Major Anthony Oldham Division Lunense and the Apuane Brigade

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by samuele, May 9, 2011.

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  1. samuele

    samuele Junior Member

    My father was a partisan in Tuscany Italy during WW2 under the command of a British officer:Major Anthony Oldham. I am currently writing my father's biography. I am trying to find information about the major and the unit he commanded including photos of him at the time and the people he had under his command, the missions undertaken and their achievements.
    On searching for details on the net the terms Division Lunense and Apuane Brigade are linked with the major's name.What happened to the major after the war ended? (I think he may have he married an italian woman and lived in Italy).
    Samuele(Australia)
     
  2. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    I presume this is the bloke you are looking for - not much info but he did pick up a medal (or two) for his efforts

    Special Forces - Roll Of Honour - Advanced Search



    Surname: Oldham
    Forename: Anthony John (Tony)
    Unit: 1 Special Force SOE
    Rank: Lieutenant
    Number: 354
    Award: Distinguished Service Order
    Place: Italy 1944-45
    Further Details: parent unit 2/5 Mahratta Light Infantry,Indian Army escaped POW Italy
    Category: SOE

    Viewing Page 3961 of Issue 37204


    SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 2 AUGUST, 1945

    War Office, 2nd August, 1945.

    The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the field:

    The Distinguished Service Order.

    Major (temporary) George Rudolph Hanbury FIELDING (87208), 3rd The King's Own Hussars, Royal Armoured Corps.

    Major (temporary) Thomas Ivan ROWORTH (237759), Corps of Royal Engineers.

    Major (temporary) Max William SALVADORI, M.C. (279277), General List.

    Captain Antony John OLDHAM, M.C. (IA.354), 5th Mahratta Light Infantry, Indian Army.

    Viewing Page 592 of Issue 38186


    THE LONDON GAZETTE, 23 JANUARY, 1948

    SPECIAL LIST (EX-INDIAN ARMY).

    BRITISH ARMY.

    The undermentioned officers retire:

    11th. Jan. 1948.

    Lt.-Col. F. G. T. DAVIS (766 IA).

    Capt. (W/S Maj.) A. J. OLDHAM, D.S.O., M.C. (IA 354) and is granted the hon. rank of Lt.-Col.
     
  3. samuele

    samuele Junior Member

    Thanks Dave

    Samuele
     
  4. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Oldham's DSO recommendation:
    The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Image Details

    Name Oldham, Anthony John
    Rank: Lieutenant
    Service No: 354
    Regiment: 2/5 Mahratta Light Infantry
    Theatre of Combat or Operation: Mediterranean: special operations
    Award: Distinguished Service Order
    Date of Announcement in London Gazette: 02 August 1945
    Date 1945
    Catalogue reference WO 373/59
     

    Attached Files:

  5. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Bar to M.C.

    The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Image Details

    Name Oldham, Anthony John
    Rank: Lieutenant
    Service No: IA354
    Regiment: 2/5 Mahratta Light Infantry
    Theatre of Combat or Operation: Middle East (Egypt and Libya)
    Award: Bar to Military Cross
    Date of Announcement in London Gazette: 23 April 1942
    Date 1942
    Catalogue reference WO 373/19
     

    Attached Files:

  6. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    His M.C. recommendation:

    The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Image Details

    Name Oldham, Anthony John
    Rank: Acting Captain
    Regiment: 2 Battalion 5 Mahratta Light Infantry
    Theatre of Combat or Operation: Middle East (East Africa and Madagascar); Middle East (Malta)
    Award: Military Cross
    Date of Announcement in London Gazette: 18 July 1941
    Date 1940-1941
    Catalogue reference WO 373/28
     

    Attached Files:

  7. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hello and welcome to the forum Samuele.
    The DSO recommendation is the relevant one.

    Hopefully someone will come along with more information for you.

    Good luck with the research.
     
  8. samuele

    samuele Junior Member

    Thanks for your efforts Diane.

    Regards
    Samuele
     
  9. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

  10. evaristoiori

    evaristoiori Junior Member

    Ciao Samuele
    Sono Evaristo Iori, ho avuto notizie del maggiore Oldham da un mio zio anziano che vive in Garfagnana, un paio di anni fa mi ha portato a visitare sui monti della Garfagnana che guardano verso la Lunigiana una capanna usata come quartier generale da Oldham durante la resistenza credo dal agosto al ottobre 1944. Vista questo sito
    CURIOSITA'
    Ecco le foto della capanna
    Un professore ha scritto anche un libro su questo sito sulla guerra in Garfagnana, all interno troverai molte informazioni... E' un libro un Po di parte...
    Spero di essereti stato utile

    Ecco la mia email evaristoiori@yahoo.it
    Se hai una foto o altre info del maggiore Oldham ti sarei grato di mandarmele.
    Saluti evaristo

    Evaristo
     
  11. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    There is a chapter on Tony Oldham in the new book on SOE in Italy A Spur Called Courage by Alan Ogden just published in UK by Benefactum, the ISBN is 978-1-903071-35-9 - well worth looking at!
     
