According to Wayne Houben (Clifford Houben’s son), Clifford escaped from Camp 59 and was given refuge by Italians; he was later recaptured and sent to Stalag 2B in Germany.

While in the Italian and German camps, Clifford accumulated a long address list of men he met. The list is comprised of nine full pages.

Roughly half of the addresses are written within the shapes of dog tags, and the traced holes of several of the tags cleverly contain camp numbers or crosses that likely indicate medical or pastoral affiliation.

Only the following 11 servicemen were noted as having been interned in Camp 59:

Keith Argraves, James A. Coccoran, Thomas C. Cronin, Edmund H. Cote, Milton Bunz, Marion P. Barone, Jack Kirkpatrick, Anthony Primac, Gene Schull, John A. Silborski, and Maholan J. Black

I checked many of the other names in the U.S. National Archives database of WW II POWS. Overwhelmingly, these other men were listed as having been freed from camps in Germany. How many were in Camp 59 and were recaptured after escaping—like Clifford Houben—I have no way of knowing. Some of the men, like Richard and Henry Kane, I know from other sources to have been in Camp 59.

I hope that relatives of any of the men listed below who read this post will contact me (hilld@indiana.edu) in order to help to resolve a bit of this puzzle.

The only person listed with multiple camp names within his “tag” is Keith Argraves, who was in Camps 98, 59, 53, 73, 132 and 82, and Stalags 7-A and 2-B. (After the war, Keith published a memoir entitled Keith Argraves, Paratrooper: An Account Of The Service Of A Christian Medical Corpsman In The United States Army Paratroops During World War II.)

Clifford’s list contains mostly names of U.S. soldiers. Also included, however, are “foreign” addresses—from England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada, and Poland. Most of the names in the list were written in the same handwriting, presumably Clifford’s. Since these names and addresses must have been spoken to the recorder, the list understandingly contains misspellings. I’ve attempted to correct errors through double checking online. Most of the errors were in foreign addresses.

KDO, an acronym penned beside many of the names, is short for kommando, a German word meaning unit or command. During World War II it also was used as a term used for units of slave laborers in German concentration camps.

Within the addresses, six Italian towns are listed. Amendola, Montemonaco, Trisungo, Faete, and San Lorenzo and all in the province of Ascoli Piceno, in the Marche region where Camp 59 was located. Ari Chieti is in the province of Chieti, in the Abruzzo region immediately south of the Marche. It seems likely these places are noted because Clifford Houben passed through them after his escape from Camp 59 and before his recapture.

p. 73

Elmer J. Neff Jr.
1621 W. 58th Street
Los Angeles
California

Stanley Coburn
Sabattur
Maine

Notation indicates Stanley was an assistant chaplain

Keith Argraves
532 S. E. 20th Avenue
Portland
Oregon
Pennsylvania

A notation indicates Keith was interned in Italian Camps 98, 59, 53, 73, 132 and 82, and Stalags 7-A and 2-B

Peter J. Casalino [or Casolino]
527 East 148 Street
Bronx
New York
A.S.N. 12020422
251985-ST IIB

A notation indicates Peter was interned in Stalag II-B, and 251985 was probably Peter’s prisoner number

Tony Catellano
15 Sheldon Street
Lowell
Massachusetts

Michel-Soto-Puig [or Ping]
1025 Beacon Street
Boston
Massachusetts

John A. Goddu
351 Springfield Street
Chioppe [Chocoppe is a town in Massachusetts]

There is a cross in the hole of John’s tag

Clifford H. Houben
1 West 10th Street
Lowell
Massachusetts
P.O.W. No. 22284
A.S.N. 12016278

The following names are written within the outlined shape of the state of Massachusetts, which is also labeled “Mass. State”:

Narnci Lewis [or Lowis]
Ersilia DeSantis
Forcina Antonio
Leoni Orlando
Straccini Ines De.
Amechie

Earl McGuire
Danville
Virginia

Bud Feicke
1421 Walnut Street
Anderson
Indiana

Milton Bartell
Box 236
Kenyon
Minnesota

C. V. Manasco
c/o ala Hyway Fatral [or Patral]
Birmingham
Alabama

William P. Keslihal
241 Rea Avenue
Hawthorne
New Jersey

Hugh F. Farley (Duke)
725 Bridge Street
Lowell
Massachusetts
23797 – ST. IIB.

