Val d'Isère Tragedy - Allied POWs died at the Colle Galisia in 1944

Here's the route:

Galisia (Passo della) traversata valle Orco - Val d'Isere - escursionismo - Ceresole Reale, Piemonte

Here's the story as written by survivor Alfred Southon in his E&E report WO 208 3352 0004:


I have the contact details for Professoressa Coda but will have to ask her if I can send them on to you via a private message.
However, I should point out that the story has been updated since her students went to print as I now have the definitive list of victims from CWGC.

 

Thanks Vitellino

 

I’m hoping to receive a copy of Alpine Partisan soon

 

Hi, if I am correct I am the youngest grand-daughter of Eric Bailey, my Father Bruce was Eric's only child but unfortunately he is no longer with us, neither is my grandmother Hilda.. I do not really have any information to provide but wanted to make myself known as a friend had advised me that there was a search for family..
Regards,
Rachel Martello (was Bailey)

 

Hello and welcome, Rachel.

I have written in detail about this incident in my forthcoming book, 'Some Corner of a Foreign Field', soon to be published by Austin Macauley.

I was invited up to Ceresole Reale last November for a commemoration and the re-laying of the memorial plaque, which had disappeared during a landslide, but didn't go due to poor weather conditions.

I was unaware that there is a search on for families of the victims but can ask my contact if he knows anything about it,

Best wishes,

Vitellino

 

It does seem the Village appears to shy away from anything about WW2. This article popped up last year.
How a Jewish girl hid from the Nazis in an Alpine ski resort

Being a lover of the village I sent them a message on Facebook with the link suggesting how great it was to promote something positive about their history. The following was their reply. Well I found it strange...

Hi Damion, we've seen and read this article. The thing is: we never received any demand on Facebook this year, or since last September (I manage the social media account, and arrived in September) Moreover, i think the Mayor didn't want to reply because of the langage barrier, and also because of a lack of information ion the matter. Otherwise, we think this article is quite important and the story must indeed be shared. Survival stories of Jewish families during the Nazi regime shouldn't be forgotten.

 

Here's a brief resume (with sources) of what happened on the Val d'Isère side of the Pass:

Italian partisan Renato Willien, from the Val d'Aosta, belonged to the Bellandy band of partisans. Operating from the OSS base at Val d'Isère, he was a link-man between the various patriot groups operating near the French-Italian border. (Note e discussioni, 'Tra la Dora e l'Isère: storia e racconto'

http://www.reteparri.it/wp-content/uploads/ic/RAV0068570_1956_40-45_23.pdf )

At 4 p.m. on 12 November 1944 Willien was informed that two half-frozen men from the Bellandy band had arrived in the hamlet of La Fornet from the Galisia Pass. He and two friends hastily donned their skis and left straight away for the hamlet, but when only half way there they encountered a group of farmworkers coming towards them pulling sledges on which lay partisans Diffurville and Mina, huddled beneath thick woollen blankets.

Later that evening Willien met an agent named 'David' who was operating under orders from Lieutenant Woods of the OSS. He had just returned from the Prariond mountain refuge with five stretcher bearers, who had followed the track leading up towards the Galisia Pass down which Diffurville and Mina had stumbled in the snow. On arriving at the a narrow gorge, known as the Gorges du Malpasset, he and the stretcher bearers had come across what he described as 'a tragedy of frightening proportions'. Over a short distance he had counted twenty-one corpses, and thought that there could be others in the gorges themselves. Lieutenant Woods had instructed David and the stretcher bearers to return to the gorges the following day to recover the bodies.( in fact this task was not completed until May 1945. (Novaria Guido e Paviolo Giampiero, A un Passo della Libertà. 1944 ,Odissea sul Colle Galisia, Torino: Priuli e Verlucca, 2004, p. 30-36)

In the meantime the two partisans had been admitted to the local hospital, and as soon as the medical staff gave Willien permission he asked Diffurville to describe what had happened. From his hospital bed Diffurville explained that the ex-prisoners had been gathered together from the area around the town of Canavese by a certain Tenente Vittorio, who was to lead them over the Galisia Pass into France.( Lieutenant Vittorio, battle name of partisan leader Alberto Fattucci.)

