Category Archives: Prisoners—Camp 59

“Servigliano Calling” Poem #12

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“Sweethearts,” is one of three poems by Bombardier G. P. Whapples in Robert Dickinson’s journal. This poignant poem speaks to the longing felt by many soldiers for their distant girlfriends or wives.

The pierced-heart icon on this page proclaims Robert’s love for Ida. Sadly, he did not return to her from the war.

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Sweethearts

My Dear,

I thought that you would like to know
That someone’s thoughts are where yours go,
That someone never will forget
The hours we spent—since first we met,
God willed that I should cross the sea
But come what may you’re still with me,
Times have been hard—of times my bed
Through battles bold—perhaps you’ve read
More lucky than some—my pals that died
For England—she on us relied
So now my constant prayer will be
That God will keep you safe for me!

“Servigliano Calling” Poem #11

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“The Experiences of a Captive: In Verse—And Worse” is one of four poems by A. Forman in Robert Dickinson’s diary.

This poem spans five pages and is remarkably full of detail about the battle in which Forman was captured, his transfer from prison to prison, the prisoners’ illnesses, their mistreatment by the Germans and humane treatment by the Italians, and Forman’s impressions of the countryside as they were transported.

The tale begins in North Africa on April 7, 1941, with the ambush and capture, by a German patrol, of British generals Richard O’Connor and Philip Neame, and it concludes with the arrival of the prisoners at Camp 59 in February 1942.

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The Experiences of a Captive:
In Verse—And Worse

We met the damned Hun, and started the fun,
On April the seventh at noon,
I think someone blundered; there were over six hundred
Whilst we were just a platoon.

In fact there were more; they had guns by the score
More likely two thousand or so,
Our job—rearguard action, to our small satisfaction,
Was ours, wherever, we’d go.

I ne’er really thought, that I’d ever be caught,
This—my wildest dreams did lack,
But to my satisfaction, I was captured in action
And was wounded so couldn’t fight back.

On a’drome was a fort, to which I was brought
Wounded in legs and in thigh,
And my heart was like lead, for I’d seen lying dead,
Three mates, only God knows why.

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Ralph Hoag—Escaped, then Recaptured

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This 1943 Stalag 4B photo of Ralph Hoag was originally attached to his prison record. The prisoners took their own records from the office at Luckewalde after the Russians liberated the camp.

Many of the accounts on this site are of men who escaped from Camp 59 and made their way south to the Allied forces, or who were protected by the Italian farm families, the “contadini.”

Ralph Hoag, on the other hand, was free after the Camp 59 breakout for only nine days before being recaptured by German paratroopers.

He said of the escape:

“After the 59 breakout, eight of us were together—way too many to expect an Italian family to care for. We didn’t keep moving, but stayed in the woods and went to a farm for occasional food. I’m sure they reported our whereabouts to the Germans, because the Germans came right to us.

“We were returned to 59 along with most all of the others—half of which were British Tommies. I guess we were there two days. When it was time to move out there were two or three missing at roll call. The Germans threatened to shoot every tenth man until they were found.

“Finally, we were jammed into boxcars with crates of loot and bags of macaroni—so much so we couldn’t all lay down at once. That was a long 8–9 day trip. I think they let us out of the boxcars twice. We went through the Bremer Pass, into Germany—to Stalag IV-B.

“The German paratroopers respected the three for attempting to escape. They were hiding in the camp. The Germans knew no one had gotten out. They were treated fine and sent on to Germany, where they rejoined us a few days later.”

In addition to Camp 98 Sicily and Camp 59 Italy, Ralph was interned at:

Stalag 4B, Muhlberg Sachsen

Stalag 2B, Hammerstein, West Prussia

Stalag 3B, Furstenberg on the Oder, Brandenburg

Stalag 3A, Luckenwalde, Brandenburg

Read Ralph Hoag’s account of his POW experience at the combatvets.net site under “Bios/Memorials.”

Luther’s Reunion with the Palmoni Family

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Luther Shields and his wife Jimmie visited with the Palmoni family in 1983. The Palmonis hid and fed Luther and fellow POW Louis VanSlooten after their escape from Camp 59.

At top: Luther and Jimmie (far left) with the Palmoni family. Iginia “Mama” Palmoni is the woman with white hair and gray dress.

Above left: Luther with Marino and his brother Gino. The man in blue is Primo Pilotti. Above right: Marino and Gino Palmoni with Luther indoors.