Floyd W. Young
3 East 9th Street
San Angelo
Texas

A note below the address indicates Floyd was in Stalag 2-B. There is also a drawing of a pocket watch on this tag.

Robert Hughes
84 Malbough Street [Marlborough Street]
Lowell
Massachusetts

A cross is drawn on this tag.

James A. Coccoran [James A. Corcoran]
404 No. Montello Street
Brockton
Massachusetts

Notation in the dog tag hole indicates James was interned in Camp 59

Thomas C. Cronin
3 Wood Place
Fitchbourgh [Fitchburg]
Massachusetts

Notation in the dog tag hole indicates Thomas was interned in Camp 59

Mrs. Kenyon
13 Social Street
New Bedford
Massachusetts

Notation in the dog tag hole indicates Mrs. Kenyon was interned in Camp 98
A note below was “BURNS”

Edmund H. Cote
77 Weetamoe Street
Fall River
Massachusetts

Notation in the dog tag hole indicates Edmund was interned in Camp 59

William Dussault
40 Wiley Street
Fall Rivers
[No state is listed. However, there is a Wiley Street in Fall River Massachusetts and there is a William H. Dussault from Massachusetts who is listed in the U.S. National Archives WW II database as having been freed from Stalag 2-B]

Notation in the dog tag hole indicates William was interned in Stalag 7-A

p. 74

Massachusetts State Addresses

Walter Hastings
3 Watson Street
Cambridge
Massachusetts

A note indicates Walter was interned in Stalag 7-A

Joseph Filex Sil
162 Flint Street
Fall River
Massachusetts

A note indicates Joseph was interned in Stalag 2-B

William W. Williams
Box 248
Centerville
Cape Cod
Massachusetts

There is a letter “t” or possibly a + or a drawing of an anchor in the hole of William’s tag

Dan Hurley
217 M. Street
South Boston
Massachusetts

A note indicates Dan was a doctor and he was interned in Stalag 2-B

Pete Bruno
201 Havre Street
East Boston
Massachusetts

Dick Nichols
240 Plymouth Road
Newton Highlands
Massachusetts

Milo Hale
109 Tyler Park
Lowell Massachusetts
Bigelow 0817

C. Doucette
131 Adam Street
Lynn
Massachusetts

C. Douglas Day
187 Forest Park Road
Lexington
Kentucky
U.S. Army Air Force

William Mahoney
18 Whitman Street
Maiden
Massachusetts

Charles Haratsis
4 Poplar Street
Lomerville
Massachusetts

William J. Connolly
1703 So. Chadwick Street
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania

Henry J. Perigny
Box 117-C Locust Road
Lakeview Park
Dracut
Massachusetts

Pennsylvania

Milton Benz
Rector
Pennsylvania

Notation in the dog tag hole indicates Milton was interned in Camp 59

Marion P. Barone
Bryn Maws
Pennsylvania

Notation in the dog tag hole indicates Marion was interned in Camp 59

Jack Kirkpatrick
322 Lincoln Street
Johnstown
Pennsylvania

Notation in the dog tag hole indicates Jack was interned in Camp 59

Anthony Primac
N. Vandergrift
Pennsylvania

Notation in the dog tag hole indicates Anthony was interned in Camp 59

Gene Schull
Emerson Street
Vandergrift
Pennsylvania

Notation in the dog tag hole indicates Gene was interned in Camp 59

John A. Sikorski
724 McKinley Avenue
E. Vandergrift
Pennsylvania

Notation in the dog tag hole indicates John was interned in Camp 59

Maholan J. Black
R. R. 1
Utahville
Pennsylvania

Notation in the dog tag hole indicates Maholan was interned in Camp 59
“Coal Port” is noted in one corner of the tag

