László Almásy
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László Adolf Ede György Mária Almásy de Zsadány et Törökszentmiklós (; ; 22 August/3 November 1895 – 22 March 1951) was a Hungarian
aristocrat The aristocracy (''from Greek'' ''ἀριστοκρατία'' ''aristokratía'', "rule of the best"; ''Latin: aristocratia'') is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the ...
, motorist, desert explorer,
aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...
, Scout-leader, and sportsman who served as the basis for the protagonist in both
Michael Ondaatje Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer and essayist. Ondaatje's literary career began with his poetry in 1967, publishing ''The Dainty Monsters'', and then in 1970 the critically a ...
's novel '' The English Patient'' (1992) and the movie adaptation of the same name (1996).


Early life

Almásy was born in Borostyánkő,
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
( Bernstein im Burgenland, Austria), into a famous (his father was zoologist and ethnographer György Almásy), and, from 1911 to 1914, was educated at Berrow School, situated in a private house in
Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...
, England, where he was tutored by Daniel Wheeler.Eastbourne Local History Society Newsletter Nr 143


World War I

During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Almásy joined the 11th Hussars along with his brother János. Almásy saw action against the Serbs, and then the Russians on the Eastern Front. In 1916, he transferred to the Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops. After being shot down over Northern Italy in March 1918, Almásy served the remainder of the war as a flight instructor.


Interwar period

After the war, Almásy returned to join the
Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...
Technical Institute, in
East Sussex East Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Kent to the north-east, West Sussex to the west, Surrey to the north-west, and the English Channel to the south. The largest settlement ...
, England. From November 1921 to June 1922, he lodged at the same address in Eastbourne. He was a member of the pioneering Eastbourne Flying Club. Returning to Hungary, Almásy became the personal secretary of the
Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of
Szombathely } Szombathely (; ; also see #Etymology, names) is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas County in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria. Szombathely lies by the streams ''Perint'' and '' ...
, , one of the leading figures of the abortive post-war Habsburg restoration attempt. The young Almásy became involved in these events by accident as the driver of Bishop Mikes when King Karl IV of Hungary returned to Hungary in 1921 to claim the throne, and was helped by Mikes to reach Budapest (from where he was politely but firmly sent back to Austria by
Miklós Horthy Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya (18 June 1868 – 9 February 1957) was a Hungarian admiral and statesman who was the Regent of Hungary, regent of the Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946), Kingdom of Hungary Hungary between the World Wars, during the ...
, the Regent of Hungary). After he was introduced, the King continued to refer to him as ''Count Almásy'', confusing László with another branch of the family. This was the basis for Almásy using the title to his advantage, mostly in Egypt among the Egyptian royalty to open doors that would have remained closed to a commoner. However, he himself admitted in private conversations that the title was not legitimate.Kubassek, János, ''A Szahara bűvöletében'' (Enchanted by the Sahara), Panoráma, Budapest 1999 After 1921, Almásy worked as a representative of the Austrian car firm Steyr Automobile in
