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 all in Camp 59 at the time of the escape in September 1943. They all reached Allied lines by traveling southward—some over land and some by means of transportation down the coast.

Note that several of the entries reference an escape by boat along the Adriatic Coast from San Benedetto Del Tronto to Termoli. This surely is the escape described in “Nicola and Liberato Lagalla—Rescue by Sea.” In fact, one of escapees listed below, Howard Jones, we know to have escaped from Camp 59 with Captain J. H. D. Millar, and Captain Millar was among those known to have been skippered to safety by the Lagalla brothers (although he is not on Brian’s list).

Frederick Thomas Lockett

Service Number—5050489
Sergeant
2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment
Date of Birth—February 20, 1921
Home address—Woodbank, Penkridge Staffs, UK

Captured—December 2, 1942
Transit in North Africa
Camp 98 Sicily, December 3–29, 1942
PG 66 Capua, January 2–February 5, 1943
PG 59 Servigliano, February 7–September 15, 1943

Helper:

Francesco Vallorani (farmer)
Montefalcone
Sheltered and fed September 20–November 14, 1943

Transported from San Benedetto to Termoli by boat; arrived November 18, 1943

Albert Ambrose Willis

Service Number—5774137
Sergeant
2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment
Date of Birth—January 27, 1912

Captured—December 1, 1942
Transit North Africa
PG 98 Sicily
PG 66 Capua, January–February 8, 1943
PG 59 Servigliano, February 9–September 14, 1943

Helper:

Gino Mundi (Farmer)
San Lorenzo
Sheltered and fed for two weeks

Transported from San Benedito to Termoli by boat with help from “A Force”; arrived December 13, 1943

Leonard Rowbottom

Service Number—1065671
Sergeant
3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
Date of Birth—February 16, 1911

Captured—November 21, 1941
Transit North Africa
PG 66 Capua
PG 59 Servigliano, January 28, 1942–September 14, 1943

Escape route:

Ascoli, Teramo, Catignano, and Torre (where he was recaptured October 14, 1943)

Prisoner at Valentino Caramanico; escaped October 17, 1943 and was sheltered by a farmer for 12 days

Traveled on foot to Bomba
Met British troops southwest of Vasto on November 9, 1943

H. Schofield

Service Number—2368486
Signalman
Special Air Service
Date of Birth—September 14, 1920

Captured—July 7, 1943
Civilian Jail Sardinia until July 28, 1943
Villa Grande, July 28 to August 12, 1943
Port Madelena Naval Base, August 12–18, 1943
PG 59 Servigliano, August 18 until escape on September 14, 1943

Headed west, then south with two others; sheltered and fed by a farmer near San Martino until middle of November

All three walked on, making for Campo Basso while avoiding towns; reached British lines at outpost near Gissi

Howard F. Jones

Service Number—7518016
Corporal
16th Parachute Field Ambulance
Date of Birth—September 8, 1919

Captured—December 2, 1942
In Tunis Jail, December 3, 1942
Flown from Sicily to Naples, December 3–4, 1942
PG 66 Capua, December 4, 1942–March 1, 1943
PG 59 Servigliano, March 3, 1943–September 14, 1943

Transported from San Benedito to Termoli by boat; arrived November 18, 1943

G. W. Jaques

Service Number—883615
Gunner
Royal Artillery, Special Air Service
Date of Birth—December 16, 1921

Captured—July 8, 1943
Sardinia, July 9–10, 1943
Sassari, July 10–30, 1943
Villa Grandi, August 1–18, 1943
Port Madelena, August 18–20, 1943
PG 59 Servigliano, August 21–September 14, 1943

Traveled same route as Signalman Schofield (above)

R.E.M. Gollop

Service Number—7586544
Sergeant
2nd Hampshire Regiment
Date of Birth—September 29, 1918

Captured—December 4, 1942
PG 98 Sicily, December 5–31, 1942
PG 66 Capua, January 2, 1943–February 28, 1943
PG 59 Servigliano, March 2, 1942–September 14, 1943

Escape route:

Servigliano to Porchia, crossed Tronto River about 15 miles east of Ascoli, skirted Teramo, and headed towards Gande Sasso Mountains

Met British Troops 15 miles east of Atessa on November 10, 1943

T. H. Knight

Service Number—5493563
Sergeant
2 Hampshire Regiment
Date of Birth—July 3, 1911

Captured—December 4, 1942
PG 98 Sicily, December 8, 1942–January 1, 1943
PG 66 Capua, Janaury 2, 1943–February 28, 1943
PG 59 Servigliano, March 1, 1943–September 14, 1943

Escape route same as Sergeant Lockett (above)

H. Tugwell

Service Number—614025
Sergeant
1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment
Date of Birth—December 27, 1914

Captured, December 3, 1942
PG 98 Sicily, December 7–December 30, 1942
PG 66 Capua, December 30, 1942–February 28, 1943
PG 59 Servigliano, February 28–September 14, 1943

Same Account as Sergeant Willis (above)

