Monthly Archives: April 2014

Upcoming Italian Freedom Trail Walk

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A wreath-laying ceremony in Monte San Martino, Italy, during the Freedom Trail Walk in September 2013.

A Tenna Valley Freedom Trail Walk sponsored by WW2 Escape Lines Memorial Society and Monte San Martino Trust is scheduled for May 7–12. The annual walks, begun in 2001, retrace routes taken by Allied escapers and evaders caught in enemy territory in Italy during World War II.

The last Freedom Trail walk was held just seven months ago, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the September 1943 Italian armistice and the subsequent escape of prisoners from camps across central and northern Italy.

The walks are dedicated to the people of the Italian countryside, the contadini, who, at great risk to themselves and their families, provided shelter, food, clothing, and medical assistance to the young Allied servicemen.

This year’s walk will cover approximately 80 kilometers and include visits to the villages of Monte San Martino, Massa Fermana, Montappone, Montelparo, Montalto delle Marche, Monte Urano, Fermo, and Porto San Georgio.

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A shady rest during the Freedom Trail Walk last September.

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Program cover for the first Freedom Trail Walk, 2001.

The Brandenburgers—War Crimes Investigations

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An interesting report from the British National Archives documents investigations carried out in January 1948 by Captain C. Hillman and a second investigator referred to only as Mr. Suesserott.

The report contains recommendations for further action, including interviews that might lead to crucial new evidence and war crimes prosecutions.

Much of the Hillman/Suesserott report concerns the execution of four British and two American escaped prisoners of war in Comunanza, likely by members of the “Hettinger Group” of the Brandenburg Regiment.

The rest of the report lists seven instances of killings possibly attributable to the “Bansen Group” of the same regiment. These incidents include the killings of Sidney Seymour Smith, and Robert Alvey Newton and Martin Majeski.

My access to this investigations document is courtesy of researcher Brian Sims. I asked Brian about the “SEE” listing of these war crimes. He answered, “As with most series of UK files each department had their own particular set of references. These were later rationalised when gathered together in the WO series.”

Here is the full report:

The Investigations Report

Report on investigations carried out by Captain C. HILLMAN and Mr. SUESSEROTT covering the period from 8 Jan 48 till 29 Jan 48.

On 8 Jan 48 we proceeded from this H.Q. to investigate the deaths of Allied PoWs who were shot in Italy in May 1944. (SEE/88 and SEE/72). On 10 Jan 48 I contacted the British I.O. [Intelligence Officer] at MUNICH in an effort to get a certain REISCHEL, a former police officer in CARINTHIA who is wanted by the Austrian Authorities for various crimes committed by himself and his men against Austrian Partisans, arrested and extradited. This was met with some difficulty which was finally overcome by Mr. SUESSEROTT and the arrest of REISCHEL was effected approx. 14 days later by German Police acting on U.S. Mil. Govt. [Military Government] instructions. By way of MANNHEIM, FRANKFURT and HANNOVER I reached HAMBURG where I immediately started to make inquiries regarding the whereabouts of the former members of the BRANDENBURG Regt., such WEHLAN, LIEBHARD (or LIPPHART) and UNRAU. I was able to obtain particulars, of several persons whom I later interviewed. With the exception of WEHLAN and Hans ULRICH all persons were not identical with our traces and were set free after a short interrogation.

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William Percy Hill—Escaped from Camp 65

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William Percy “Bob” Hill. Bob’s daughter-in-law Gillian feels this photo might have been taken while Bob was a prisoner.

Information for this post is from Gillian Hill, who lives in Beldon, Western Australia.

“My father-in-law was a POW in WW2. He was William Percy Hill, 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Army No. 6917847), Gillian wrote. “He would have probably either gone by the name Bob, or Percy, rather than William.”

Bob was British. His address at wartime was 7 Emanual Road, Northwood, Middlesex UK.

He was captured in the North African Desert at Antelat, Libya, on January 23, 1942.

“Bob had a book on the Afrika Korps, “Gillian wrote. “He has handwritten notes throughout the book. He mentions he was attached to 7th Armoured Brigade as spotter for tanks in a bren gun carrier: ‘Last carrier left out of 44. Only 6 of us left.’

“He also mentions that he met Rommel in a field hospital.

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I.S.9 History—A Final Installment

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This is a final post in a series drawn from a History of I.S.9 (CMF) in the British National Archives.

I am indebted to researcher Brian Sims for access to the report.

For earlier postings on I.S.9 history, see “I.S.9 History—Organization,” “I.S.9 History—Tasks,”I.S.9 History—Methods,” “I.S.9 History—Communications,,” “I.S.9 History—Agent Choice and Training,” “I.S.9 History—Air Operations,” “I.S.9 History—Sea Borne Operations,” “I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 1,” and “I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 2, “I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 3,” “I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 4,” “I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 5,” and “I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 6.”

After the I.S.9 history’s lengthy chapters on operations in Italy, it offers chapters on operations in Yugoslavia, Greece, Austria, Albania, the Balkans (Bulgaria and Roumania, and Central Europe (Hungary and Slovokia).

The history also includes chapters on preventative training, I.S.9 newsletters, and a short section entitled “THE RESULTS AND THE COST.”

Concerning “the cost,” the report states:

“We make no attempt to assess the cost in terms of money. To do so we should require to know the answer to ‘What is the monetary value of human life and the cost of human suffering?’.

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I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 6

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This post is twelfth in a series drawn from a History of I.S.9 (CMF) in the British National Archives. Access to this report is courtesy of researcher Brian Sims.

For earlier postings on I.S.9 history, see “I.S.9 History—Organization,” “I.S.9 History—Tasks,”I.S.9 History—Methods,” “I.S.9 History—Communications,,” “I.S.9 History—Agent Choice and Training,” “I.S.9 History—Air Operations,” “I.S.9 History—Sea Borne Operations,” “I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 1,” and “I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 2, “I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 3,” “I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 4,” and “I.S.9 History—Operations in Italy, Part 5.”

Here is a transcript of Part 6 of the I.S.9 history’s report on operations in Italy:

Part Six—Conclusion.

Before we leave Operations ITALY, it would be as well, perhaps to write somewhat briefly on one or two of our rather longer range operations and activities.

“Committee of National Liberation” (C.L.N.A.I.) – MILAN [Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale Alta Italia].

Late in 1943, reports began to reach us of fairly large numbers of ex-P/Ws crossing into SWITZERLAND from NORTHERN ITALY. It was thought that the Committee of National Liberation [Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale], whose headquarters were in MILAN, were giving help to those ex-P/Ws.

With a view to further encouraging such help and with a view, also, to encouraging the flow of ex-P/Ws to SWITZERLAND by another means, an Italian officer (BALDO) volunteered to be infiltrated into NORTH ITALY, together with a W/T operator, with the intention of making his headquarters at MILAN.

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