p. 76

Duane H. Church
Main Street
Cowanesque
Pennsylvania

Paul R. Sims
Box 44
West Windfield
Pennsylvania

Charles Baron
315 Chestnut Street
Port Allegany
Pennsylvania

Jack E. Goeller
14 Fairview Avenue
Delaware County
Yeadon
Pennsylvania

Emmett S. Quinney
R. 2 – E. Knowlton Road
Media
Pennsylvania

Leonard Davis
Box 604
Youngsville
Pennsylvania

Joe Shaw
5026 Ditman Street
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania

John L. Bonazzag
R. 1
Washington
Pennsylvania

Ernest Tuttle
Smith Ferry
R.D. 1
Pennsylvania

Joseph A. Skope
1101 E. 28th Street
Erie
Pennsylvania

Rudolph Gutman
Route 1
Export
Pennsylvania

Walter Martin
107 Wilson Street
Larksville
Pennsylvania

Frank D. Heller
268 Virginia Avenue
Rochester
Pennsylvania

Leonard Orvitz
2003 12th Avenue
Beaver Falls
Pennsylvania

Clark Ingram
Weedville
Pennsylvania

George Kurtz
R.D. #6
Butler
Pennsylvania

John DiGiammarino
R.D. 2 – Box 12
East Brady
Pennsylvania

Mark Wallace
539 Park Avenue
Kane
Pennsylvania

Frank R. Trocino
2650 S. Alder Street
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania

Michael C. Uasiliadis
1535 E. Third Street
Bethlehem
Pennsylvania

Fay A. Jacobs
Westinghouse Factory Store Cafeteria
Sharon
Pennsylvania

Notation in the dog tag says KDO 1725 Louisenhof. Louisenhof is a village in northeastern Germany.
Also listed outside Fay’s tag is this address:
2950 W. Jackson Boulevard
Chicago
Illinois

p. 77

Charles Gover
338 S. 2nd Street
Sunbury
Pennsylvania

Harry Victor Choltko
1107 2nd Avenue
New Kensington
Pennsylvania

Hommer August
32 North Street
Bradford
Pennsylvania

Notation in the dog tag says Hommer was interned in Stalag IIIB.

John N. Nix
1512 Harmon Way
Evansville
Indiana

p. 78

William A. Hall
Canandaigua
New York

Michel Driscoll
8218 5th Avenue
c/o Mrs. Hendrickson
Brooklyn
New York

Roxford Brown
1109 Admiral Street
Elmira
New York

Henry Skarzynski
R.R. 158
East Greenbush
New York

Manuel C. Brava
356 Court Street
Brooklyn
New York

Robert Kuhn
Rochester-Penfield Road
Penfield
New York

Ed Hasman
201 Clifford Street
Rochester
New York

Daniel Ehring
150-11 Twelfth Avenue
White Stone
Long Island
New York City

Notation in Daniel’s dog tag says KDO

Vincent J. Sylvester
23 Dickinson Street
Rochester
New York

Jacob Brewers
2844 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island

Notation in Jacob’s dog tag says KDO. There also is a word that looks like “Interp.”; perhaps Jacob Brewers served as an interpreter within one of the camps.

Ralph Wilson
321 56th Street
Brooklyn
New York

Timothy Phillips
Jack Ward
64 Broad Street
Glenn Falls
New York

Charles Stewart
2164 Nostrand Avenue
Brooklyn
New York

Richard Kane
Henry Kane
192 Washington Street
New Burgh
New York

Richard and Henry’s correct address is actually Newburgh, New York. The two men were brothers.

