Category Archives: Prisoners—Camp 59

Jimmy Feehan and Thomas Penman

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Escaped P.O.W.s arrive at Royal Park, Victoria, Australia, 1944. From left: Private J. W. Feehan from W.A. (Western Australia), Sergeant E. J. Brough from Victoria, Lance Corporal L. Worthington from W.A., Mrs. T. G. McClounan from the Red Cross, Private H. A. Lockie from Queensland, and Private J. A. Allen from W.A. (Argus Newspaper Collection of Photographs, State Library of Victoria)

Helen McGregor directed me to the above photo, which she found among the digitalized images of the State Library of Victoria. She had been searching for information on Jimmy Feehan, a friend whom her father, Scottish soldier Thomas Penman, spent time with after the men escaped from Camp 59.

I was pleased to see other P.G. 59 escapees in this photo: Leslie Worthington (see “Les Worthington—an Australian’s Adventure” and “A Timeline of Les Worthington’s Service“, and John Albert Allen (see “Conversations with Vaughan Laurence Carter and “Simmons’ Address Book—the Lone Australian.”

Les Worthington’s son, Ray Worthington, wrote to tell me he has been able to narrow the date of the photo: “I can tie the date of it down fairly closely from my record of Dad’s service which shows:

10/9/1944 – Disembarked at Melbourne (report of 25/9/1944)
14/9/1944 – Entrained at Victoria. Vic L of C Area (report of 25/9/1944).

“So it was between the 10th and 14th of September 1944.

“And Dad then arrived back in Perth on the 17th of September, so the first time 7 years old me had seen him in nearly 4 years!”

American readers should note the day precedes the month in the above dates. For example, 10/9/1944 is September 10, 1944.

Thomas Penman’s Service Record

The following dates and locations for Thomas Penman are from a British military record for Thomas that Helen McGregor shared with me.

This information is in the left column of the form:

Deemed to have been enlisted March 19, 1940.

DSR. – September 8, 1940

Posted I.T.C. [Infantry Training Centre] Royal Scots – Private – March 19, 1940

Posted June 28, 1942 – Pte [Private]

Missing – Pte – June 28, 1942

Prisoner of War (Italian)
Escaped (Now in Allied Hands, S/Italy)

In another area, “Service at Home and Abroad” indicates:

Home – March 19, 1940 to June 25, 1940
Egypt – June 26, 1940 to December 15, 1940
Sudan – December 16, 1940 to July 9, 1941
Egypt – July 10, 1941 to June 27, 1942
ITALY (P.W.) [prisoner of war] – June 28, 1942 to August 10, 1944
NS. Y/167/44 HOME – August 11, 1944 to September 26, 1946

I assume the span of June 28, 1942 to August 10, 1944 is inclusive of Thomas’ time “on the run” after escape from Camp 59—and his involvement with the Yugoslavian partisans that Helen mentions in “Scottish Escapee Thomas Penman.”

The last entry apparently covers the period from his return to the UK in August 1944 through his lengthy recovery at Camp 197 (“The Mount”) in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales.

Scottish Escapee Thomas Penman

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A hale and hearty Thomas Penman in 1946, after medical treatment for malnourishment in Chepstow, Wales— a “fattening up” gradually on small amounts of food, chocolate, and milk

I received a note from Helen McGregor, who lives just outside Glasgow, Scotland, last month.

She wrote, “My father was one who escaped from the camp at Servigliano and lived with an Italian family for at least one year.

“He is dead now, but I know he was mentioned in dispatches and given a hero’s welcome home. His name was Thomas Penman and he was from Glasgow, Scotland.”

Thomas Penman, Highland Light Infantry, was captured in North Africa between El Alamein and Tobruk and shipped to Italy. He escaped capture twice.

The following accounts are among those Helen’s father shared with her older siblings over different periods of time. Although the details are sketchy, the stories are nonetheless compelling.

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Letter from P.G. 59 Chaplain “Niel” Nye

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Georgina Stewart, daughter of Don Robinson, who was a prisoner in P.G. 59, shared a letter with me that was written by Reverend Nathaniel “Niel” Nye to her mother during the war.

The letter offered reassurance as to the likely current situation of Don Robinson, then missing in Italy after the breakout from P.G. 59 in September 1943. It also offers us insight into the character of Niel Nye, and it provides details about the breakout.

Nathaniel “Niel” Kemp Nye was an Anglican chaplain in the British Royal Air Force.

The London Gazette of February 6, 1940 indicates Niel (service number 77267) was granted a commission “for the duration of hostilities with the relative rank of Squadron Leader” on January 18, 1940.

After his capture, Niel was interned in Camp 59.

Here is the text of the letter:

c/o Mrs Villis
Lungecombe Farm
Ashburton
S. Devon.

7/12/43. [December 7, 1943]

Dear Mrs Robinson

I was delighted to receive your letter as you would have been one of the first I should have written to were it not that I lost my most valuable book of addresses on the trek down to our lines.

