2695843 Charles BROWNE, 2 Scots Guards

Hi,

Thanks for posting. The photo was taken when he had more than 2 years service as I can see one inverted chevron at the bottom of his tunic left sleeve - awarded for 2 years good conduct. Going by the uniform I’d say the photo was taken in Egypt.

Please feel free to attach any documents that you want - forum member vitellino has an interest in the exploits of ex POW who spent time with Italian Partisans and Skip has an interest in photos of any 2nd SG who went on to serve in Special Forces.

Steve

 

Thanks Steve , yes indeed the photo was taken in Egypt and probably around 1940 ish - 2 yrs after joining in jan 1938. I will post more here over the next few days ( unless anywhere else better to post - everything done via phone unfortunately

 

Hi,

Thanks.

Best just to keep additional material posted in the one thread.

Steve

 

Hello Paul,

Can you check the spelling of Garlasco? If it is Garlasco it was one of the work camps which made up PG 146, Mortara.That would explain why it was relatively easy ( I say relatively) to escape to Swizerland. Have a look at the PG 146 thread on the forum - you will see a lot about the area including the story of Tudor and Allum.

I have done quite a bit of research on the partisan organisations in this area but haven't heard of Motte Visconti - again , it could be MoNte Visconti - Will check it out.

Vitelllino.

 

Charles Browne ( top right) with Italian partisans

 

grave of Gigi shot by germans

 

Hi Paul,

Thanks for sharing.

Vitellino (Janet) will likely want to know if there is any writing on the back of the photos?

Steve

 

Swiss camp pass out

 

I will have look again tomorrow

 

Possibly in swiss holding camp?

 

Possibly general mckilmont ??

 

Hi Paul,

It’s more likely Major Kinmont, Headquarter Company, 2nd Scots Guards per the attached 1941 2nd SG Order of Battle kindly posted by forum member dbf.

Orbats: Scots Guards

Steve

EDIT TO ADD

He gets a mention in the attached 2nd SG 1941 War Diary transcribed by dbf (Apologies Diane I’d forgotten you’d done the transcription when I pointed Paul towards Drew5233 to obtain the war diary).

War Diary: 2nd Battalion SCOTS GUARDS, Jan - Dec 1941

 

Paul has sent in some very interesting material.

First of all, his grandfather was held in PG 70 Monturano before being sent to work in the rice fields of the Lomellina district , PG 146 Mortara. See extract below from WO 392 21.

PG 146 did not have a central base except for the punishment block, which the late Brian Sims named CB, where I suspect that Charles and his mate Bill were incarcerated and from where they made their break.

The Partisan group they joined appears to have been the 170 Garibaldi Brigade which I will translate later. Partisan Gigi Borgmaneri became a local hero and there is a street named after him in Motta Visconti.

Vitellino

 

I couldn't remember if it was major or general- apparently there was a Waverly too or similar name ? Evidently when on guard my grandad asked him for ID much to the bemusement of his senior for challenging a high ranking officer , who was actually pleased my grandad done so

 

Gen wavell it was I just found out

 

Paul,

Forum member Trevor Smallman has in depth knowledge of Swiss interned POW archives.

He has many posts on the subject on the forum and hopefully he will post here in due course. He posted the address for archive queries in this topic some years ago. Hopefully Trevor will be able to clarify if matters have moved on since then.

Prisoner of War - So little to go on

Steve

 

PG 146 Mortara, Central Block ( in the town itself) from where Guardsman Browne and his friend Bill Davies would have probably escaped:

.. a building identified as Casa Rolandi, located in via Grocco. This house, rented by the municipality, was ceded to them in July and during the legal procedings was described as being made up of two large rooms and three corridors, whilst outside there was an arched portico sustained on six red brick pillars. From the documents consulted, what function this decentralised new structure was intended to fulfil does not emerge in any way. One unconfirmed hypothesis is that it may have served as a lock-up in which prisoners who had failed to comply with camp discipline or who had tried to escape were confined.

(Translated by me from Giuseppe Zucca, Prigionieri di Guerra in Lomellina, aprile-settembre 1943, Quaderni di Archivio Lomellino no.1, 2016. p. 39)

Death of partisan GigI (Luigi) Borgomaneri (article above translated) in whose band Charles and Bill served until they were warned to escape

During the night 26-27 April (1945) a retreating German Column, coming from the direction of Bereguardo, entered Via Veneto, Motta Visconti, where the the partisans of 170 Garibaldi Brigade tried to block their passage. They opened fire with machine guns and killed 22 year old partisan commander Gigi Borgomaneri..