to Bosnia and try to help. She began by delivering medical aid and food to the small
Jewish community in Mostar and through them, she was given permission byCroat commanders to evacuate wounded Bosnian children and their families from the besieged city. Following this evacuation she was dubbed "The Angel of Mostar".She managed to secure permission for the delivery of humanitarian aid to all sides of the conflict and for the evacuation of wounded civilians.In December 1993,she led a convoy of 50 vehicles and 200 volunteers from Britain carrying many tons of medical aid and food and evacuated 98 wounded. The mission was dubbed Operation Angel,which later became the name of the charity founded by her partner Dr Duncan Stewart.Two months later (mid winter) all aid agencies were grounded due to snow. She borrowed a helicopter and flew into central Bosnia alone to bring out 55 wounded children and their families.
Struggles in Kosovo
When the war spread to
Kosovo she led a convoy carrying humanitarian aid to children on both sides of the conflict. Three months later when she applied for permission to bring another convoy to the area,all visas were refused. She led the convoy to Northern Albania instead, where thousands of Kosovan refugees had trekked across the border. When the aid had been delivered, the convoy returned to Britain without Sally. Knowing how desperate the situation had become in Kosovo, she decided to cross the mountains on foot, carrying paediatric medicines toJunik , a town surrounded by Serb forces. Whilst there,she was asked by the parents of many sick and wounded children to try and evacuate them. Together with fifteen children and their families she proceeded to climb the mountain towards the border but as they gathered in the dusk waiting to cross to Albania, they were ambushed by Serb paramilitaries.The rest of the group fled to safety but Sally stayed to help a woman and her two young children. She protected them from the bullets and grenades for over an hour, but seeing a helicopter gunship overhead, they had no choice but to surrender. They were taken across country to Djakova where the family was then released.Sally was interrogated and sentenced to thirty days in prison. In September she returned to the border of Kosovo where she traced the children (and found almost 100 others also in need of help). The US accepted half of the evacuees, but while she was trying to secure places for those remaining she was shot by masked gunmen. Although the President ofAlbania sent a helicopter to evacuate her, she refused to abandon the children , remaining there for several weeks, until they had been accepted abroad for medical treatment.External links
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/12/98/review_of_98/newsmakers/234607.stm] - the later part of this story
* [http://www.bluedropgroup.org/grangala_eng.html] - award for bravery
* The Angel of Mostar (ISBN 0-7531-5404-8) by Sally Becker, on Amazon.com
* See www.sallybecker.co.uk (official website)[Category:Women in European warfare]
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