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Rescue Plan—Generals and Civilians
MI9 Activity in Italy MI9 (British Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 9), a department of the War Office during WW II, was active in rescuing prison camp escapees from enemy territory in...
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Unexpected Letter—News of Tom Ager
Beginning of a four-page letter from Victor Parkin to Gladys Wash. Early last year I heard from Gillian Pink about the experiences of her father, Tom Ager, who was an escapee from Camp 82 at Laterina,...
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Marco Soggetto—Western Alpine Escapes
Cover of Marco Soggetto’s new book on prisoner escapes through the Western Alps; at right, the author In April 2012, while researching escapes of Allied prisoners of war who travelled from Italy to...
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Joe Mandese—The Burden of Remembrance
Last month Bobby Cannon commented on “Felice “Phil” Vacca, Part 2—Camp 59 and Escape.” “This is an amazing story.” he wrote. “My grandfather is Joe Mandese. He is alive and well at age 94. Mario, Jim,...
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A Belated Bronze Star for Joe Mandese
This is the second article about Joe Mandese that Joe’s grandson Bobby Cannon shared with me. The article is followed by an interview that Bobby’s mother, Bernadette Cannon, conducted with Joe in 1993....
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Fyrtle Myrtle Story Included in New Book
On the morning of Friday, July 16, 1943 a formation of B-24 bombers left Berka, Libya, on a mission to destroy the airport facilities at Bari, Italy. The planes belonged to the 513th Bomb Squadron of...
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Leslie “Jack” Young Home from Switzerland
This photo of Leslie “Jack” Young appeared on the front page of the North Beds Courier to mark the trooper’s return from Switzerland where had been confined since escaping from Italy in October 1943....
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Photos from St. Gallen, Switzerland
A note on the back of this photo reads, “Switzerland New Year 1944.” Jack Young is in the middle, kneeling on the snow with the child. Trooper Leslie John “Jack” Young, at one time a prisoner at Camp...
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National Archives Report on Leslie “Jack” Young
I received from my friend Brian Sims this morning Jack Young’s official repatriation papers, which Brian had copied during one of his research sessions at the British National Archives. Here are...
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I.S.9 History—Organization
Recently British researcher Brian Sims shared an interesting document with me that he had discovered in the British National Archives. Written at the end of World War II, the document, a history of...
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I.S.9 History—Tasks
This post is second in what will be a series drawn from a History of I.S.9 (CMS) in the British National Archives. My access to the document was courtesy of researcher Brian Sims. See also “I.S.9...
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I.S.9 History—Methods
This post is third in a series drawn from a History of I.S.9 (CMS) in the British National Archives. Access to the document was courtesy of researcher Brian Sims. See also “I.S.9 History—Organization”...
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I.S.9 History—Communications
This post is fourth in a series drawn from a History of I.S.9 (CMS) in the British National Archives. Research courtesy of Brian Sims. See also “I.S.9 History—Organization,” “I.S.9 History—Tasks,” and...
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I.S.9 History—Agent Choice and Training
This post is fifth in a series drawn from a History of I.S.9 (CMS) in the British National Archives. Research courtesy of Brian Sims. See also “I.S.9 History—Organization,” “I.S.9 History—Tasks,”I.S.9...
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War Crimes—the Killing of William Edwards
In May 1944, British Gunner Leslie Victor Wilkins and five other POWs who had escaped from a camp near Spoleto spent time in hiding among the foothills near Rossilia, Italy (a location which I have...
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I.S.9 History—Air Operations
This post is sixth in a series drawn from a History of I.S.9 (CMS) in the British National Archives. Research courtesy of Brian Sims. See also “I.S.9 History—Organization,” “I.S.9 History—Tasks,”I.S.9...
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I.S.9 History—Sea Borne Operations
This post is seventh in a series drawn from a History of I.S.9 (CMS) in the British National Archives. Research courtesy of Brian Sims. See also “I.S.9 History—Organization,” “I.S.9...
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I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy (Introduction)
This post is eighth in a series drawn from a History of I.S.9 (CMS) in the British National Archives. Research courtesy of Brian Sims. See also “I.S.9 History—Organization,” “I.S.9 History—Tasks,”I.S.9...
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I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 2
This post is ninth in a series drawn from a History of I.S.9 (CMS) in the British National Archives. Research courtesy of Brian Sims. See also “I.S.9 History—Organization,” “I.S.9 History—Tasks,”I.S.9...
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I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 3
This post is tenth in a series drawn from a History of I.S.9 (CMF) in the British National Archives. Research courtesy of Brian Sims. See also “I.S.9 History—Organization,” “I.S.9 History—Tasks,”I.S.9...
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