2 Escapees
When the Allies invaded Italy there were thousands of allied troops held captive in Italian POW camps. This chapter tells their story, those who fell into Nazi hands and were transported to Germany; those who escaped; and a few who joined and fought with partisans in Italy and were decorated for their actions.
This chapter is drawn entirely from personal accounts and from archive documents. Fred Hirst, ‘A Forester’s Story’ is a vivid description of his experiences of escape and evasion in Italy. Richard Garrett’s account is chapter 9 of ‘What Did You Do in the War Grandad’. Both of these are in the Nottinghamshire Archives. Les Booker’s experiences are in IWM Tape #15591. The WO 208 series in The National Archive, Kew, contains escape reports from Italian camps; and some of the MiD citations relating to some of these are unusually detailed.
Notes
p. 51-52 An interview of Harry Day by Peter Hart in 1992 (IWM Tape #12412, Reel 11), confirms that Day treated other PoWs but does not mention Booker by name. From WO 208, Blow Green and Raynor all reached British lines in October-November 1943, Booker and Edwards in July 1944. Corporal Bert Pinnock escaped but was recaptured (Binch, in More Sherwood Forester Memories, p. 217). Fourteen men listed as having been in PG53, including Pinnock, ended up in German camps.
p. 52-53 Frank Lees, On Active Service pp. 42–44. WO 32/9895 Treatment of British Prisoners of War who Escaped to Switzerland identifies Private Douglas Chawner (p. 53) as one of those working in agriculture.
p. 53 Hennessey’s escape report is WO 208/3343, his MiD was gazetted 15 June 1944, along with Bryan and Cosgrave (see below note for pp. 55-56). Hennessey later served with the 7th Green Howards at D-Day and in Northwest Europe, where he was wounded in August 1944.
p. 53-54 Although Paradine had passed through PG98, the camp from which he escaped in September is not identified. Paradine’s MiD was gazetted 14 February 1947.
p. 55 Hirst’s capture is described in ‘A Forester’s Story’, pp. 69–72.
p. 55 John Bryan had previously been court-martialled for desertion in the UK, possibly doing so to see his wife who was about to have their first child. He was also court-martialled a second time later in the war! Details from FGCM records and from Bryan’s service record sent to me by his family.
pp. 55-56 As well as Garrett’s ‘What Did You Do in the War Grandad’ this draws on WO 208/3289, ‘Secret Camp Histories: Oflag V-A Weinsberg’.