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Luther’s Note of Thanks

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Following Luther and Jimmie Shield’s 1983 visit to the Palmoni family, Luther sent an affectionate thank you note to Iginia “Mama” Palmoni and her family. This letter was scanned by Antonello Palmoni (Marino Palmoni’s son), and sent to Luther’s daughter Cindy Jackson 25 years later, on December 29, 2008.

The text of the letter, both in Italian and translated into English, follows.

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A Surprise Reunion

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News article—Part I

Forty years later: Reunion with Italian partisans—Local Cortez veteran man shares prison camp experiences

BY SUSAN SHIELDS
Cortez [Colorado] Journal, circa April 1983

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is the first part of a two-part account of the capture, internment in a prison camp, and ultimate escape of Luther Shields in a World War II battle which took him from north Africa to Italy during the height of intensive fighting.)

December 8, 1941: The United States declares war on the Axis countries. Private Luther Shields of Goodman Point had already been through training for the U.S. Army at Fort Bliss, and had written home to his parents, “I don’t think the army is so bad after all.”

On May 19, 1942, Private Shields would again be writing to the folks back home from Northern Ireland, where he and thousands of other American troops were engaged in serious training maneuvers, ostensibly, in preparation for thwarting the German Wehrmacht’s assault on Russia.

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“Servigliano Calling” Camp Poem #10

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“The Mirage” is one of eight poems by Cpl. D. Nevitt in Robert Dickinson’s Camp 59 journal, “Servigliano Calling.”

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The Mirage

T’was in a lonely desert outpost,
Where a sunburnt sentry lay,
Looking o’er towards the Jerries,
Not so very far away.

The flies for ever buzzing,
Converged upon that spot,
And the burning sun above him,
Made those yellow sands quite hot.

For hours he lay there watching,
But he didn’t mind that day.
For he’d just received a letter,
From a thousand miles away.

For thirteen weeks he’d waited,
Waited so patiently,
And now at last it had arrived,
That note from oversea.

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Robert Dickinson’s Last Letter

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Robert Dickinson at home.

This letter from Robert to his brother Jim and Jim’s wife Olive must have been sent after September 1944, as the breakout from Camp 59 was on September 14, 1943, and Robert writes that he has not been a POW for over a year.

Jim must have been glad to receive the letter, as he had not been in contact with Robert since he left camp.

Eve, who is mentioned, is Olive’s sister. Known in the family as Auntie Eve, she turned 90 in 2008.

Ida was Robert’s girlfriend. It is to Ida that he dedicated his journal, “Servigliano Calling.” Had Robert returned home, he and Ida would likely have married.

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Dual Purpose Deck of Cards

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On this set of American Red Cross “Aviator” playing cards Luther Shields recorded the names and addresses of his friends in Camp 59. Most of them are likely from his camp section.

He carried this “address deck” with him when he escaped.

Note that a couple of the cards bear colorful descriptions: “Hill Billy Sheep Hearder” and “Honkey Tonk (Kid).”

There are 55 addresses in all. They are:

James L. Rogers
R.R. #1
Madison, Indiana

(U.S. National Archives on-line POW database indicates Pvt. James L. Rogers, Army Infantry, of Indiana was returned to military control, liberated or repatriated from CC 59 Ascoli Picenzo Italy 43-13.)

Gus Teel
507 S. Richardson
Roswell, New Mex.

(U.S. National Archives on-line POW database indicates Pvt. Guss O. Teel, Army Corps of Engineers, of New Mexico was returned to military control, liberated or repatriated from a POW camp, but no camp name is indicated.)

Paul Wakeland
601 Walnut Street
Dawson Springs, Ky.

(U.S. National Archives on-line POW database indicates Sgt. Paul I. Wakefield, Army Infantry, of Kentucky was returned to military control, liberated or repatriated from CC 59 Ascoli Picenzo Italy 43-1.)

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Robert’s Calendars

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The last few pages of Robert Dickinson’s journal, “Servigliano Calling,” contain calendars for the years 1941–44. Each of these calendars is meticulously drawn and accurate; the 1944 calendar includes February 29th, as it was a leap year.

On each of the four calendars one date has a heavy outline, February 28—Robert’s sweetheart Ida’s birthday. Robert’s journal entry for February 28, 1944 reads:

“Feb 28th—Ida’s Birthday; Oh for a letter.”

The strikes-throughs marking each passing day begin on Sunday, November 23rd, the day Robert was captured by the Germans. The last strike was through June 6, 1944. But, curiously, Robert continued to record daily events in his journal through September 3, 1944. Why did he decide to stop marking out the days?

His entry for the last struck-though date is:

“Jun 6th—The invasion is on; news of big landings in France!!”