I am presuming that your son is the tall Sgt. Robinson in Camp with whom I spent many most enjoyable hours walking and talking about everything under the sun — mostly “When do you think it will all be over”!! He is one whom I very much hope I shall see again soon—in fact he has promised to let me and my wife visit your farm.

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Trading Weapons for Ploughshares

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Former Camp 59 internee Don Robinson’s daughter, Georgina Stewart, sent me the heartwarming news story featured in this post, which appeared in the Hereford Time (Herefordshire, England) in 1984.

See also “Sergeant Don Robinson—Captive and Escapee.”

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PoW has been 40 years on the farm

Hereford Times
May 11, 1984

Caption: Hop grower Don Robinson (right) and George Iannotto at Munsley Court, near Ledbury. During the war Don was a prisoner in Italy and George a prisoner in England.

HOP growers Don Robinson, and his general farm hand “George” Iannotto, never knew each other during the Second World War.

That’s not surprising considering Don, of Munsley Court, near Ledbury, ended up a Prisoner-of-War in Italy and Italian George suffered a similar fate in England.

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Sergeant Don Robinson—Captive and Escapee

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Algiers, late 1942. Don Robinson is on the far right.

Sergeant Donald George Robinson, Royal Artillery, was captured on January 21, 1943 during a night skirmish with Rommel’s Afrika Korp at Bou Arada in Tunisia. From North Africa, he was transferred to P.G. 59 in Servigliano.

In September 1943, Don escaped with the other prisoners during the general breakout from camp that followed the signing of the armistice.

For several months, he was protected by the Luciani and Dezi families who lived in the countryside near the camp.

Through the help of local partisans, Don returned to Allied control in May 1944.

Don and his wife Monica returned to Italy in the 1960s. They stayed with the Dezi family and visited with members of the Luciani family as well.

Don died in 1992, at the age of 76.

Twenty-two years later, Don’s daughter, Georgina Stewart, traveled to the Marche with her husband John. Aided by Ian McCarthy and his wife Gabriella, they succeeded in finding members of both the Luciani and Dezi families.

Georgina recounted this adventure in a story she wrote for the Monte San Martino Trust website. See “Where Donald Robinson Hid.”

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Nino Dezi with his wife Josephine. Georgina writes, “As as eight-year-old, Nino used to take food down the hill to my father, who was staying with the Luciani family. When my father and mother visited in the sixties, they stayed with the Dezi family.”

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The Alphabetical List—British Soldiers K–M

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In 2013, researcher Brian Sims gave me access to his photographs of the complete contents of a booklet entitled Italy: Imperial Prisoners of War Alphabetical List, Section 1, British Army, which is archived at the British National Archives.

The Alphabetical List contains the names of thousands of British prisoners of war interned in Italian camps, apparently compiled in 1942 or the spring of 1943.

This post contains Alphabetical List soldiers K–M who were documented as P.G. 59 internees.

See also “The Alphabetical List—British Soldiers A–B,” “The Alphabetical List—British Soldiers C–F,” and “The Alphabetical List—British Soldiers G–J.”

A key to acronyms and abbreviations follows the list.

Page 72
Kaye, J. R. – Tpr. – 7885909 – R.A.C. – R.O. No.3
Keddie, D. J. T. – Cpl. – T/192321 – R.A.S.C. – R.O. No. 29
Kelly, J. P. – Cpl. – 552447 – R.A.S.C. – R.O. No. 3
Kelly, T. – Tpr. – 7904262 – R.A.C. – R.O. No. 3
Kempton, W. G. – Pte. – 5512026 – Hamp. – R.O. No. 23

Page 73
Kilby, V. Pte. – 7519659 – R.A.M.C. – R.O. No. 30
Killeen, C. – Pte. – 6012148 – Essex – R.O. No. 21
Kimpson, L. W. – Tpr. – 7885915 – R.A.C. – R.O. No. 3
King, A. G. – Gnr. – 1678811 – R.A. – R.O. No. 6
King, M. I. – Pte. – 2754828 – Bk. Watch – R.O. No. 16

Page 74
Kinsey, R. – Fus. – 14209862 – Innis. F. – R.O. No. 17
Kirby, J. – Drv. – T/121147 – R.A.S.C. – R.O. No. 29
Kirkland, R. – Tpr. – 7935537 – R.A.C. – R.O. No.3
Kitchener, A. E. – Gnr. – 1503096 – R.A. – R.O. No. 5
Knapman, P. A. – Tpr. – 7897305 – R.A.C. – R.O. No. 3
Knibbs, H. G. – Tpr. – 7912314 – R.A.C. – R.O. No. 3
Knowles, J. – Gdsm. – 2659152 – C.G. – R.O. No. 12

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Charles Simmons’ Recovered Bowling Ring

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I received a note early this month from Katy Bochetto, who wrote, “My grandfather was Charles K. Simmons.

“My Aunt, Trish Harper, submitted copies of the address book and calendar he kept while a POW.” See “Charles Simmons’ Calendar and Address Book” and “Charles Simmons’ 1943 Calendar.”

Katy’s mother, Margaret Simmons, was Charles’ oldest daughter.

