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“Courage of the Very Highest Order”
The following letter recommending formal decoration of an Italian youth was sent to British authorities from “the field” of Italy in January 1944 by Captain B. G. McGibbon-Lewis, The Black Watch, Royal...
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Honours and Awards
The following memorandum issued in April 1945 by A British deputy military secretary outline the types of awards that are available to foreign civilians. Thanks to Brain Sims for access to this...
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“Remarkable Gallantry” of Lt. Alberto Orlandi
Alberto Orlandi On this website, there are several posts concerning Italians who served as agents with Allied I.S.9 operations (Intelligence School 9 of the Central Mediterranean Force) during the...
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Cypriot Prisoners in Camp 59
In a 1976 interview I conducted with my father (American Sergeant Armie Hill, see “Recollection of Camps 98 and 59“), he spoke briefly of Cypriots in Camp 59 during the time he was interned there:...
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A Prisoner’s Son Visits Servigliano
The stunning Italian countryside near Servigliano. Ed Cronin and his wife Susan of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, visited Servigliano in September in order to see the site of Camp 59, where Ed’s father,...
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American Red Cross—Information for Families
During WW II, the British and American Red Cross societies recognized that families who received notification of their sons’ capture would be in need comfort. In times of war, that comfort was best...
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Official Advice to Escapers and Evaders
“…one thing is essential, namely a stout heart.” A bulletin of tips for escapers and evaders (E&Es) behind enemy lines in Italy was issued from the “N” Section unit of “A” Force C.M.F. (Central...
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More Advice to Escapers and Evaders
A detail of a cartoon entitled “Aids to Escape.” See two such cartoons at the end of this post. The originals are archived with A Force bulletins at the British National Archives. I cannot say whether...
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News Feature—Four Camp 59 Prisoners
This photograph from the British Prisoners of War Relatives’ Association News Sheet, June 1943 issue, identifies British prisoners Eric Cooper (Streatham), M. R. Powell (Birmingham), Bill Parker...
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Lost Airman Dewey Gossett
Salerno 1943 researchers Daniele Gioiello, Luigi Fortunato, Italo Cappetta, and Aniello Sansone in the field After 71 years, the remains of American airman Dewey L. Gossett may yet come home to a...
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John Richard Shaw—Escapee to Switzerland
John Richard Shaw, circa 1950s. I received a note from Penny Hayes (nee Shaw) last month. She wrote to share information about her father, John Shaw, who was a prisoner in Camp 59 from March 11, 1942...
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Hands Up—For You the War Is Ended!
Frank Bayley and Bill Armitt (at right) with the actors who played them in Hands Up—For You the War Is Ended!, Simon Coady and Colin Starkey On Tuesday, May 18, 1971 an unusual theatrical production...
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More on the Camp 59 Theatre Subjects
This post offers details on several of the men whose war experiences were the inspiration for the Victoria Theatre 1971 musical documentary “Hands Up—For You the War Is Ended!” I am grateful to...
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Interview with Gino Antognozzi
Gino Antognozzi at age 24, July 27, 1950 Introduction The transcript of an interview with Gino Antognozzi that makes up this post is courtesy of Gino’s nephew Alfredo. The interview comes to me by way...
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Prisoners of Experiences
A recent post on this site was dedicated to a 1971 theatrical production of the Victoria Theatre (Stoke-on-Trent, England) entitled Hands Up! For You the War Is Ended. The musical documentary was...
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More on the Death of William Edwards
The grave of Private William Edwards, Assisi War Cemetery In May 1944, British Gunners Leslie Wilkins, Ernest Bellinger, and Kenneth Howarth; Private William Edwards; and two other POWs who had...
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Revived Play “the Voice of a Community”
This is the second of three news articles from the Evening Sentinel (Stoke-on-Trent, England) covering a 1995 revival of the New Vic Theatre’s 1971 original musical documentary, Hands Up! For You the...
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Theatre of War Recaptured
This is the last of three news articles from the Evening Sentinel (Stoke-on-Trent, England) covering a 1995 revival of the New Vic Theatre’s 1971 original musical documentary, Hands Up! For You the...
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Hands Up Interviews Preserved for Posterity
Actor Stanley Dawson (left), who played the role of General Archibald Wavell in Hands Up! For You the War Is Ended discusses a scene with artistic director Peter Cheeseman I sent a note to the New Vic...
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Tom Lockett—Two Months To Freedom
Sergeant Tom Lockett, posing while an ammunitions instructor for his parachute regiment I heard this week from Robert Maddocks, the chairman of the Penkridge (Staffordshire, England) local history...
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