Author Archives: Dennis Hill

Celebrating Family Ties

A Dickinson family outing to the beach. At front are Robert, youngest brother Len on the lap of his mother, and his father. In back are brothers James and William.

On this occasion—the Thanksgiving weekend, when American families gather to feast, remember the past, and meditate on their blessings—I’ll pause for a moment to reflect on the universality of family ties.

Here are three families—British, American, and Italian—who have connections to prisoners from Camp 59. The stories of Robert Dickinson, Marino Palmoni, and Armie Hill are well-covered in a number of posts on this site.

In celebration of this holiday, here is an international family album.
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“Servigliano Calling”—A Return to Camp 59

Robert Dickinson kept a diary, titled “Servigliano Calling,” from the date of his capture by the Germans until six months before his death (November 23, 1941 to September 3, 1944).

Robert arrived at Camp 59 on January 18, 1942, and a year later—on January 24, 1943—he was transferred to Camp 53 in Sforzacosta.

Robert’s log for his year in Servigliano is a fascinating, candid record of daily life and events in the camp.

I first learned about “Servigliano Calling” though e-mails from Robert’s nephew Steve Dickinson in April 2008.

Referring to Camp 59, Steve wrote:

“My uncle spent some time there during WW2, but was later transferred to another camp in Northern Italy. At the time of the armistice he walked out of that camp and fought with the Italian partisans until his death towards the end of the Italian Campaign.

“However, during his stay at Servigliano he kept a diary like many of the POW’s. This was found during renovations in a farmhouse [in Gassino, Italy] where the partisans had been hiding him some time after the war and returned to the family. It details the day to day events in Servigliano, football matches, escape attempts, cooking recipes, poetry, etc….”

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A Season for Visits

John Davison, his family, and new Italian friends explore the grounds of the old Cararola farm, where Norman Davison was at first assigned to work and where he later found shelter.

Steve Dickinson and Dennis Hill were among visitors to Camp 59, where Steve’s uncle Robert Dickinson and Dennis’ father Armie Hill were imprisoned. At center was the hole in the wall—since mortared shut—through which many prisoners escaped from the camp.

For three individuals who have an intimate family connection to the prisoner-of-war camp at Servigliano, this fall was a unique time for discovery.

John Davison this year made contact with descendants of Giovanni Bellazzi, the northern Italian farmer who sheltered his father, escaped prisoner G. Norman Davison. Giovanni and his friends helped to arrange for Norman’s safe passage to Switzerland.

Norman had been a prisoner at Camp 59 before he was transferred to camps farther north, where he was required to work on farms.

In early September, John and his family visited the town of Vigevano and experienced a thrilling welcome. (See posts In Their Fathers’ Footsteps, Part 1 and Part 2).

Then, at the end of September, Steve Dickinson and I were among visitors to Camp 59 in Servigliano, where Steve’s uncle Robert Dickinson and my father Armie Hill were interned.

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A Kind Letter from the Past

This letter, from the town of Oleggio in northern Italy, dated May 5, 1947, was most likely sent to Bob Smith’s mother from the family whom he stayed with in Italy before his escape.

(The other two pages of the letter are at the bottom of this post.)

According to Bob’s niece, Carole Procter, “It was obviously a farm and I think it was probably the one he was allocated to from the POW camp, rather than the one he hid in when he first escaped, although that is only a feeling—no proof either way.

“The name at the end of the letter looks like J Roselli and on the Oleggio website it does say that Roselli is an old Oleggio name, with members of the family still living there.

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Bob Smith—Convalescence at Leysin

Shown here are two of three pictures taken of Bob Smith on March 18, 1945 in Leysin, Switzerland.

Regarding these portraits, Bob’s niece, Carole Procter, says:

“I think these photos are really quite sad as they show very clearly how quickly Bob became ill. He looks to have lost a lot of weight in the 9 months since the last lot were taken and although he is smiling in two of them he looks quite gaunt.”

After escape from Axis-occupied northern Italy into Switzerland, Bob was sent to the Camp D’Internement Militaire at Bürglen in the canton of Thurgau.

