Hi everyone The above officer was with the Inter-Service Liaison Department (an alias for the Secret Intelligence Services/MI6) and was killed somewhere in the Mediterranean on 5th April 1945. He is commemorated on the Athens Memorial at Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece. He is mentioned on the Special Forces website. I think he was a Captain with I.S.9. operating in Italy in 1943 and I have found one mention in a book putting him in Yugoslavia in September 1944. Any information as to where and how he died would be gratefully appreciated. Gus
Gus, there are a couple of files at Kew related to him. His MC recommendation: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7369760 (Some one on here might already have a PDF of this) And what looks to be a file about his estate: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7193276 IS9 (Intelligence School 9) was the executive branch of MI9 in regards to Escape and Evasion. Lee
Gus, I know you are asking about how he died, but since Lee found the MC reference, here it is attached. http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7369760
Hi Just found that he was in North Africa too with ISDL according to "Special Forces in the Desert War", 1940-1943. by H. W. Wynter Gus
Bumped into this name today, as his name appears on Seaforth's post No.13 on: ILRS Major McCoy The passage with my bold states: His name appears in this long account and I cite one passage: Link: I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 2 Not a familiar name so I note in this 1940 London Gazette his Army Number is followed by Captain Robert "Bob" Melot, with Vladimir Peniakoff above, yes, separated by a few days. See: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35063/supplement/682/data.pdf The Athens memorial has a long list of names and he is shown under 'General List' with a few others. See: MAJ Andrew Anthony Vincent Losco (Unknown-1945) -... I note he has no known grave and his death in April 1945 was in a supposed lull in the Greek Civil War, after a ceasefire in January 1945, followed by a political treaty in February and fighting resumed in March 1946. See: Greek Civil War - Wikipedia Given the violence that rumbled on, with reprisals, and the British role in Greece then there are all sorts of reasons why he could be killed, or even succumb to an illness. As I assume he was still with ISLD, as a trained agent, being found by the Communist faction might not have been healthy.. He also appears in this 2016 thread, though not the main focus and it refers to his time in Italy: Information about Captain Andrew Losco and Major Jock Mckee Plus Post 36 in this thread, again a very brief mention helping to set Allied POW escape lines in Italy: Italy 1943: the 'Stay Put Order'
Is it possible that Major Losco did not die alone? Would researching the other officers and OR named on the Athens memorial be worth pursuing? I suspect that the individual panels are not time specific. Why? The Cyprus Regiment account for many names and on a brief look they were not deployed to Greece in 1944-1946. Some insight into the possible role of ISLD in Greece can be found in a review of a book for an operative posted to Yugoslavia: Search for "Our Man in Yugoslavia" - Balkanalysis Have SIS ever acknowledged he was one of their staff?
A.A.V. LOSCO 163578 Casualty List No 1423 Dated 18 April 1944 - Middle East General List (Rank Capt) Missing DNR Casualty List No 1448 Dated 17 May 1944 - Middle East General List (Rank Capt) Previously reported missing DNR, now reported not missing Casualty List No 1677 Dated 9 February 1945 - Home and Stations Abroad (Rank Maj) Wounded and missing DNR Casualty List No 1735 Dated 19 April 1945 - Home and Stations Abroad (Rank Maj) Previously reported wounded and missing, date not reported, now reported wounded and missing believed POW Casualty List No 2031 Dated 21 May 1946 - Home and Stations Abroad (Rank Maj) Previously reported wounded and missing, believed POW DNR, now presumed died of wounds whilst POW GRO Index to War Deaths 1939 - 1948 (Officers) LOSCO Andrew A V / 2nd Lt / Gen List / Year 1945 / Volume 2 / Page 365 Probate
Gmyles posted (No.1) that: The British I think had decided to support the partisans led by Tito (a communist) by 1944, the situation was rather fluid and problematical: World War II in Yugoslavia - Wikipedia Note a map there shows that large parts of the country by September 1944 were held by the partisans. Not sure if he would been a German POW as they retreated; the German exit from Greece was largely unopposed from my recent reading, once in Yugoslavia it was opposed. So Tony56 we at least know he was captured and held as POW in Yugoslavia, not Greece or Albania. Relations with the UK were not easy, notably over Trieste, and politics dictated the return of thousands of Yugoslav opponents from British custody in Austria - which I expect will be familiar here.
