Missing & POW East Yorks Reg. 1942

Good news Vitellino the letter and Photos from my late Fathers Italian Partisan friend to my Father have been found at long last in the end she asked my Sister and Brother in-law to search her attic to find them and after at long last though years of clutter they found them, my niece said she would drop them of one day this week on her way to work, so as soon as I get them I will scan them and post

 

Good news Vitellino the letter and Photos from my late Fathers Italian Partisan friend to my Father have been found at long last in the end she asked my Sister and Brother in-law to search her attic to find them and after at long last though years of clutter they found them, my niece said she would drop them of one day this week on her way to work, so as soon as I get them I will scan them and post

 

Hi there Guys Vitellino very kindly looked into my Father John Grasby’s Escape from P.O.W. Camp 53 Sforzacosta in 1943 on escaping he firstly Joining the Partisans but later left with some fellow P.O.W.s and they made their way to Forno Unintentionally or intentionally I am unsure

I managed to retrieve a Italian letter and Phots sent to my Father from Amato Milano an old Italian friend who in 1943 with a fellow Italian friend Cattaneo from Forno found my father and his fellow P.O.W.s and took them in and fed and hid them for about a month or so my Father then must have Re- Joined another Partisan Group because he didn’t manage to reach Allied lines, a South African Unit in Turin until 1945 and then Return to the UK

Below is the details Vitellino uncovered about my father time in WW2 Italy

4798694 Cpl John Grasby 4th Bn East Yorks was sent from PG 53 Macerata POW camp to a work camp in the north - PG 112 Turin and managed to escaped and joined with an Italian Partisan Group

Below is a Document Translated into English by Vitellino from Turin, 20 June 1945

TO THE OFFICE OF THE REGIONAL MILITARY

HEADQUARTERS, PIEDMONT



ITEM: Report on the help given to British prisoners


Towards the beginning of October 1943 (I do not remember the exact date) the undersigned, being at that time already in contact with the Partisan Headquarters in the Po Valley, and being in service at the military hospital of Pinerolo, got to know through Captain Dr. Vezio Tomasinelli that several British prisoners, having escaped from the Germans and in hiding on several farms in the Castiglione di Gassino area, were wanting to join the partisans.

The undersigned, with the consent of Captain Tomasinelli, decided to grant their wishes, making it possible for them to join the bands in the Po Valley. The transfer took place as follows: despite the prevailing dangers, in the early hours of the morning Captain Tomasinelli, using his own vehicle,

took the following two prisoners from Gassino to Pinerolo and handed them over to the

undersigned:


7887041 W. Payne L/Cpl, 22 Thorne Street, Ettingshall, Wolverhampton, England

1086867 Gunner S. Oliver, 1 Nivaston Road Ryton-on-Tyne Co. Durham, England


The undersigned hid them in his own lodgings the whole morning, supplying them with food, shoes and blankets. During the afternoon he accompanied them personally in a hire car from Pinerolo to Barge (Chiaffreddo district) where he personally handed them over to the commander, ''Barbato''.After about three days Captain Tomasinelli collected another two prisoners from the same locality, once again using his own car, with the following details:


78877693 – C.P.L. G. Drew

4798694 - C.P.L. S. Grasby


On this second occasion, the two were transferred straight away into a hire car after having been suppliedwith food and blankets, and were accompanied by the undersigned to Pinerolo and handed over personally to the commander, ''Barbato''.

At that time the roads from Torino-Pinerolo and Pinerolo -Barge were used a lot by German troops and vehicles, and whoever helped Allied prisoners of war were threatened with the death penalty. Despite this, have taken due care, the two trips went smoothly.

After having handed over te four prisoners to Commander ''Barbati'' I knew that they stayed for quite some time in the partisan formations, but I don't know what became of them.

The two trips I made were in a hire car.



Major Dr. ENRICO BERARDINONE

Commander of the 11 Garibaldi Division ''Cuneo''


Addresses: Major Dr. ENRICO BERARDINONE – Turin Military Hospital

Dr. Vezio Tomasinelli – Piazza Vittorio Veneto, 20 – Turin


Handwritten comments at bottom of page:

I substantiate the decaration made by Maor Bernardone . The rescue of the four prisoners was carried put with bravery and intelligence.


Commander of ….................Partisans

Pompeo Colajanni ''Barbato''


I would again like to thank Vitellino for all the hard work in finding out the facts about my Fathers WW2 time in Italy

 

Here are the Photos of my Fathers WW2 Italian Friend and Family from Forno Amato Milano, His Wife and Children

 

This was the last update from Vitellino

I have been doing some reading around the partisan band under Barbato and now think that your father and the other three were taken to Barge before going to Forno Canavese - this for two reasons, firstly, in September '44 Barbato's band was basically non operative, and secondly, the previous September and up the end of the first week in October Barbato's lot were still getting organised. I think our four took one look at them and decided to move on

 

Just found out that his Italian Friends weren’t in the Partisans but lived in Forno were he was hidden from the Germans

 

I am Posting the letter and Family Photos that my Father "John Grasby" was sent by one of his Italian WW2 Friends "Amato Milano" from Forno Canavese in Italy (Turin) He helped hid my father from the Germans for a short while in WW2 Italy
Michael

 

Vitellino thinks my Father picked these up at the P.O.W.