Szombathely } Szombathely (; ; also see #Etymology, names) is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas County in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria. Szombathely lies by the streams ''Perint'' and '' ...
, Hungary, and won many car races in the Steyr colours. He managed to persuade a wealthy friend, Prince Antal Eszterházy, to join him in driving a Steyr from
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
to
Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan. Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...
, before embarking on a hunting expedition to the Dinder River, a feat which had never before been accomplished by an ordinary automobile.Almásy, László, ''Autóval Szudánba'' (With Motorcar to the Sudan), Franklin, Budapest 1929 The 1926 drive from
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
to the
Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
along the
Nile The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river sy ...
proved to be the turning point in his life. Almásy developed an interest in the area and later returned there to drive and hunt. He also demonstrated Steyr vehicles in
desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...
conditions in 1929 with two Steyr lorries and led his first expedition to the desert. In 1931 Almásy made arrangements with a
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
expedition, led by Captain G. Malins, to make a detour and accompany him to Uweinat and northern Sudan on what was planned to be the first exploration of the
Libyan Desert The Libyan Desert (not to be confused with the Libyan Sahara) is a geographical region filling the northeastern Sahara Desert, from eastern Libya to the Western Desert (Egypt), Western Desert of Egypt and far northwestern Sudan. On medieval m ...
by aeroplane. He was accompanied by Count Nándor Zichy. They took off from in Budapest on 21 August in a De Havilland Gipsy Moth that had been purchased by Zichy in England a few weeks earlier. Four days later they crashed in a storm near
Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...
. Both survived with scratches only, but the aircraft was a total wreck. The Syrian papers reported them dead, and the Malins expedition left Cairo without them.Almásy, László, ''Levegőben... homokon...'' (In Air... on Sand...), Franklin, Budapest 1937 From the beginnings of
Scouting Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...
, he was a member of the movement. In 1921 Almásy became the International Commissioner of the Hungarian Scout Association. With Count
Pál Teleki Count Pál János Ede Teleki de Szék (1 November 1879 – 3 April 1941) was a Hungarian politician who served as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1920 to 1921 and from 1939 to 1941. He was also an expert in geography, a uni ...
, he took part in organizing the
4th World Scout Jamboree The 4th World Scout Jamboree (Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''4. Cserkész Világdzsembori''), a gathering of Boy Scouts from all over the world, was hosted by Hungary and held from 2 to 13 August 1933. It was attended by 25,792 Boy Scout, Scou ...
in
Gödöllő Gödöllő, officially the City of Gödöllő, is a city in Pest County, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary, about northeast from the outskirts of Budapest. Its population is 34,396 according to the 2010 census and is growing rapidly. It can b ...
,
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, where Almásy presented the Air Scouts to Robert Baden-Powell on 9 August 1933.


