2657764 Jack T SMITH, Coldstream Guards - POW Info request

Discussion in 'The Brigade of Guards' started by OurSal, Apr 25, 2016.

  1. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    I've had an update re FMP "transcript " post above.

    It merely contains a reference to the MI9 file held at NA under the reference WO208/4270. Jack Smith was interviewed in Switzerland 2nd November 1944.
     
  2. NickFenton

    NickFenton Well-Known Member

    Guys,

    Sorry just joined this thread as did not pick it up.

    Happy to look up Liberation Questionnaires and Escape and Evasion reports, but based on dates, not sure there are any Liberation Questionnaires to find and the Tobruk boys did not like completing them.

    Please confirm details on what you want me to look up as this thread is moving quickly.

    Regards,

    Nick
     
  3. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

  4. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi Nick,

    Hope you received the PM I sent you yesterday afternoon?

    Regards

    Steve
     
  5. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    I've now established contact with Nick.

    Steve
     
  6. GeoffMNZ

    GeoffMNZ Well-Known Member

    Sally,
    Get hold of a book called "The Po Valley Break" by HARRY ROSE-INNES. The early chapters cover conditions at PG 60
    Cheers
    Geoff
     
  7. tedfromscrubs

    tedfromscrubs Junior Member

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  8. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    Thanks for the link. I’ve not heard from the OP since the flurry of interest in May 2016.

    Steve
     
    tedfromscrubs likes this.
  9. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Site of PG 60.JPG

    Have been to the site of PG 60 today. As you can see, it's now a lake. (literally). As to it being very much in the mind of the locals, the first three people we asked could not give us precise directions as to how to find it, though they did know of its existence.

    1. The camp, opened in July 1942, was shut down in November 1942 due to its unhealthy location.( I missed this sentence out originally and have edited). The prisoners were sent to: PG 65 Gravina in Puglia ( Diary of Gunner Adriaan Joubert)
    AND
    PG 52 Coreglia Ligure (Chiavari) Bombardier Ronald Philip Abercrombie Myburgh
    AND
    PG70, Monturano near Fermo - Leonard Cliff

    and possibly elsewhere - I'm still looking for evidence.

    2.It was re-opened in the spring of '43 after some modifications had been carried out by 200 prisoners from PG 82 Laterina (document on campifascisit.it)

    3. It was emptied again in May 1943 and the prisoners were sent to the work camps in the north - PG 112 Turin. Evidence - Guardsman Parry, Coldstream Guards) who gave evidence in the war crimes investigation (WO 311/1265) into the killing of Donald Russell, another former inmate of PG 60, at Forno Canavese on 9 December 1943.

    4. It was re-opened in August to house black South African prisoners - I believe them to have been transferred from PG 85 Tuturano at the time when all the southern camps were being emptied. (Evidence of a carabiniere who travelled north with them, which is in a book on the camp written in Italian by Italo Galli).

    This book does not mention any mass break out.
    Some of the soldiers did however escape from the train taking them to Germany.

    The camp commander, Colonel Cione, refused to hand it over to the Germans on 10 September and was shot dead as a result, as were two other members of the camp guard. There is a memorial to them at the camp gates.

    Vitellino

    Edited to say that in his book Italo Galli states that someone - perhaps a soldier or a carabiniere - opened the gates, thus making it possible for many of the prisoners to escape during the confusion which followed the shooting of Col. Cione and his two subordinates. Perhaps this has been interpreted as a 'mass break out'.
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2020
  10. tedfromscrubs

    tedfromscrubs Junior Member

    Thanks Vitellino. I have the name of the Italian who helped in the (re)-building of the camp who has taken a couple of descendants around it. He was 92 when they met him in 2016 in Castelvecchio but may still be alive if you fancy a return visit. I can give you his name in a pm if it's of interest.
    Cheers
    Anne
     
    JimHerriot likes this.
  11. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    I have finally decided to set up a website on PG 60.

    I hope it will be of some use to someone.

    Vitellino

    Edited to say that the site hasn't yet been classified by Google, so you need to put the name in the address bar if you want to access it outside this page:

    powcamp60colledicompito.webador.com
     
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2020
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  12. GeoffMNZ

    GeoffMNZ Well-Known Member

    Janet,
    I posted this a few years ago. I can get the book from the library once the lock-down is over and send scan of relevant pages.
     
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  13. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Geoff,
    I have quoted Harry Rose-Innes on the website. Tedfromscrubs sent me the first few pages of the book.
    thanks for the offer anyway,
     
    JimHerriot likes this.
  14. GeoffMNZ

    GeoffMNZ Well-Known Member

    Janet have now finished having my first browse of your new site- what a superb job! I am sure this site will help many
     
    JimHerriot likes this.
  15. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Thanks a lot Geoff.

    I hope that relatives will send in testimonies and that this is only the beginning.
     
    JimHerriot likes this.

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