Just when I think that I've written everything about my ww2 war record that I am ever able to, along comes this letter from Fr.Oliviero's family and I trust that the writer will forgive me for re-producing it here. Scroll the preceding posts for info about my original stay in Carovilla Hello Ron, I hope this finds you still kicking. You may recall the emails we exchanged regarding Carovilli and my wife's family - Fioccas that immigrated to the USA in 1956 from Carovilli. Fr. Oliviero Fiocca was my father-in-law's cousin & their home was/is in the same block of buildings on the Carovilli Municipio Piazza, one floor up. Some years ago I gave my wife a copy of your article about spending Christmas 1944 in Carovilli with Fr. Oliviero Fiocca's family, but she misplaced it. Today she was going through some photos & came across several pictures of Fr. Oliviero, which made her think about your Christmas story. She ask me to find it again, which I did on the Web. That made me think of you & I thought the pictures of Fr. Oliviero would interest you. They are attached. One is a picture of Fr. Oliviero as a youth with my wife's father (Oliviero is on the left, my father-in-law on the right). The other is when Fr. Oliviero came to visit my wife's family in Akron, Ohio USA circa 1960 (my wife of 44 years is on the right). Our last visit to Carovilli was 2018 & we planned to visit this year; but for the pandemic. Perhaps next year, as my adult children want to preserve the family home. BTW, I was a GI in Vietnam - different era, but we shared similar deprivations. Kindest regards, Hal Bowers
Hi I was reading your account above and My great uncle Fredrick Fennings was in 2 lir and he was captured on the 03011943 and sent to Capuna as a pow. I have his prison number which was 9204 and also his regimental number. I don’t have his company or plattoon. Only one photo so I am trying to gather as much information as possible about his time in the lir. He came from the east end of London.
Paul, Excellent: The 2 LIR entries for 3rd Jan 1943: 1800 Captain Grant and section of G Company on 36-hour patrol to 7716 (Patrol Indigo). 1800 Lieutenant Pottinger and section of G Company on 36-hour patrol to 7415 (Patrol Scarlet). 1800 Lieutenant Cowdy and section of H Company on standing patrol to 578192. 1900 One officer and four other ranks of E Company patrol area locally. 2359 One officer and four other ranks of G Company patrol area locally. Captain Grant was also captured on that day so perhaps.... What was his Army Number? When did your great uncle get liberated from PoW? best wishes
UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 Name: F J Fennings Rank: Rifleman Army Number: 7015707 Regiment: Royal Ulster Rifles POW Number: 9204 Camp Type: Stalag Camp Number: XVIII-A Camp Location: Wolfsberg, Austria TD
ta, 1939 joiner - possibly prior to September The London Irish Rifles didn't get to Wolfsberg until May '45
Hi Bexley thanks interesting reading Fred was only 19 when he joined up then he went to Pg66 and then went to satalg 18a after the Italians gave up. I would love to find pictures of him as I only have one he never spoke about the war even when I joined up in 1981. He was a very great man and I have utmost respect for him. He never claimed his medals so I believe he struggled with the memories that he had endured. I have been given his hackle and cap badge and pay book. He is no longer with us sadly but he is in thoughts every day.
Nice.. That capture, given he survived.. and despite the obvious hardships, may have saved his life... the LIR suffered over 250 casualties about 3 weeks later at Hill 286....as a Rifleman he would have been in the thick of that..
Bexley I read that fierce fighting on that hill. Do you think he would have been sent over to Belgium in 1940. I would love to find out which company he was in. Where he did his basic training I know that he went to Scotland I think Inverurie prior to being sent to Tunisia.
My guess is that he is highly unlikely to have been with the RUR - I think it was St Albans, Malvern, Haverdfordwest, Lowestoft, Goodwood, Didlington in Norfolk and then the Cumnock area for the final training period - Greenock to Algiers on 11th November '42.
Great thanks I have sent off for his military records but understand there is a big delay due to COVID Thanks for the information