Explorer

In 1932, Almásy embarked on an expedition to find the legendary Zerzura, "The Oasis of the Birds," with Sir Robert Clayton, Squadron Leader H.W.G.J. Penderel and Patrick Clayton. The expedition used both cars and a
De Havilland The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited (pronounced , ) was a British aviation manufacturer established in late 1920 by Geoffrey de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome Edgware on the outskirts of North London. Operations were later moved to ...
Gipsy Moth aeroplane owned by Sir Robert Clayton. While Almásy went with two cars to Kufra Oasis, Sir Robert and Penderel discovered a valley with green vegetation inside the
Gilf Kebir Gilf Kebir () (var. Gilf al-Kebir, Jilf al Kabir, Gilf Kebir Plateau) is a plateau in the New Valley Governorate of the remote southwest corner of Egypt, and southeast Libya. Its name translates as "the Great Barrier". This sandstone plateau, ...
plateau, which they presumed to be one of the three hidden valleys of Zerzura. Their attempts to reach the mouth of the valley by car failed.Almásy, László, ''Ismeretlen Szahara'' (Unknown Sahara), Franklin, Budapest 1935 Later in 1932, Almásy's sponsor and travel companion Sir Robert Clayton East-Clayton died of acute spinal poliomyelitis contracted within two months of completing the spring 1932 expedition to the Gilf Kebir. (Not on crash-landing as described in ''The English Patient'' but from infection possibly picked up on a desert expedition. However, East-Clayton's wife Dorothy, also a pilot, ''did'' die in a peculiar plane accident, at Brooklands on 15 September 1933.) Despite the setbacks, Almásy succeeded in organizing another Zerzura expedition for the spring of 1933, this time with the desert explorer
Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein () (20 December 1874 – 6 August 1932) was the son of Sultan of Egypt, Sultan Hussein Kamel of Egypt, Hussein Kamel of Egypt. Renunciation of succession rights Several otherwise reliable sources mistakenly assert tha ...
as his sponsor. He was accompanied by Squadron Leader H.W.G.J. Penderel, the Austrian writer Richard Bermann (pen name Arnold Hollriegel) and the German cinematographer and photographer . This expedition succeeded in entering the valley discovered the previous year, and circumstantial evidence collected from a Tibou elder at Kufra Oasis confirmed the identity of the valleys as Zerzura. Later on this expedition, Almasy succeeded in entering Wadi Talh, (the third valley of Zerzure), and at the very end of the expedition Almásy, together with
Lodovico di Caporiacco Ludovico di Caporiacco (22 January 1900, in Udine – 18 July 1951, in Parma) was an Italian arachnologist. Caporiacco took part in an expedition to the Jebel Uweinat, a mountain massif in the boundary region of Sudan, Libya, and Egypt. On the ...
, discovered the prehistoric rock paintings of Ain Dua at Jebel Uweinat.Hollriegel, Arnold''Zarzura, die Oase der kleinen vögel'', Orell Füssli, Zürich 1938 In the autumn of 1933, Almásy embarked on a further expedition, this time with the noted German ethnographer Leo Frobenius, his assistant and draughtswoman Elisabeth Pauli (later Elisabeth Jensen). They copied and cataloged the known prehistoric rock art sites, and made a large number of new discoveries at Karkur Talh ( Jebel Uweinat) and the famous Cave of Swimmers at Wadi Sora in the Gilf Kebir.Rhotert, Hans''Lybische Felsbilder'', L. C. Wittich, Darmstadt 1952 In the spring of 1934, Almásy led an expedition organised by the Royal Egyptian Automobile Club to the Gilf Kebir and Jebel Uweinat. The expedition erected a memorial tablet for Prince Kelam el Din (who died the previous year, giving another blow to Almásy's ambitions) at the southern tip of the
Gilf Kebir Gilf Kebir () (var. Gilf al-Kebir, Jilf al Kabir, Gilf Kebir Plateau) is a plateau in the New Valley Governorate of the remote southwest corner of Egypt, and southeast Libya. Its name translates as "the Great Barrier". This sandstone plateau, ...
plateau. The note left by the expedition now rests in the Heinrich Barth Institut in
Köln Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
.Monument to Prince Kemal el Din
accessed 20 Oct. 2013
At Jebel Uweinat Almásy visited the
Sudan Defence Force The Sudan Defence Force (SDF) was a British Colonial Auxiliary Forces unit raised in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan in 1925 to assist local police in internal security duties and maintain the condominium's territorial integrity. During World War II, ...
camp commanded by
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Francis Godfrey Bertram Arkwright, and together they made some new rock art discoveries at the south of Jebel Uweinat. Almásy also visited and copied a panel of paintings found by Captain Arkwright at Jebel Kissu.Almásy, László, ''Récentes Explorations dans le Désert Libyque'' Societé Royale de Geographie de l'Egypte, Cairo, 1936 In February 1935, Almásy and his colleague Hansjoachim von der Esch became the first Europeans to re-establish contact with the Magyarab tribe, living on an island of the