Alphonse V. Buttacavoli
1540 Cropsey Avenue
Brooklyn
New York

Stanley V. Cushner
3003 Ferry Avenue
Niagara Falls
New York

Harold Moran
2923 Dewitt Place 67
Brooklyn
New York

p. 83

Gordon C. Grace
Route 1
Union Grove
Alabama

Adam L. Johnson
Route 1
Candor
North Carolina

Ralph C. Smith
Route 1
Ohama
Illinois

[I cannot find a town named Ohama in Illinois. Perhaps this is Omaha, Illinois.]

Ted Brogger
3974 S. McClung Drive
Los Angeles
California

Russell Stein
1087 Linden Avenue
Akron
Ohio

Bertram Schmidt
East Clear Lake
Denville
New Jersey

John G. Baer
Deshler
Ohio

Walter J. Stockwell
P.O. Box 64
North Pownal
Vermont

Written beside Walter’s name is what appears to be #125. or $125.

William F. Young
3 East 9th Street
San Angelo
Texas

Lester E. Goodheart
2164 Wilson Avenue
Chicago
Illinois

Karl Reichlin
Route 3
Mount Vernon
Washington

Maurice L. Grant
929 Boscobel Street
Nashville
Tennessee

Cliff Wilson [or Clifford Wilson]
Route 2
Kasson
West Virginia

FOREIGN ADD’S [ADDRESSES]

Arthur Irvine
919 Avenue Road
Toronto
Ontario
Canada

Malcolm McAffer
c/o Sinclair
24 Hyndland Street
Patrick [likely Partick]
Glasgow
Scotland

William Johnston
The Demesne
Lurgan
County Armagh
Northern Ireland

Beside this address is written “Pat”

William Chambers
39 Govan Road
Glasgow S.W. 1
Scotland

Beside William’s address is written what appears to be “Joe”

James Rochord [possibly James Rochford]
New Hampton Bar
67 Glassford Street
Glasgow C-1
Scotland

p. 84

Earnest Squires [or Ernest Squires]
21 Thoresby House
Quarry Hill Flats
Leeds 9
York
England

Donald Frazer
Edenvale Edenburgh
Omagh Co. F
Yoone
Northern Ireland

This could possibly be:
Omagh
County Tyrone
Northern Ireland

Ray Dennis
24 Buckfast Road
Morden
Surrey
England

Norman W. Burns
583 Chepstrow Road
New Port Mon
England

It seems likely this is:
583 Chepstow Road
Newport
Monmouthshire
England

William Kincaid
237 Croftfoot Road
Kingspark [King’s Park]
Glasgow S-4
Scotland

Hugh Dickie
The Glebe Dairy Farm
Staveley Town
Near Chesterfield
Derbyshire
England

Beside this entry is written “Scot”

David Cook
8 Gravely Lane
Edington
Bermingham 2
England

Beside David’s entry is written what appears to be “Ire”

It seems likely this is:
8 Gravelly Lane
Erdington
Birmingham 2
England

AMENDOLA [name of a comune]
P. [Province] ASCOLI PICENO, IT. [Italy]

MONTEMONACO [name of an Italian municipality—see San Lorenzo below]
P. [Province] ASCOLI PICENO, IT. [Italy]

TRISUNGO PER FAETE [Trisungo and Faete are small comunes]
P. [Province] ASCOLI PICENO, IT. [Italy]

MONONGHLA, Penn.
R.I. ACQUARTA, IT. [Italy]
Above this entry is written BRO

There is a town in Pennsylvania named Monongahela.
I looked for towns by the name of Acquarta in Italy and Rhode Island (R.I.) but didn’t find any. Perhaps someone named R.I. Acquarta in Italy had a brother who lives in the U.S. in Monongahela, Pennsylvania.

(Note added August 11, 2013—my friend Anne Copley just wrote to me “I wonder whether the ACQUARTA you had difficulty with is actually Arquata del Tronto. If he got to Chieti he might well have passed through that way.” This seems very likely to me.)

GIOVANNI 5
ARI CHIETI, IT [Italy]
The comune of Ari is located in the Province of Chieti in Italy.

Giovanni is a common male Italian given name (the equivalent of John), but what does the 5 after the name stand for?

