Italian prisoner of war camps. Definitive map.

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by vitellino, May 29, 2020.

  1. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Hello everybody.

    AT LAST it's here. A definitve map showing names and locations of Italian prisoner of war camps,based on ITALIAN DOCUMENTS, produced by www.campifascisti.it


    I have added the link to my new website powcampsitaly which is finally up and running and can be found using the usual search engines.

    Perhaps we can now begin to put a stop to some of the nonsense regarding camp names and locations circulating on the web.

    Edited to say that I have put the website with Webador.
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2023
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  2. Pete61

    Pete61 Member

    What about the camp that was in Anzio.
     
  3. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Interesting question Peter61 but I think that vitellino is mentioning Prisoner of War Camps in the context of Prison Camps.
    Anzio being a battle zone would possibly be classed a POW cage or in Civilian terms a detention centre rather than a prison.
    Captured soldiers would be removed away from the battle zone a soon as it was safe to do so to comply with the Geneva Convention.
    Although the numbers captured in major offensives may have forced a situation where they were held longer than normally anticipated
    due to a shortage of transport or escort troops.

    Or are you referring to the fact that Anzio was described as a prison camp due to it enclosing a huge number of Allied troops who had nowhere to go?

    We must await her reply with patience.
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2021
  4. Pete61

    Pete61 Member

    I think you are right about it being a holding camp my grandfather took some pics of the camp as he was serving in Anzio, the camp looked really busy.
     
  5. Pete61

    Pete61 Member

    I think you are right about it being a holding camp my grandfather took some pics of the camp as he was serving in Anzio, the camp looked really busy.
     
  6. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

  7. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Prisoners taken at Anzo were put in a 'cage' and then sent to a holding camp to await transfer to Germany.

    The two holding camps in central and western Italy - both nominated Dulags - were at Pissingnano, the former PG 77 and Laterina, the former PG 82.

    As regards Umbria, I have taken the liberty of copying this list from that well known site reached by the above link. My comments are in heavy type.

    Workcamp

    P.G. 113 Avio (Trento) Avio is in Northern Italy in the region Trentino Alto Adige.

    The camp had work camps close to the nearby aluminium factory. No aluminium factory in Umbria in 1942-3 to my knowledge.

    Near to Marsciano & Rovereto in Perugia. Marsciano is in Umbria, Rovereto is on the River Adige east of the northern tip of Lake Garda!!!!

    P.G. 115 and sub camps PG 115 was at Morgnano near Spoleto. It had just ONE sub camp, which was PG 115/3 at the Briziarelli brickworks at Marsciano, as is correctly stated below

    P.G. 115/3 Marsciano Near Perugia, ‘Fornaci Briziarelli’ brick factory. CORRECT

    POWs also worked on the Todi –Orvieto road construction.
    This road (the SS448/’Due Mari’) is now reached via the E45 Autostrada 1st exit after Perugia.
    There was also a sub work camp at Casemasce di Todi for the Todi road. DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE?

    P.G. 115/5 Margnano di Spoleto. No such number as PG 115/5

    Margnano lignite mine, listed elsewhere as 'Morgnano' -clearly a spelling error.

    Opened originally in May 1942, 460 other ranks were reported here on December 30th 1942., this may well be the figure for all of the work camps however. Evidence? First Allied Pows arrived on 31 March 1943 - they were white South Africans and were sent to Marsciano (Red Cross Camp Inspection Report WO 361/1913).

    P.G. 115 Spoleto. Cantiere Orlando lignite mine. PG 115 MORGNANO - see above

    P.G. 117 Ruscio Spoleto (Near Camonero) Near Monteleone di Spoleto
    Lignite mine work camp. FOR PRISONERS TAKEN BY THE ITALIANS IN THE BALKANS

    My contribution

    The camps for ALLIED PRISONERS OF WAR in Umbria were:

    PG 77 - Pissignano.
    PG 115 Morgnano. The subcamp for Morgnano was PG 115/ 3 at Marsciano.

    PG 64 at Colfiorito was built by and intended for allied pows, but it later became an internment camp for prisoners taken by the Italians in the Balkans. Work camp PG 117 was also for Montenegrins.

    I lived in Umbria for 25 years and am now across the border in Tuscany. My husband was born there. My book The Long Trail Home (pub. LULU.com) and its translation into Italian 'La Lunga Via del Ritorno' (Morlacchi University Press, Perugia) put the record straight.

    Umbrian camps according to campifascisti.it:

    Main camps:

    I CAMPI FASCISTI - Dalle guerre in Africa alla Repubblica di Salò

    Here's Marsciano work camp 115/3
    I CAMPI FASCISTI - Dalle guerre in Africa alla Repubblica di Salò

    PS I have just checked TNA Discovery and found that file WO 224/141 is described as
    PG 113 Marsciano, Perugia. They also have another file, WO 224/142, described as PG 115 Marsciano Perugia.

    This is a warning to all those who 'cut and paste' on the web.....
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2023
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  8. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    Grazie Vitellino!

    A presto

    Andreas
     
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  9. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Pleased to be able to help.
     
  10. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    By the way, I am reasonably certain, but can't recall where I read it, that there may have been POWs on work details in the Bastardo (Giano dell'Umbria) lignite mine feeding the power station at Ponte di Ferro, today part of Gualdo Cattaneo. I know Forces War Records lists it, but I seem to recall the Enel history of the station has a mention of it. Unfortunately that's not in London. Have you come across that?

    All the best

    Andreas
     
  11. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Last edited: Sep 10, 2021

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