“Don Mario Grugni was a highly-esteemed pastor for many years in Ceranova. But the most important was Don Piero Angelini, pastor of Vairano, about 4 kilometers from Ceranova. Here was the camp of our Pows. Don Piero was an agent of the Ufficio Assistenza Prigionieri Alleati of CLN, and he saved many Pows (I have his memoirs).
“I think Don Piero and Don Mario certainly collaborated with each other to assist and save the local Pows. Also, Don Piero hid Pows in the bell tower and in the attic of his church in Vairano.”
A Don Mario Grugni memorial plaque in Ceranova, Italy. The two photos are of Don Mario Grugni at different ages. Continue reading →
I’ve recently received a great deal of help and guidance from Massimo “Max” Piacentini, a researcher at the Istituto Pavese per la storia della Resistenza e dell’età contemporanea.
In 1991 Bill Armitt (right) took his wife Hilda back to the scene of his escape, where they met with Dr. Domenico Lunghi (at left)—photo by Hilda Armitt, courtesy Victoria Theatre Archive
Istoreco (istorecopavia.it), founded in 1956, is part of the national network of the Ferruccio Parri Institute. An important leader of the Italian Resistance, Parri understood the importance of preserving the documents of the resistence for posterity. In 1943 he charged his friend Giuseppe Bacciagaluppi with creation of the Ufficio Assistenza prigionieri Alleati of the CLN (Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale, or National Liberation Committee). The organization saved more than 1,500 Allied escaped POWs by guiding them to Switzerland. Documents relating to these saved POW are preserved in Fondo: Bacciagaluppi at the Istituto Parri of Milano. Istoreco of Pavia keeps documents such as the arrest records of POWs in Provincia di Pavia and an archive of oral sources, including interviews with local helpers.
“My current research,” Max explained, “concerns the Pow camps in the Pavese area and the helpers who offered assistance to the fugitive prisoners after 8 September 1943. In the course of my research, I came across several Pows from camp PG 59 who were transferred in the spring of ’43 to the labor camps of Pavese, in particular to PG 146/23 Landriano.
Camp 59 Survivors 