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War Crimes—Sorting through the Accounts
British researcher Brian Sims recently sent me an interesting affidavit from the British National Archives (file WO 311/1336), “In the matter of German war crimes and in the matter of the death of...
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Enduring friendship—A Virgili/Vacca Reunion
The Virgili and Vacca families at Pike’s Place Market in Seattle. Left to right: Mario Vacca, Antoinette Perez (Tony’s daughter), Nancy Vacca (Mario’s wife), Maria Anna and Egisto Virgili, Tony Vacca,...
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Tenna Valley Memorial Walks
Fording the River Tenna This post is an account by Anne Copley of the September 5–8 “memorial walks” based out of Camp 59 in Servigliano. The walks were arranged jointly by the Escape Lines Memorial...
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More Commonwealth Inmates of P.G. 59
The 30 men listed below were at one time interned in Camp 59. All were transferred to other camps before the September 1943 breakout. Dates of the men’s P.G. 59 internment are listed with their names....
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Christopher Facchina—of Hut 4, Section 11
Christopher Facchina (left) and his twin brother Columbus were born October 12, 1912 (Columbus Day—the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas). I heard this week from Dennis...
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Inside and Out—More Views of the Camp
A photograph of Camp 59 shot when the camp was occupied by Allied prisoners during World War II This photo was taken from near the main gate (perhaps from the top of a building or a sentry hut),...
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Detailed Accounts of 14 British Escapees
Here are further details about 14 of the 24 prisoners listed in “British Escapees from Camp 59—New Names.” This additional information is courtesy of researcher Brian Sims. These British prisoners were...
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Anne Copley in the Italian American Journal
Author Anne Copley Anne Copley’s excellent article on the escaped Allied prisoners and their Italian helpers, Italy’s Courage: The unknown story of WW2 escapees and the Italian peasantry, is now...
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Details on Remaining 10 British Escapees
Here are further details on the remaining 10 of the 24 British soldiers first mentioned in “British Escapees from Camp 59—New Names.” See also “Detailed Accounts of 14 British Escapees.” Once again, I...
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Sidney Seymour Smith—A Mystery Solved
This photograph from the file of inquiry into the death of Signalman Sidney Smith by the Special Investigation Branch (SIB) of the Royal Military Police shows the spot on a road outside the comune of...
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Sidney Seymour Smith—the Interviews
Sidney Smith left his memorandum, known as a “chit,” with the Mazzoni family. It was common for escapees to leave statements concerning help received with their protectors. A chit could later be...
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John Leon Turner, Royal Canadian Air Force
John Leon Turner in uniform speaking during one of his many stops on the War Bond circuit through Ontario and Quebec, Canada I received an e-mail last month from Terry Marshall of London, Ontario...
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John Leon Turner with the Partisans
This is a third article covering one of John Leon Turner’s service club visits—part of a national effort to promote sale of Canadian war bonds. Read the first two news articles at “John Leon Turner,...
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John Leon Turner—Survival in Italy
This fourth and final newspaper article covering the war bond speeches given by John Leon Turner in 1944–45 is the most detailed. This talk was to the Rotary Club of Montreal—Westward. To read the...
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Lost Airmen Remembered in Pietragalla
On August 4, Pietragalla Mayor Rocco Iacovera and Lieutenant Colonel Robert Ruffolo, representing the United States Embassy in Rome, unveiled a marble tablet honoring the seven airmen who died when...
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Greetings Sent Via the Vatican
This Christmas greetings was sent by Camp 82 prisoner-of-war Tom Ager to his fiancee, Gladys Wash, by means of a Vatican representative. The note is courtesy of Tom’s daughter Gillian Pink. The text...
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Albert Rosenblum—An “Active Life”
This article about Albert Rosenblum was published in the Supply Line newsletter of the Defense Construction Supply Center in Whitehall, Ohio, on the occasion of Albert’s retirement from the DCSC in...
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Next-of-Kin Parcels—Packed with Care
This illustration of next-of-kin parcel repackers working out of the repacking center at Finsbury Circus in London appeared in a cheerful article published in the September 1942 edition of The...
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“A Symbol of the True Italy”
First page of Guido Calogero’s essay Researcher Brian Sims discovered the following essay, entitled “The Handful of Flour,” among the files of the Allied Screening Commission (Italy) in the British...
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Rescues along the Adriatic Coastline
The letter below from Captain Charles H. Duffett, Royal Navy, to his superior officer, offers insight into the efforts that were being made by the Allies to rescue fugitive prisoners of war along the...
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