R.A. North Africa & POW South Italy

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by heatherannej, Mar 1, 2014.

  1. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Well done Nick, fantastic input and good to see a Lib Q. with so much personal information. The examples I've seen in regard to POW's to the Japanese are scant in comparison.
     
  2. NickFenton

    NickFenton Well-Known Member

    Always a lottery, nice to win one occasionally.

    Nick
    KenFentonsWar.com
     
  3. NickFenton

    NickFenton Well-Known Member

    Marco,

    This is in your field of interest.

    Anything you can add?

    Regards,

    Nick
    KenFentonsWar.com
     
  4. heatherannej

    heatherannej Junior Member

    Hi All .... so, Nick's kind offering of George William Bouttell's Liberation Questionaire has thrown up lots of questions :) I have been able to answer some of them myself (thanks to Google) but I got stumped on some things ...

    1. ‘Cassino 102/IV’ POW Camp, Italy: George writes "near Turin". I cannot find a town called Cassino near Turin so I'm assuming it is just the camp name but does anyone know where the camp was exactly please?

    2. He is at this Cassino Camp at the Italian Armistice and then writes about being at MONTE VICINO, Prov FIRENZE, S. ADRIANO, Prov PARMA and ALBUGNANA DI ASTI, Prov ASTI. I've only been able to locate the latter - which isn't far from Turin. I'd like to pinpoint them on a map for brother-in-law, you see.

    Will be back in a separate post, with a couple of words I don't understand. Many thanks in anticipation. Heather
     
  5. heatherannej

    heatherannej Junior Member

    Hi .... my next problem is an understanding issue :-(

    Bouttell_GeorgeWilliam_Page3_c_CUT2_2034567WO_344_35_IMG_0006.JPG

    I cannot understand a word: "After, I was taken by another farmer in Albugano Di Asti [FEB 45} which I stayed only one month, as there came a re………. so I had to flee."

    Bouttell_GeorgeWilliam_Page3_c_CUT3_2034567WO_344_35_IMG_0006.JPG

    What does USA ips mean ...."I had to wait a few days for the transport plane to bring us here. Imported to the USA ips** when they arrived at TURIN on 26/4/45*** & was routed to B No 2 PW camp Naples, arriving on 8 MAY 45."

    Fingers crossed ..... Heather
     
  6. heatherannej

    heatherannej Junior Member

    Oooppps ...
    re 1. ‘Cassino 102/IV’ POW Camp, Italy: it should be Cassino 112/IV ..... I have found 'P.G. 112 Turin' so that may be all I can get. Thanks, Heather
     
  7. heatherannej

    heatherannej Junior Member

    Ooopps again .... not doing very well here!!

    Re 2. "He is at this Cassino Camp at the Italian Armistice and then writes about being at MONTE VICINO, Prov FIRENZE, S. ADRIANO, Prov PARMA and ALBUGNANA DI ASTI, Prov ASTI."

    I have been enlightened by my husband that MONTE VICINO, Prov FIRENZE and S. ADRIANO, Prov PARMA are examples on the sheet and not where George went .... ;-) Heather
     
  8. Varasc

    Varasc Senior Member

    Hello Nick,

    Thanks for your kind pms, I was away - I read with interest this topic and I am sorry to confirm that George William Bouttell was not one of my lists' POWs. I deepend various stories of former POWs who climbed the western Alps to reach Switzerland, previously hiding in Piedmont and Aosta valley - the two main areas on which my last book, "Braccati", focused on.

    I may suggest you a closer check with this Italian database of the currently known camps and satellite camps:

    http://campifascisti.it/elenco_campi.php

    The correct toponym of the last camp should be Albugnano, not Albugnana, it is near Asti.

    http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albugnano



    Kindest regards,


    Marco
     
  9. heatherannej

    heatherannej Junior Member

    Hello All and Marco .... I have found it difficult at times to read the handwriting. I have it correct now. For instance, I now realise that my query on "Cassino" is really Gassino, near Turin!!

    As above, I still cannot read a word beginning with "r" ... "After, I was taken by another farmer in Albugano Di Asti [FEB 45} which I stayed only one month, as there came a re………. so I had to flee."

    Could it be resettlement? I cannot make any sense of it .... whatever it is happens and he "stayed in the woods for two days without food. After all was quiet, I made my way back ..."

    Watch this space :) Heather
     
  10. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Heather-cannot help you with all the handwriting but where you say "Imported to the USA Ips??"

    It says I reported to


    Lesley
     
  11. heatherannej

    heatherannej Junior Member

    Every little helps Lesley .... that input is much appreciated. In the end I couldn't see for looking. Thank you very much indeed. Heather
     
  12. heatherannej

    heatherannej Junior Member

    MARCO ... thank you very much for that link http://campifascisti...lenco_campi.php. With the help of an online translation site, I have discovered a lot of information about the camps that my brother-in-law's father was in.

    However, one has eluded me: Gassino 112/IV or Gassino 112/4 ... do you know anything about it please?

    Heather
     
  13. NickFenton

    NickFenton Well-Known Member

    Marco,

    Thanks for looking at this one for us.

    Remarkable that he stayed out the way for so long, a great story.

    Keep well.

    Regards,

    Nick
    KenFentonsWar.com
     
  14. heatherannej

    heatherannej Junior Member

    Thank you all very much indeed .... my brother-in-law will receive a lovely file - thanks to you all. Heather
     
  15. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Heather,

    restrellamento should be rastrellamento and it means that there was a rounding-up of escaped prisoners of war.

    Regards,

    VItellino
     
  16. Some years later! My uncle Robert Dickinson was in PG 112/4 Gassino Torinese. The diary he kept throughout the war was found in a Gassino house after the war during renovations. This is where I believe he was sheltered for almost a year following the armastice. He joined the Partisan fight and was killed. There is some info regarding PG112/4 work camp in the Calendar of Events “Servigliano Calling” Calendar of Events . I have visited Gassino in my quest to find out further information, but without success.
     
    heatherannej and Andreas like this.
  17. heatherannej

    heatherannej Junior Member

    That's very interesting Steven ... thank you. I will check it out. Has the diary ever been transcribed? I bet it makes interesting reading!?
     
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  19. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

  20. Heather, Yes all of the diary is on Camp 59 Survivors. You may have to search for Robert Dickinson though. It is managed by a good friend in the USA, whose father was also a POW there. We visited the camp together in 2010. In addition to events there is Poetry, recipes, etc...in the diary The diary was bound from cocoa tins and cardboard from Red Cross parcels received. I have actually recently bequeathed it to Campo 59 Servigliano museum and will be taking it out for the 80th Armistice anniversary in September. From when Robert hid the diary in Sept 1944 to his death on 3rd March 1945 I have little information. I know he joined the Partisan fight in Turin and was killed in the commune of Viale close to Asti. He was buried there and later moved to the the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Milan. I do have a letter written by an Italian girl (Varesio Vincenza) that must have been close to him and details his death (that can also be found on the Camp59survivors.com website).Transcripts from Kew state that it was never treated as a war crime as he was in uniform when killed (US uniform!!). I will keep researching!
     

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