In her note, Katy told me about Charles’ gold “300 game” bowling ring that was confiscated by Italians after his capture, but was later surprisingly returned to Charles.

In a follow-up email I received today, Katy said, “The family was together for Christmas and more information was found about my grandfather—specifically the story I was telling you about his bowling ring!”

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A Small, Unexpected Gift

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Edwin A. Wilcher’s dog tag, missing for over 70 years in Italy, which was returned to Edwin’s family in November

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Chiara Allevi’s grandfather Rinaldo and grandmother Luigia assisted Edwin Wilcher after his escape from P.G. 59 in 1943

In May 2009, I received a note from John Garner, who lives in Temple, Georgia.

John wrote, “My great grandfather by the name of Edwin Attaway Wilcher was a POW at camp CC 59 Ascoli Picenzo Italy 43-13. Have you ever heard anything about him? His number I believe was 34352271 and he was captured December 29, 1943. Thanks for any help that you may provide.”

John explained in a follow-up note that Edwin was born in Georgia on September 27, 1912. He was a private in the U.S. army and he served as an infantrymen after reporting for duty on March 10, 1943. He served in the North African Theatre—in Tunisia.

I wasn’t able to help John at the time.

Then last April I received a note from Chiara Allevi, an Italian woman.

Chiara explained, “Sorry for my poor English…. My uncle found a military plate named EDWIN A. WILCHER (34352271) Augusta Georgia, on my grandmother’s hamlet “AGORE” near ASCOLI PICENO town.

“My grandmother told us that Mr. Wilcher was hiding in a cave in the mountains near her hamlet together other American soldiers.

“She and other villagers brought food to them.”

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Cameron Highlander J. Drum

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Pte. J. Drum

I received a note last month from Del MacPhail, whose grandfather was captured in North Africa in 1940.

J. Drum was interned in P.G. 59 for a time. He is listed in “The Alphabetical List—British Soldiers C–F.”

Del wrote, “I have recently came across your site and would like to thank you for creating it. My Granda was a POW in this camp. He was transferred out of this camp and moved to Poland near the German border.

“Attached is a photo of him. That is an Australian’s hat he is wearing—his mate’s hat. He was a Cameron Highlander.

“He didn’t ever say anything about the war at all. So all I have are his records. My Granda passed away October 1989.

“He married Mary after the war, had five children—three boys and two girls—and 10 grandchildren. He was a scaffolder after the war, he just never spoke about it ever. I think it was too hard for him.”

The Alphabetical List—British Soldiers G–J

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In “The Alphabetical List—British Soldiers A–B” and “The Alphabetical List—British Soldiers C–F” I explained how in 2013 researcher Brian Sims gave me access to a booklet entitled Italy: Imperial Prisoners of War Alphabetical List, Section 1, British Army.

The Alphabetical List contains the names of thousands of British prisoners of war interned in Italian camps, apparently compiled in 1942 or the spring of 1943.

Below is a list of soldiers G–J who were documented as P.G. 59 internees.

A key to acronyms and abbreviations follows the list.

Page 50
Galbraith, A. G. – L/Cpl. – 7012422 – R.U. Rif. – R.O. No. 17
Gale, E. H. – Pte. – 319191 – A.C.C. – R.O. No. 41
Galpin, F. A. – Dvr. – T/217760 – R.A.S.C. – R.O. No. 29
Game, B. C. – Pte. – 7519476 – R.A.M.C. – R.O. No. 30
Gardiner, R. E. – Pte. – 6299294 – Buffs – R.O. No. 23
Gardner, E. F. – L/Cpl. – 6283794 – Buffs – R.O. No. 23
Gardner, F. A. – Rfn. – 6912865 – R. Bde. – R.O. No. 24

Page 51
Gargett, E. – Sjt. – 7357206 – R.A.M.C. – R.O. No. 30
Garraway, J. – Gnr. – 4276657 – R.A. – R.O. No. 6
Gauld, K. – Tpr. – 319448 – R.A.C. – R.O. No. 3
Geeson, V. C. – Tpr. – 7888195 – R.A.C. – R.O. No. 3
Gibson, A. – Gdsm. – 2569934 – S.G. – R.O. No. 13
Gibson, R. – C.Q.M.S. – 2695323 – S.G. – R.O. No. 13

Page 52
Gibson, K. R. – L/Cpl. – 7900168 – R.A.C. – R.O. No. 3
Giesen, S. R. – Rfn. – 6915311 – R. Bde. – R.O. No. 24
Gileney, R. – Tpr. – 7907190 – R.A.C. – R.O. No. 3
Gilfillan, J. – Gdsm. – 2696710 – S.G. – R.O. No. 13
Gill, F. T. – Gdsm. – 2653419 – C. G. – R.O. No. 12
Gilmore, T. – Pte. – 7518529 – R.A.M.C. – R.O. No. 30
Gledhill, P. – Pte. – 4615488 – A.A.C. – R.O. No. 45
Gleed, P.H. – Rfn. – 6896952 – K.R.R.C. – R.O. No. 24
Glynn, R. W. – Pte. – 2937936 – Cam. H. – R.O. No. 16

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