In a letter from the camp, dated March 20, 1944, Bob explains, “I leave this week for a winter sports camp.”

Carol says, “I assume that’s Adelboden as the ski photo is April 44.” (See posts British Rifleman Robert Smith and Bob Smith’s Adelboden Album.)

Bob spent the spring and summer at Adelboden. Then, in October 1944, having been diagnosed with tuberculosis, he was transferred to a sanatorium in Leysin, Switzerland.

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A Salute to Dick Kane

Caption for top image: “Former prisoners of war pictured with former congressman Ben Gilman, center, are, from left, Harvey Horn, Ken Knapp, Ray Mellin, Richard Kane, Bill Stratis, and Jack Grunin.”

Times Herald-Reporter (Middletown, New York)
October 1, 2010

Reporter Barbara Bedell covered this annual September veterans Day of Remembrance ceremony for the Times Herald-Record of Middletown, New York.

The article begins with a tribute to six former POWs:

“Six former World War II prisoner of war were recognized by more than 400 veterans and their guests during the recent annual Orange County Veterans Coalition POW/MIA Day of Remembrance. It was conducted in the Town of Goshen Park.

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Postcards from Bob Smith


Here are two postcards Bob Smith sent while a prisoner at two camps in Italy.

Bob’s neice Carole Proctor explains, “I have 10 postcards written by him, the first 6 being from Campo 59 written to his sisters, one of whom was my mother who died in 2005. The first date on the postcards [from Campo 59] is 5.8.42 and the last is 23.12.42. The next postcard is dated 31.7.43 and the address is Lavoro Base No. 133/xvii. PM3100. He is still there on 4.7.43 but a card dated 15.8.43 he says he is in a new camp—No.133/iii.”

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Clarence “Tom” Cronin

This photo of Clarence T. Cronin, sent to me by his son Ed, is of “my Dad and mother before he shipped out over seas.”

Clarence went by the name of Tom, which was his middle name. He sailed on the Queen Mary a few months after the wedding.

Tom was interned at Camp 59 and escaped in September 1943. “He was on the run for several months before he made it back to the lines.” Ed explains, “Like many in your stories, he was in an emaciated condition. My mother states he weighed 90 lbs. when he got home to the States.”

Tom passed away in 1996.

A Confident Dick Redman

This dapper, confident fellow is William Redman—known to his family as Dick.

Dick was a British soldier from Littlehampton, Sussex. This photo is from his niece Jo Millard.

As Robert Dickinson included Dick’s address in his journal, “Servigliano Calling,” (see Robert Dickinson’s Address List) we can assume that Robert and Dick were pals.

Read Dick’s story on the post William Redman—Captivity, 1941–45.

In their Fathers’ Footsteps—Part 2

This post contains a second installment of news coverage in l’informatore of the Davison family’s visit to Vigevano, where escaped prison-of-war G. Norman Davison found shelter on the farm of Giovanni Bellazzi.

September 2, 2010
l’informatore

Caption for top photos: Some pictures of the day at Piazza Ducale and the Cararola house

Lower photo: Mariella Bellazzi, during the meeting on Sunday

War stories

Vigevano—A book, In the Prison of His Days, came to us unexpectedly, but thanks to this chance occurance we have uncovered an exciting story. This adventure, set against the backdrop of World War II, stars some of our fellow citizens who, risking their own lives, led English prisoners to safety in Switzerland. On Sunday, sons of the characters in this story met and together traced the courageous lives of their fathers.

The Englishman John Davison came to Vigevano to get to know the children of the brave men who saved his father 65 years ago

A meeting on the thread of memory

“In visiting these places we retrieved together the memory of our families”

A story of courage came to light through a book. The adventure of the British soldier Norman Davison saved with the help of a few courageous Vigevanesi.

A few days ago, children of the characters in this touching story met. John, the son of the English gunner, arrived last Sunday in Vigevano, where he was greeted by Mariella and Carlo Alberto, children of Giovanni Bellazzi, who in 1945 ran the Cararola farm, and Gigi Pistoia, friend of the Bellazzi family.

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