SAN LORENZO
ASCOLI PICENO, IT. [Italy]

The village of San Lorenzo belongs to the municipality of Montemonaco, in the province of Ascoli Piceno, in the Marche region of Italy.

George Cerdery
13 Glendower Close
Liecester
Uppingham Rd.
England

Glendower Close is a short cul-de-sac located near Uppingham Road in Liecester, England.

Charles Fitzpatrick
6 Colledge St.
Cavan Co.
Canan
Eire, Ire.

This is likely:
6 College Street
Cavan
County Cavan
Ireland (Eire)

D. Hewison
21 Victory Park Road
Addleston
Weybridge
Surrey, Eng

Beside D. Hewison’s address is written “Red Scot”

This is likely:
21 Victory Park Road
Addlestone (located near the town of Weybridge)
Surrey, England

Gilbert P. Bauer
4541 A Flora Avenue
St. Louis
Missouri

p. 85

Albert L. Lange
289 Rustic Circle
Pontiac
Michigan

Above Albert’s name is a long number; only the last four digits, 7164, are legible. Also above the name is “KDO.”

Arnold Raichle
407½ Kearney Street
El Cerretto
California

Above Arnold’s name are the numbers 1694 – 1725. Also above the name is “K.D.O.”

Andrew Koniarz
464 S. Whipple Street
Chicago
Illinois

Above Andrew’s name is “K.D.O.”

Gerry Gralinski
2876 So. 45 Street
Milwaukee
Wisconsin

Above Gerry’s name is “K.D.O.”

Harry E. Fandree
2211 N. Arkansas
Wichita
Kansas

Above Harry’s name is “K.D.O.”

Clarence H. Neding
Piper City
Illinois

Above Clarence’s name is “K.D.O.”

Loren Shackelford
Lathrop
Missouri

Above Loren’s name is “K.D.O.”

Pat Knight
Route 4
Walters
Oklahoma

Above Pat’s name is “KDO.”

Claude Smith
Grinlock
Kentucky

Above Claude’s name is “A.C.”

Henry Erickson
Bynum
Montana

ANTONI KNAWCRYK
WIES-WIR-STARY
POCRTA, POTWOROW
POWIAT RADON
POLAND.

Beside Antoni’s name is written “PARPART” and also the number 200.

William R. Daniels
109 Woodrow Street
Reidsville
North Carolina

Above William’s name is “KDO”

George Pazunrek [check spelling]
Robern or Rofern Avenue
Parkville
Maryland

Above George’s name is “KDO”

Clerance [Perhaps Clarence. The last name is not legible]
Box 135
Piper City
Illinois

Above Clarence’s name is “KDO”

Frank Ravine
2143 Constitution Lane
Long Beach
California

Above Frank’s name is “KDO”

Cecil Estip
Salt Rock
West Virginia

Robert Wallace
General Delivery
Ballinger
Texas

John Freeman
Box 24
Fanshawe
Oklahoma

p. 86

Oma L. Fleming
P.O. Box 412
Glenn Rose [Glen Rose]
Texas

Notation over Oma’s name says “10-R – Nov. 1944”

Peter C. Ga___ [last name is not clear]
Lomeinster Road [or possibly Leominster Road]
Lunenburg
Massachusetts

Notation over Peter’s name says “12-R – Dec. 1944”

Curtis W. Martin
Route A
Winnsboro
Louisiana

Notation over Curtis’ name says “6-R – Dec. 1944”

Thomas Guerin
2nd Street, Box #315
Berlin
New Hampshire

Russell E. Freeman
115 Saratoga Avenue
South Glens Falls
New York

Louis G. Willis
Route 3
Ozark
Alabama

Charles J. Meek
Route 4
Marietta
Georgia

Fred Curvin
Rt. 2
Ohatcher [Ohatchee]
Alabama

Notation above Fred’s name says 1/1/45; a second notation says what appears to be “Rep.”

Myles Galloway
Box 112
Westbrook
Texas