POWs camp Vercelli and escape to Switzerland

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by Lucky Gunner, May 22, 2011.

  1. Smeds1972

    Smeds1972 New Member

    Hi Mike, book just released - SHOOTING THROUGH by Katrina Kittel. You might find this very helpful.
    My great uncle is Douglas Smedley.
     
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  2. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Here's a photo of the farm where Batt, Clark and Smedley were hiding and another one of the memorial plaque in Tavignano Canisei-oggi.jpg Batt Clark Smedley Tavigliano.jpg

    Vitellino
     
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  3. GeoffMNZ

    GeoffMNZ Well-Known Member

    Mike has not been on forum since he asked his question in 2017
     
  4. Lucky Gunner

    Lucky Gunner Adult user

    Stay put, head south toward Allied lines, or head north to the Swiss Alps? New Zealanders Clark and Batt feature in a chapter in my book -
    Newly released book 'Shooting Through: Campo 106 Escaped POWs after the Italian Armistice' weaves first-hand accounts of escaped Australian and New Zealander POWs (and some British) from camp to various locations and outcomes into 1944 and 1945. Working from interviews, memoirs and archival records sourced from Australian and UK archives, Shooting Through reveals the decision-making by POWs, the Italian men and women who assisted and befriended them, and the tragedy and humour that this shared history between nations brought forth and which resonates to the present day.
    Foreword by Professor Peter Monteath (author Escape Artist; POW:Australians in Hitlers Reich).
    Two appendices in the book:
    1. Campo 106 Australian POWs (790 me; the Swiss arrivals, and the deaths, are annotated)
    2. New Zealander POWs who reached Switzerland
    Book can be purchased through international online booksellers. For Australian buyers, contact me by FB, my website, email (katrinakittel9@gmail.com for signed copies which can be promptly posted to you.
    I am part of the research team behind my late friend and research colleague Bill Rudd's website Welcome Letter | ANZAC POW Free Men in Europe
    Best wishes to all,
    Katrina Kittel
    Katrina Kittel – Historian Author
    Katrina Kittel: Researcher of POW in wartime Italy
     
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  5. Mike Stanley

    Mike Stanley New Member

    Hi Leslie George Batt was a distant relative of mine through my fathers side of my family. I'm researching our family tree and wondered if it would be ok for me to use these photo's on there.
    Thanks
    Mike Stanley
     
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  6. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

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  7. T. Hilton

    T. Hilton New Member

    Hello Marco, I live in Monferrato (Cardona d'Alfiano Natta(AL)) and am researching a group of NZ POWs who were refuged in our village church in 1943-44. I have a collection of memories from elder neighbors, but have not been able to find the names (yet) of these soldiers. I will attach an article, recently run in our edition of la Stampa, in case it might interest you. Any suggestions for my research would be appreciated, Toni Hilton pagina 2 destra.jpg La Stampa Alessandria april 17 2021.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

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  8. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Katrina has not been aboard for nearly a year, so she may not read this. Be best to try a Private Conversation with her.
     
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  9. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Hello Toni,

    I have a copy of the Prisoner of War Register WO 392/21 for the New Zealanders who were in camps in Italy in August 1943 and I could send it to you via WeTransfer if you send me a private message. I also have a document compiled by Bill Rudd entiled Anzac Freemen which may be useful.

    Offhand I seem to remember that the New Zealanders were in PG 106 Vercelli, not in the work camps associated with PG 112 (Turin) You will have to trail through WO 392/21 to get a list of all names associated with Vercelli. Unfortunately this list was not always updated when the men moved camps, so some of the New Zealanders you are looking for may still have been registered in their previous camp.

    I understand from the article that the men weren't recaptured, so either they hid out until May '45 or they made it to Switzerland or France - I would probably exclude that they went south.

    I will now have a good look at Bill Rudd's list but I fear there is only a slight chance of finding out who they were.

    Vitellino

    Edited:
    The article says they were around during the winter of '43-4. That narrows the field down to just a few men, using the data from Bill Rudd's Anzac Freemen website.

    They are :

    198825 BLACKWOOD Marcus Alexander entered Switzerland 29 April 1944
    28906 CHOAT Wilbur Arthur '' 17 May 1944
    35614 MARTIN Edwin Oswald '' 20 May 1944
    48003 MONCUR Patrick Ernest '' 20 May 1944
    19762 BARROW Stanley '' 25 May 1944
    45265 SKILTON John Samuel '' 29 May 1944
    30085 CAMERON Robert Ray '' 29 January 1945
    25153 FROST William '' 20 January 1945

    All except Martin and Moncur were registered as being held in PG 106 Vercelli. Moncur 's last known camp was PG 57 Grupuginano. He was almost certainly transferred from there to Vercelli. The same may also be true for Martin, whose last known camp, PG 85 Tutruano, was closed by the time the register was compiled.

    The website
    II: The War in Italy in 1944 and Escapes to Allied Lines | NZETC
    indicates that Barrow, (spelt Barron) Skilton and Choat were with the partisans who provided them with a guide in their attempt to cross the border.

    There is an E& E report for Choat (WO 208/4244), Martin (WO 208/2619 and Moncur
    (WO 208/4263). It might be worth sending for them when The National Archives opens up again,

    Vitellino
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2021
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  10. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Here's Private Stanley Barrow on the Online Cenotaph.

    The family was from Motueka. Perhaps it would be worthwhile trying to contact them to see if they know anything about the Italain family.

    Vitellino
     
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  11. mipa

    mipa New Member

    Hi,
    For all those looking for stories about escaped POWs to Switzerland.
    Angus McDonald (QX3847): Nordafrika Soldaten, Zürich 1945
    I enclose a part of this book about Grupignano (the tunnel).
    Of course, I can also post the rest of it (but maybe it's too big).
    Paul

    It seems to work...
    So, here comes all of it.
    Paul

    part 2a
    part 2c

    part 3

    upload_2021-12-8_18-6-53.png
     

    Attached Files:

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  12. bear.cub

    bear.cub Active Member

    Thanks

    Thanks
     
  13. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    I now have a complete list of all those who made it to Switzerland with the help of Italian engineer Giuseppe Bacciagaluppi and his organisation, but no stories, I'm afraid. Not everyone used his service, of course, and some people were actually caught even though they were registered as having crossed the border, but that's another story!

    The information is held in Milan in the INSLMI Archive, and was photographed and passed on to me by a researcher from Piedmont.

    I might get round to publishing it in due course.

    Vitellino

    Edited 8 January. I'm creating a website. I'll edit this post when it's ready.
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2022
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  14. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

  15. bear.cub

    bear.cub Active Member

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