MALCOLM TUDOR
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ON THIS DAY IN 1943 (the 25th of July) Italian Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was overthrown in a palace coup and replaced by Marshal Pietro Badoglio as the King assumed command of the Armed Forces. Gradually the news arrived at the camps across Italy holding thousands of British and Allied prisoners of war. Including those at the famous officers’ camp 49 in Fontanellato, as recounted in my book, ‘British Prisoners of War in Italy: Paths to Freedom’ ...
The news arrived in a radio broadcast relayed over a loudspeaker above the Italian orderly room. It was overheard by a group of prisoners who were about to leave on a walk. Dan Billany recalled that Captain Camino ‘walked from the hut smiling a quiet little smile - he spread his hands and shrugged a little as he passed the Italian Orderly Officer, who in turn raised his eyebrows. That was how they mourned the Duce.’ Other prisoners related that the guards poured into the courtyard at the rear of the building, singing and dancing with joy. Portraits of Mussolini were pulled from the walls and stamped underfoot. Fascist symbols across the countryside were removed or defaced. The Italians thought the announcement of the fall of the dictator meant the end of the war for them.
One of two war correspondents in the camp, the American Larry Allen of the Associated Press, prepared news bulletins based on information gleaned from Italian newspapers and a secret radio in the camp. Every bulletin began with the word Flash. He reported Mussolini’s removal with: ‘Flash, Benito finito!’
The Fascist party was outlawed and political prisoners released, but martial law was declared, an eight o’clock curfew imposed and meetings and assemblies banned. Though the war continued, the new government began secret peace negotiations with the Allies at the beginning of August. A German request to send prisoners of war to Germany was rejected by Raffaele Guariglia, the new Italian foreign minister. In the meantime, extra German divisions poured over the Brenner Pass, Allied bombing raids continued and food riots broke out in the cities. At Fontanellato the guards no longer fired at prisoners when they appeared in windows at the front of the building, but the walks were cancelled. It was feared that a friendlier populace might create security problems.
Lieutenant-Colonel Hugo Graham de Burgh also arrived from Lucca Military Hospital (PG 202) in August and became the Senior British Officer. Aged 49, he was a member of an upper class Anglo-Irish family and veteran of the First World War, where he was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Military Cross (MC) for gallantry in action. The colonel was appointed OBE in 1921. He had been SBO at three camps before coming to PG 49. While at Lucca the officer had heard rumours of prisoners of war being sent to Germany. Hugo de Burgh found the captives at Fontanellato demoralised. He asserted command and arranged for them to learn new skills and prepare themselves physically for escape. Meanwhile, a new structure was superimposed upon the dormitory organisation. Five companies were created, four for officers and one for ‘other ranks.’ Each unit was composed of around a hundred men, with its own commander, adjutant, platoons, sections and an infantry capability. There were drills, daily situation reports and duty rosters. The men were ordered to smarten up their appearance. The prisoners began to lay bets on the date when they would be able to walk out of the camp gates as free men.
‘British Prisoners of War in Italy: Paths to Freedom’ is available in paperback from Amazon:
The news arrived in a radio broadcast relayed over a loudspeaker above the Italian orderly room. It was overheard by a group of prisoners who were about to leave on a walk. Dan Billany recalled that Captain Camino ‘walked from the hut smiling a quiet little smile - he spread his hands and shrugged a little as he passed the Italian Orderly Officer, who in turn raised his eyebrows. That was how they mourned the Duce.’ Other prisoners related that the guards poured into the courtyard at the rear of the building, singing and dancing with joy. Portraits of Mussolini were pulled from the walls and stamped underfoot. Fascist symbols across the countryside were removed or defaced. The Italians thought the announcement of the fall of the dictator meant the end of the war for them.
One of two war correspondents in the camp, the American Larry Allen of the Associated Press, prepared news bulletins based on information gleaned from Italian newspapers and a secret radio in the camp. Every bulletin began with the word Flash. He reported Mussolini’s removal with: ‘Flash, Benito finito!’
The Fascist party was outlawed and political prisoners released, but martial law was declared, an eight o’clock curfew imposed and meetings and assemblies banned. Though the war continued, the new government began secret peace negotiations with the Allies at the beginning of August. A German request to send prisoners of war to Germany was rejected by Raffaele Guariglia, the new Italian foreign minister. In the meantime, extra German divisions poured over the Brenner Pass, Allied bombing raids continued and food riots broke out in the cities. At Fontanellato the guards no longer fired at prisoners when they appeared in windows at the front of the building, but the walks were cancelled. It was feared that a friendlier populace might create security problems.
Lieutenant-Colonel Hugo Graham de Burgh also arrived from Lucca Military Hospital (PG 202) in August and became the Senior British Officer. Aged 49, he was a member of an upper class Anglo-Irish family and veteran of the First World War, where he was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Military Cross (MC) for gallantry in action. The colonel was appointed OBE in 1921. He had been SBO at three camps before coming to PG 49. While at Lucca the officer had heard rumours of prisoners of war being sent to Germany. Hugo de Burgh found the captives at Fontanellato demoralised. He asserted command and arranged for them to learn new skills and prepare themselves physically for escape. Meanwhile, a new structure was superimposed upon the dormitory organisation. Five companies were created, four for officers and one for ‘other ranks.’ Each unit was composed of around a hundred men, with its own commander, adjutant, platoons, sections and an infantry capability. There were drills, daily situation reports and duty rosters. The men were ordered to smarten up their appearance. The prisoners began to lay bets on the date when they would be able to walk out of the camp gates as free men.
‘British Prisoners of War in Italy: Paths to Freedom’ is available in paperback from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Malcolm-Edward-Tudor/author/B001KCHTWO