Nile The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river sy ...
opposite
Wadi Halfa (, , ":wikt:esparto, Esparto Valley") is a city in the Northern (state), Northern state of Sudan on the shores of Lake Nasser, Lake Nubia near the Egypt–Sudan border, border with Egypt. It is the terminus of a rail transport in Sudan, rail lin ...
in
Nubia Nubia (, Nobiin language, Nobiin: , ) is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the confluence of the Blue Nile, Blue and White Nile, White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sudan), and the Cataracts of the Nile, first cataract ...
, who speak
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
but are believed to be the descendants of Nubian women and Hungarian soldiers serving in the Ottoman army in the 16th century. The accounts of Almásy and von der Esch differ substantially. While Almásy presents the discovery as his own, von der Esch describes the encountervon der Esch, Hansjoachim''Weenak - die Karawane ruft'', Brochhaus, Leipzig 1941 as having been made after Almásy left
Wadi Halfa (, , ":wikt:esparto, Esparto Valley") is a city in the Northern (state), Northern state of Sudan on the shores of Lake Nasser, Lake Nubia near the Egypt–Sudan border, border with Egypt. It is the terminus of a rail transport in Sudan, rail lin ...
with Count Zsigmond Széchenyi and Jenő Horthy (a relation of
Miklós Horthy Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya (18 June 1868 – 9 February 1957) was a Hungarian admiral and statesman who was the Regent of Hungary, regent of the Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946), Kingdom of Hungary Hungary between the World Wars, during the ...
) on a hunting trip to the Wadi Howar.Széchenyi, Zsigmond''Hengergő Homok'' (Roling Sand), Budapest 1936 As Almásy's only illustration shows a group of Egyptian '' fellahin'' surrounding a car (no car could have made it over to the island), while von der Esch shows several photos taken on the island, the story of the latter is more likely to be true. In April 1935, again accompanied by Hansjoachim von der Esch, Almásy explored the Great Sand Sea from Ain Dalla to
Siwa Oasis The Siwa Oasis ( ) is an urban oasis in Egypt. It is situated between the Qattara Depression and the Great Sand Sea in the Western Desert (Egypt), Western Desert, east of the Egypt–Libya border and from the Egyptian capital city of Cairo. I ...
, the last remaining 'blank spot' untouched by earlier explorers or Patrick Clayton's surveys. In his book Almásy claims to have been in the service of the Egyptian government, a statement which led some authors to claim that Almásy was a cartographer of the
Libyan Desert The Libyan Desert (not to be confused with the Libyan Sahara) is a geographical region filling the northeastern Sahara Desert, from eastern Libya to the Western Desert (Egypt), Western Desert of Egypt and far northwestern Sudan. On medieval m ...
in a formal capacity.Török, Zsolt. "László Almásy: The Real 'English patient' - The Hungarian Desert Explorer." ''Földrajzi Közlemények'' 121.1-2 (1997): 77-86 However, as at the time Patrick Clayton was still the "official" Libyan Desert desert surveyor of the Desert Survey department of the Survey of Egypt, and the two were definitely not on good terms,Clayton, Peter, ''Desert Explorer'' (A Biography of Colonel P.A. Clayton), Zerzura Press, Cargreen 1998 this claim is very unlikely, with no surviving documentary proof. In 1939, with the help of Hansjoachim von der Esch, Almásy published a German edition of a compilation (''not'' the entire text) of selected chapters from his books originally published in Hungarian.Almásy, Ladislaus E, ''Unbekannte Sahara. Mit Flugzeug und Auto in der Libyschen Wüste'' (''The Unknown Sahara. By Aeroplane and Car in the Libyan Desert''), Brockhaus, Leipzig 1939 Almásy never had the means to finance his own expeditions; he was always reliant on financial backers, some of whom raised the suspicion of the British authorities in Egypt. By 1934, both the Italians and the British had suspected him of spying for the other side (though there is no conclusive proof that he did so for either); in 1935, he was refused permission by the British military authorities to make another expedition to Uweinat.Foreign Office corresponcence, National Archives, London
accessed 20 Oct. 2013
His attention turned to another passion, aviation, and he was deeply involved with setting up gliding activities in Egypt under the auspices of the Royal Egyptian Aviation Club (the president of which, Taher Pasha, was also providing accommodation for Almásy). The Almaza Air Base was named after him by the Egyptian government.