  12. Mario Abrami

    Mario Abrami Junior Member

    My father was a partisan in Tuscany Italy during WW2 under the command of a British officer:Major Anthony Oldham. I am currently writing my father's biography. I am trying to find information about the major and the unit he commanded including photos of him at the time and the people he had under his command, the missions undertaken and their achievements.
    On searching for details on the net the terms Division Lunense and Apuane Brigade are linked with the major's name.What happened to the major after the war ended? (I think he may have he married an italian woman and lived in Italy).
    Samuele(Australia)
    Hi Samuele
    My Grandparents who were caught in Italy during the war fed and sheltered POWs that were attempting to escape back to allied lines.
    Many POWS were sent to their house in Roggio as they spoke English and came over from London before the war broke out. Two escaped British officers named Peter Medd (Flight Lieutenant Fleet Air Arm) and Frank Simms (Royal Warwickshire Regiment) wrote a book after the war called 'The Long Walk Home, an escape through Italy' published in 1951, now out of print and it mentions their time spent with the family in Roggio during their escape. I am also helping my father to write his memoirs of the families time in Roggio during the occupation, my grandfather was a member of the Lunense partisan division. I would be grateful if anyone could help in contacting any remaining family of Major Oldham, Peter Medd or Frank Simms I know Major Oldham was posted to India after the war.

    Good luck with the research Samuela.

    Many Thanks

    Mario
     
  13. serchio

    serchio Junior Member

    Samuele, I am interested in learning about your interest in Oldham and partisans. My father has told me many stories about the partisan effort I am directly related to 2 of the valanga group and I have an interest both historical and genealogical. All my stories seem to connect with major antony oldham so am interested in information relating to involvemnet with valanga group. My father was born '34 so was a 11 by end of war and had seen many events transpire, he was smallest of 9 children so all the stories and events also drizzled down from sibblings. I am also keen to learn about a specific bombing that lost the life of my aunt. She lived in castelnuovo at one point at capuccini and then in castiglioni, directly in path of gothic line. linea gotica. she was beheaded by shrapnell and I am not clear excatly of events that led up to it. From accounts Germans had set up base below her house and bombing was directed at germans, she was casualty when she looked out of window to see what was going on. I have found evidence of a bombing at cappuccini which mentions some injurded but no dead and evidence of bombing in castiglione but agian no mention of casualties. I know that for fact she was never given a decent worthy burial and she lies interred in a joined grave of her husbands aunt in castiglione cemetery due to difficulty of a funeral taking place as they were smack bang in middle of linea gotica below their house in field viewed by main road in castiglione the germas were camped permantly. I have never found in past 20 years any mention in casualties of war in all of garfagnana of my dear aunt and would welcome any info anyone has on this. I have explored documents from us. view, italian, german and british in all languages and have found nothing.
     
  14. evaristoiori

    evaristoiori Junior Member

  15. evaristoiori

    evaristoiori Junior Member

    Dear Samuele
    After some months, understood that maybe is better write in english..
    My previews articol was...
    Hi Samuele,
    I am Evaristo Iori, I have got information on Oldham by my uncle which he lives in Garfagnana. Two years ago, I have been to visit on the Garfagnana mountains a hut used by Oldham as head quartyard during the resistence I believe from august to october 1944. Please see this web site with some photos onto posted. It is an amazing place.

    CURIOSITA'

    Hoping to be usefull for your research.
    If you can provide some photos of Oldham Will br very appreceated
    Herein my email evaristoiori@yahoo.it
    Thank you

    Evaristo
     
  16. italy1944

    italy1944 Member

    Dear Mario

    I would be very interested in your family story. My father Frank Adams , an escaped POW like Medd and Simms, spent 9 months in l'alta Garfagnana. The only book on that time he possessed was a copy of "The Long walk Home" which I inherited. I have often wondered whether he met Medd and Simms . My father spent a long time on and around Monte Tondo ( Oldham's HQ area) and had some contacts with the Marini partisan band which predated Oldham's formation of the Lunense division.
    Could you get in touch ?
    Andrew
     
  17. italy1944

    italy1944 Member

    Dear Serchio

    Do you know the books by oscar Guidi - La guerra nella Garfagnana and Con guerra negli occhi ? I think they are out of print but could be obtainable via second hand websites in italy
     
  18. Io sto facendo una ricerca sul gruppo partigiano maggiore Oldham, ho tante informazioni.
    Se mi fai delle domande ti posso rispondere.
    Saluti Alberto
     
  19. Se mi fai domande precise ti posso rispondere sto facendo una ricerca sul maggiore Oldham, abito in Garfagnana
    Saluti Alberto
     

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