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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Boere on Thursday 26 January 12 19:13 GMT (UK)

Title: Escape and Evasion Reports Italy
Post by: Boere on Thursday 26 January 12 19:13 GMT (UK)

Hi All,
I am trying to identify the comrade with whom my father escaped from italy into Switzerland during September 1943.
Does anybody have the index to the WO 208-4273 escape and evasion reports?
Cheers Willi

Title: Re: Escape and Evasion Reports Italy
Post by: madrecce on Wednesday 13 August 25 13:23 BST (UK)

Hi Willi, are you still active. I’d be happy to chat. Mad Recce

Title: Re: Escape and Evasion Reports Italy
Post by: Andy J2022 on Wednesday 13 August 25 14:00 BST (UK)

Willi,
Pre-COVID I did some research into the various records concerning POWs held at TNA, and at that stage there was no index of escapees. The man I was looking at had been on the escape committee in the German POW camp where he spent most of his time, but his name did not occur in the WO 208 series -special questionnaires for those who escaped or were on escape committees. He completed a very detailed answer on his questionnaire in WO 344, complete with plans of tunnels and the numbers of men who escaped through each.

WO 416 and WO 392/1 contain indexes of POWs generally, and you can find some of the ICRC Camp reports in WO 224 and FO 916. Obviously many more men escaped from the Italian POW camps, but of the 170,000 British and Commonwealth POWs in Germany only around 1,200 manged to escape.

Since you father escaped to Switzerland, don't forget to check the Foreign Office series as there is bound to be some correspondence between the British Embassy in Berne and London concerning those interned by the Swiss.

Title: Re: Escape and Evasion Reports Italy
Post by: Boere on Wednesday 13 August 25 14:16 BST (UK)

Hi Andy,
Yes, I am still active and still searching old military records.
I will have to look through my old correspondence to see where I was at the time.
Sadly my biggest problem is living in South Africa so it is impossible to get to Kew to research our family’s military history as a lot of records are not yet online.
I did contact International Red Cross who kindly assisted me with the information they have and there the trial ended.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Thanks Will

Title: Re: Escape and Evasion Reports Italy
Post by: Andy J2022 on Wednesday 13 August 25 16:00 BST (UK)

Willi,
This TNA video may provide you with some more details about the research materials which are  available online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WvD_mI9CvU

Title: Re: Escape and Evasion Reports Italy
Post by: Boere on Wednesday 13 August 25 16:47 BST (UK)

Thanks Andy