World War II

After the outbreak of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in 1939, Almásy had to return to Hungary. The British suspected that he was a spy for the Italians, and vice versa. While there is no evidence to suggest that he was involved in any clandestine intelligence gathering prior to the war, he was clearly not welcomed by authorities on either side of the Egypt-Libya border.Kelly, Saul, ''The Hunt for Zerzura'', John Murray, London, 2002 Hungary formally joined the
Axis powers The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...
by signing the
Tripartite Pact The Tripartite Pact, also known as the Berlin Pact, was an agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan signed in Berlin on 27 September 1940 by, respectively, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Galeazzo Ciano, and Saburō Kurusu (in that order) and in the ...
on 20 November 1940. Almásy joined the Royal Hungarian Air Force (RHAF). On the 8th of February, 1941 he, as a hungarian officer was commanded to the Abwehr, to the Africa Corps. Nikolaus Ritter of the German military intelligence service, the ''
Abwehr The (German language, German for ''resistance'' or ''defence'', though the word usually means ''counterintelligence'' in a military context) ) was the German military intelligence , military-intelligence service for the ''Reichswehr'' and the ...
'', recruited Almásy in Budapest. As a Hungarian reserve officer, he was permitted to wear the uniform of a ''
Hauptmann () is an officer rank in the armies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is usually translated as ''captain''. Background While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has, and originally had, the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literall ...
'' (captain/flight lieutenant) of the German Air Force, the ''
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
''. Initially he worked on maps and country descriptions prepared by the Abteilung IV. Mil.Geo.. Then he was assigned to an ''Abwehr'' commando in Libya under the command of Major Nikolaus Ritter, using his aviation and desert experience in various missions. After the failure of ''Plan el Masri'' and the first ''Operation Condor'' to airdrop two German spies into Egypt (ending with the ditching of one of the two aircraft and the injury of Ritter), Almásy assumed command of the unit.Gross, Kuno, Michael Rolke and András Zboray
''Operation Salaam - László Almásy's most daring mission in the Desert War''
Belleville, München 2013
Almásy's greatest achievement during his wartime stay in North Africa was the successful completion of '' Operation Salam'', the infiltration of two German spies through the
Libyan Desert The Libyan Desert (not to be confused with the Libyan Sahara) is a geographical region filling the northeastern Sahara Desert, from eastern Libya to the Western Desert (Egypt), Western Desert of Egypt and far northwestern Sudan. On medieval m ...
behind enemy lines in a manner similar to the Allied
Long Range Desert Group The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. Originally called the Long Range Patrol (LRP), the unit was founded in Egypt in June 1940 by Major Ralph Alger Bagnold, ...
. ''Operation Salam'' was not a covert operation; Almásy and his team were wearing German uniforms. They used captured British (Canadian-built) Ford cars and trucks with German crosses surreptitiously incorporated into the vehicles' camouflage pattern. Almásy successfully delivered the two ''Abwehr'' agents, Johannes Eppler and his radio operator , to
Assiut AsyutAlso spelled ''Assiout'' or ''Assiut''. ( ' ) is the capital of the modern Asyut Governorate in Egypt. It was built close to the ancient city of the same name, which is situated nearby. The modern city is located at , while the ancient city i ...
in Egypt after crossing the
Gilf Kebir Gilf Kebir () (var. Gilf al-Kebir, Jilf al Kabir, Gilf Kebir Plateau) is a plateau in the New Valley Governorate of the remote southwest corner of Egypt, and southeast Libya. Its name translates as "the Great Barrier". This sandstone plateau, ...
and Kharga Oasis. Unknown to Almásy and the German command, British code breakers at
Bletchley Park Bletchley Park is an English country house and Bletchley Park estate, estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire), that became the principal centre of Allies of World War II, Allied World War II cryptography, code-breaking during the S ...
had broken the ''Abwehr'' hand cypher that Almásy and the spies used for their wireless transmissions. A young intelligence analyst at Bletchley Park, Jean Alington (later Jean Howard), noticed the signal trail. However, as the warning to the British HQ ME in Cairo arrived too late (due to the imminent attack of Rommel),
Afrika Korps The German Africa Corps (, ; DAK), commonly known as Afrika Korps, was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its Africa ...
messages had a higher priority for deciphering and analysis, and Almásy was able to return to his starting point at Gialo unhindered. Eppler and subsequent mission, Operation Condor, was a complete failure; they were both captured within six weeks of reaching Cairo. Almásy received both the 1st and 2nd Class of the
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
(''Eisernes Kreuz'') and a promotion to
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
for the success of ''Operation Salam''. However, his services in North Africa were no longer needed, and he returned to Hungary, where he wrote a short book on his wartime experiences in Libya.Almásy, László, ''Rommel seregénél Libyában'' (With Rommel's Army in Libya), Stádium, Budapest 1943 There is some evidence that Almásy remained in contact with the ''Abwehr'' until late 1943, and yet was involved in the rescue of several Hungarian Jews from the mass deportation to Nazi camps in 1944, including the fencer Jenő Fuchs and his family.