J. W. T. Duffield

Service Number—568313
Flight Sergeant
103 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Date of Birth—November 2, 1919

Captured—February 16, 1943
PG 3 Poggio Mirteto, February 20–March 7, 1943
PG 59 Servigliano, March 7– August 14, 1943

Escape route:

Made whole escape on foot. Ascoli-Piceno, Teramo, Chieti, Atessa, and Roccaspinalveti, reaching Allied lines on 9/12/43

Helpers:

Received occasional help from people en route, but kept no records

E. R. H. Silverman

Service Number—7015022
Sergeant
London Irish Rifles
Date of birth—March 11, 1917

Captured—June 3, 1943
PG 66 Capua, June 15–March 1, 1943
PG 59 Servigliano, March 1–September 14, 1943

Escape route:

Accompanied by Private A. Kuhn (South Africa), Sergeant D. Almon (Royal Canadian Air Force) and Sergeant R. Rognon (Free French Infantry).

Stayed in Servigliano area and the southern provinces of Macerata and Ascoli-Piceno until middle of May 1944. Joined party of 10, which became 14, and was sent south with a series of Italian guides arranged by an organization.

Re-captured by Germans in the Maiella mountain range. Taken north on foot.

Escaped June 13, 1944 with Sergeant W. Dickson at Giulianova. They hid until the Germans moved off and were sheltered by an Italian for two days, until the arrival of British and Polish forces on June 16, 1944.

Helper:

Aloisi Greatano
Giulianova, Teramo (Abruzzo region)

Blacklisted:

Rushiolli (phonetic), living near St. Pietro (near Montelparo), was responsible for the deaths of many ex-POWs who were at liberty, post-armistice. A fascist who gave the men away to the Germans? He operated between the Tenno and Aso Rivers, from Servigliano to Comunanza.

C. Cowley

Service Number—5495088
Sergeant
2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
Date of Birth—August 12, 1913

Captured—December 2, 1942
PG 98 Sicily, December 4–December 31, 1943
PG 66 Capua, January 1–February 28, 1944
PG 59 Servigliano, March 1–September 14, 1943

Escape route:

Left Servigliano accompanied by Sergeant S. Cross (Royal Air Force), whom he last saw at Castelli, Teramo.

Comunanza, Ventreta, Rocca, Teramo, Castelli area, Arsita, Farindola, Montebello di Bertona, Castelli, and Chieti

Assisted by Italians on the whole of his journey

Helpers:

Dr. Pasquali Prophetis
Castelli
November 8–30, 1943
Was in Castelli again in spring 1944

Guistine Panella
Molino, Arsito
December 1–31, 1943

Rosa Donato
Castelli
February 23, 1944 and many subsequent times

Reached British line at Chieti on June 18, 1944

F. R. Jackson

Service Number—7888771
Trooper
7th Batallion, Royal Tank Regiment
Date of Birth—June 16, 1916

Captured—June 17, 1941
Benghazi, July–November 1941
Brindisi, November–December 1941
PG 59 Servigliano, June 1, 1942–September 14, 1943

Escape route:

Stayed at Monte San Martino for about five months. Spent around 10 days near Comunanza, and then moved on to Force, where he remained for six months.

Moved to Giulianova, where he made contact with Polish troops on June 18, 1944.

Helpers:

Francesco Alesiani
Force, Ascoli-Piceno
Six months food and shelter in winter 1943–44

Alfonso Fidani and friends
Via Mosciano
Giulianova, Teramo
Food and shelter for three weeks during June 1944

W. G. Newall

Service Number—6137771
Lance Sergeant
1st Batallion, East Surrey Regiment
Date of Birth—November 27, 1910

Captured—December 4, 1942
PG 98 Sicily, December 6, 1942–January 2, 1943
PG 66 Capua, January 4–March 1, 1943
PG 59 Servigliano, March 3–September 12, 1943

Left camp when gates of camp opened September 12, 1943 (This date does not correspond with the accepted date the prisoners left camp, which was September 14, 1943.)

Accompanied by company quartermaster Sergeant F. Pawley (Buffs) and Sergeant E. Hughes (Royal Air Force), who he last saw at Aquila on February 2, 1944 when they moved north

Escape route:

Comunanza, Montemanaco, Campobasso, Collebrinconi, and Collarano

Sheltered in a grotto in the mountains near Collarano with 13 others from October 6, 1943 to April 2, 1944, where they were fed by villagers.

Tried to cross lines between Raiano and Sulmona, but failed. Returned to OPI where he, Gunner Lake (Royal Artillery), Corporal Docherty (Royal Tank Corps), Corporal Rolls (Royal Tank Corps), and a Russian were sheltered by an Italian family. There were 200 Germans in the village until they moved out June 14, 1944, and the party set off for Sulmona.

They found the Sulmona occupied by a British officer and a band of Italian partisans. The officer took them to Chieti on June 15, where they were put into hospital.

Helpers:

Olimpa and Adolina Rosa
Near Aquila
Sheltered and fed the five escapers from April 10–June 13, 1944