Regards,

Vitellino

 

Hello, I know that you have been researching this for many years. We have only just come across your investigation. I am the son of Alfred Southon and If there is anything that we contribute, please let us know
Kind regards

 

Tony and Jean, I am delighted that you have made contact.
I am in the UK at the moment but when I get back home to Italy next week I will contact Prof. Coda and will get back to you via a private message on this website.

I used Alfred's testimony in my new book which has finally been published by Austin Macauley - Some Corner of a Foreign Field.

Regards

Janet Kinrade Dethick

 

Thank you. We look forward to your message

 

Bonjour, je viens de tomber sur ce forum et j'ai lu avec attention tous vos échanges depuis 2014. Je suis la fille du Docteur Frédéric Petri de Val d 'Isère, dont il est question dans l'article qui fait référence à la BBC en 2020, document publié& par Rosie Whitehouse. Depuis les autorités de Val d 'Isère ont bien changé de façon de voir cette histoire et dans l'objectif d'écrire un livre sur l'histoire de mon père, j'ai fait beaucoup de recherches sur la Tragédie du Col de la Galise en 1944, dont mon père nous avait parlé. En 2024, j'aimerais faire une conférence sur ce sujet à Val d 'Isère, je vais le proposer au service archive. Je suis heureuse de voir que le fils de Mr Southon, que mon père, ma grand-mère et ma tante ou soigné. Mon père disait toujours qu'il avait sauvé cet anglais de la mort. J'ai chez moi le livre Alpine Partisan en deux exemplaire dont l'un dédicacé par Alfred Southon, et un livre écrit par les Italiens, qui est passionnant. Au plaisir de vous lire et d'échanger sur ce sujet . Merci d'avance !

 

Bonjour Christel,

I'll write in English, if you don't mind. Thank you very much for your contribution.

I will send you message to Professoressa Claretta Coda who lives in the valley leading up to Ceresole Reale and who undoubtedly will be most interested in your idea of a conference in 2024.

Unfortunately, Alfred's son has not replied to my message, but I will try again and will inform him of you intentions.

Best wishes,

Janet

 

Bonsoir Janet, je vous remercie pour votre réponse. J'aimerais bien que le fils d'Alfred voit votre message. Mon père et son père n'ont jamais pu se revoir mais mon père a pensé à cette histoire jusqu'à la fin de sa vie.
Cordialement,
Christel

 

Christel,

I have sent another message to Tony and Jean Southon.

I am hoping that this time they will reply.

Best wishes,

Janet

 

Translated for everyones convienence.
"Hello, I have just come across this forum and I have carefully read all your exchanges since 2014. I am the daughter of Doctor Frédéric Petri from Val d 'Isère, mentioned in the article which refers to the BBC in 2020, document published & by Rosie Whitehouse. Since the authorities of Val d 'Isère have changed their way of seeing this story and with the aim of writing a book on the story of my father, I have done a lot of research on the Tragedy of the Col de la Galise in 1944, which my father told us about. In 2024, I would like to give a conference on this subject in Val d'Isère, I will propose it to the archive service. I am glad to see that Mr Southon's son, that my father, my grandmother and my aunt or cared for. My father always said he saved that Englishman from death. I have two copies of the Alpine Partisan book at home, one of which is autographed by Alfred Southon, and a book written by the Italians, which is fascinating. Looking forward to reading and discussing this subject. Thanks in advance ! "
&
"Hello Janet, thank you for your response. I would like Alfred's son to see your message. My father and his father never got to see each other again but my father thought about this story until the end of his life.
Cordially,
Christine"

 

Thanks Geoff for the translation.

To Christel and all others who are interested,

Tony and Jean Southon have sent me the following reply:

We would be delighted to hear from Christel Petri. We are planing on coming over to Italy next year, so it would be wonderful to join her in the commemoration and to meet her in person.

Janet

 

Merci beaucoup pour ces échanges. Je serai tellement heureuse de communiquer avec les fils d'Alfred Southon. Très cordialement, Christel