Awards and decorations


Later life

After the war, as the
Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
s took over in Hungary, Almásy was arrested for alleged war crimes and treason for joining the armed forces of a foreign power. The charge was based mainly on his wartime book. However, during the trial it emerged that neither the prosecutor nor the judge had read the book, as it was placed on the banned books list by the Soviet occupation forces. Eventually Almásy was acquitted with the help of some influential friends. However, after the trial the Soviet
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
also started looking for him. He escaped from the country, supposedly with the aid of the British Intelligence, which reportedly bribed Hungarian Communist officials to enable his release. The bribe was paid by Alaeddin Moukhtar, cousin of King Farouk of Egypt. The British then spirited him into British-occupied
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
using a false passport under the name of ''Josef Grossman'', then on to Rome, where he was escorted by Ronnie Waring, later 18th Duke of Valderano. When Almásy was pursued by a "hit squad" from the
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
"Committee for State Security" (
KGB The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...
), Valderano put him on an aeroplane to Cairo. A note of caution needs to be exercised when taking Valderano's account at face value. While he claimed to have been working for
MI6 The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
as the Rome "resident", there is no corroborating proof that Almásy was helped by British Intelligence, and the story was only released following the wide media publicity generated by the 1996 film '' The English Patient''. If indeed Almásy had any contacts with British intelligence during and after the War as rumoured, any evidence is still lying in unreleased intelligence files. Back in Egypt, Almásy supported himself with odd jobs, some related to aviation, but also leading hunting parties to other parts of Africa. Among his activities was being a dealer in European cars in Cairo. His last brief moment of glory came in December 1950, when King Farouk appointed him Director of the newly founded Egyptian Desert Research Institute.


Death

Almásy became ill in 1951 during a visit in Austria, and died 22 March of complications induced by
amoebic dysentery Amoebiasis, or amoebic dysentery, is an infection of the intestines caused by a parasitic amoeba '' Entamoeba histolytica''. Amoebiasis can be present with no, mild, or severe symptoms. Symptoms may include lethargy, loss of weight, coloni ...
—contracted during a trip to Mozambique the previous year—in a hospital in
Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
, where he was then buried. The
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
on his grave, erected by Hungarian aviation and desert enthusiasts in 1995, honors him as a (Pilot, Sahara Explorer, and Discoverer of the Zerzura).


Legacy

The Abu Ramla Sahara Expedition was established in 2000 with the aim of re-discovering the eastern Sahara region that the legendary Hungarian explorer László Almásy visited, described and discovered during his travels in
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
,
Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
and
Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
. The name of such expedition was inspired by László Almásy himself, who was called by local Saharan tribes: "Abu Ramla" or "Father of the Sand". The Abu Ramla Sahara Expedition visited the Nubian territory and the three ancient capitals of the Kushite kingdom:
Kerma Kerma was the capital city of the Kerma culture, which was founded in present-day Sudan before 3500 BC. Kerma is one of the largest archaeological sites in ancient Nubia. It has produced decades of extensive excavations and research, including t ...
,
Napata Napata
(2020).
(Old Egyptian ''Npt'', ''Npy''; Meroitic language, Meroitic ''Napa''; and Ναπάται) was a city of ...
and
Meroë Meroë (; also spelled ''Meroe''; Meroitic: ; and ; ) was an ancient city on the east bank of the Nile about 6 km north-east of the Kabushiya station near Shendi, Sudan, approximately 200 km north-east of Khartoum. Near the site is ...
. These archaeological sites are registered in
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
's list of
World Heritage Sites World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...
. During their campaigns in 2003, 2004 and 2006, they captured various photographic material and filmed those areas where the remains of Kushite royal tombs can still be observed. On the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the birth of László Almásy (August 2015), the Abu Ramla Sahara Expedition placed a commemorative plaque in Hungarian on main entrance gate of the castle of Bernstein ( Borostyánkő), where Almásy was born in 1895.


Fictional portrayal

Almásy remained a little-known desert explorer until 1996, when he (or rather his fictitious character) was thrown into the limelight by the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-winning film '' The English Patient''. The screenplay was based on the 1992 novel by Michael Ondaatje. While the storyline is pure fiction, some of the characters and the events surrounding the search for Zerzura and the Cave of Swimmers have been adapted from '' Geographical Journal'' articles describing the expeditions of the real Almásy into the Libyan Desert. The publicity attracted by the film helped uncover many hitherto unknown details about Almásy's life, but also resulted in a huge volume of inaccurate or outright untrue claims, mostly related to his World War II activities, which continue to circulate in print and on the web. Many of these inaccuracies and false stories were examined and refuted in a 2013 book on ''Operation Salam'' by Kuno Gross, Michael Rolke and András Zboray. In the movie, a native guide is depicted as describing to Almásy the physical location of the cave; "A mountain the shape of a woman's back". The fictionalized Almásy is then depicted as rendering a drawing and some text that he then includes in the book that he keeps for himself.


Filmography

* '' Rommel Calls Cairo'' (1959 film) * '' Foxhole in Cairo'' (1960 film)


Notes

;Citations ;Bibliography * Almásy, László. ''Autóval Szudánba'' (With motorcar to the Sudan). Budapest: Franklin, 1929. * Almásy, László. ''Ismeretlen Szahara'' (Unknown Sahara). Budapest: Franklin, 1935. * Almásy, L.E. de. ''Récentes Explorations dans le Désert Lybique''. Cairo: Societé Royale de Geographie d'Egypte, 1936. ** German translation by Klaus Kurre in ''Mythos Zarzura''. Belleville, Munich 2020, ISBN 978-3-936298-18-5 * Almásy, László. ''Levegőben... homokon...'' (In Air... on Sand...). Budapest: Franklin, 1937. * Almásy, L.E. ''Unbekannte Sahara''. Leipzig: Brockhaus, 1939. * Almásy, László. ''Rommel seregénél Libyában'' (With Rommel's Army in Libya). Budapest: Stádium, 1942. * Almásy, Ladislaus. ''Schwimmer in der Wüste'' (Swimmer of the Desert). Innsbruck: Haymon, 1997. (new edition of Unbekannte Sahara) * Bermann, Richard (Arnold Hollriegel). ''Zarzura - die Oase der kleinen vögel''. Zürich: Orell Füssli, 1938. * Bierman, John. ''The Secret Life of Laszlo Almasy: The Real English Patient''. London: Penguin Books, 2004. * Gross, Kuno, Michael Rolke and András Zboray
''Operation Salam - László Almásy's most daring mission in the Desert War''
München: Belleville, 2013. (HC) * Kelly, Saul. ''The Hunt for Zerzura''. London: John Murray, 2002. (HC) * Kubassek, János. ''A Szahara bűvöletében'' (Enchanted by the Sahara), Panoráma, Budapest 1999 (Biography of Almásy, in Hungarian) * Ondaatje, Michael. ''The English Patient.'' (fiction) 1992. * Sensenig-Dabbous, Eugene. " 'Will the Real Almásy Please Stand Up!' Transporting Central European Orientalism via The English Patient," in: German Orientalism, Jennifer Jenkins (ed.)
''Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East''
Volume 24, No. 2, 2004. * Széchenyi, Zsigmond. "Hengergő homok" (Rolling sands). Budapest: published by the author, 1936. * Török, Zsolt: "Salaam Almasy. Almásy László életregénye" (Salaam Almasy: Biography of László Almásy). Budapest: ELTE, 1998. * Török, Zsolt. "László Almásy: The Real 'English patient' - The Hungarian Desert Explorer." ''Földrajzi Közlemények'' 121.1-2 (1997): 77-86.


External links


The writings of László Almásy (English)


*




László Almásy Digital Archive


{{DEFAULTSORT:Almasy, Laszlo 1895 births 1951 deaths Abwehr personnel of World War II People from Oberwart District 20th-century Hungarian sportsmen Laszlo Hungarian explorers Explorers of Africa Hungarian aviators Hungarian people of World War II World War II spies for Germany Hungarian scientists Hungarian monarchists Hungarian collaborators with Nazi Germany Scouting and Guiding in Hungary Aerial photographers Deaths from dysentery People acquitted of treason