Help with Italian POW please!

[FionaR82]

Hi everyone.

I'm not sure if I'm posting in the correct place but I'm hoping someone can assist me with some research.

I have received some documents from the ICRC regarding my uncle's war service during WW2. I know he was at a POW camp in the UK at Penrith, but everything else has been a mystery - he never spoke much of his war days and died a number of years ago now.

The documents I have received from the ICRC are sparse and they have advised I continue my research with the Italian Military Archives.

I just wondered if someone with much more knowledge than me can help me make sense of the little information I have received to date - Google searches aren't throwing much up for me!

The papers state that his service number is unknown but his rank was soldier and his unit was 10. Battaglione Controcarri. What was this unit?! I've tried a Google translate and it's coming up with "counter cars" or, if Controcarro is inputted it's coming out with "counter tank." He was in Africa and I'd love to know exactly what his unit were doing!

The papers also state that he was captured on 11/05/43 in Zaghuan and sent to POW camp no. 211, North Africa. Does anyone know any information about this camp and its location?

From there, he was sent to Camp 8 and Camp 76 in the UK.

I will definitely be contacting the military archives in Italy to try and gain some more information but if anyone can help piece together the details I've been sent so far, I'd be eternally grateful!

Thank you all!

 

[jwsleser]

Good day and welcome to the forum.

To start with, the Italian Military archives (USSME) will not be able to help. Personnel records for enlisted soldiers are now held in the stato archives. See this thread... https://comandosupremo.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-to-obtain-italian-personnel-records.910/

This is an older thread with information. https://comandosupremo.com/forums/index.php?threads/italian-military-records.246/

You need to know his date of birth, town and province. The records are kept in the state archive of the province where he was born. You can email your request to the proper archive.

 

[jwsleser]

I have moved the thread to this location as it is a better fit.

Okay, from the information you have provided, some of it makes sense and some doesn't.

The 10. Battaglione Controcarri (X btg. c.c.) is the 10º Anti-tank battalion. From what I was able to quickly find, the unit was equipped with the Italian 47/32 c.c. guns.

The date and location of his capture appear correct. He was captured in Tunisia in North Africa two days before the entire Italian 1ª Armata (army) surrendered to the Allies. The location (Zaghouan) fits with the date and location of events at that time.

The problem is that the X btg. c.c. never served in North Africa (AFAIK). The battalion was part of the 10º divisione motorizzata «Piave» and served mainly in Italy.

What is possible is that he was sent to Tunisia in 1943 as an individual replacement right before the surrender. The short amount of time could be why his records weren't updated or why he told the ICRC that his unit was the X btg. c.c.

The state archive will likely be able to provide some answers. The document you need to ask for is his foglio matricolare (service record).

Did the ICRC send you a copy of the record or just a recap?

Pista! Jeff

 

[1089maul]

Hi Fiona,
Good luck with your research! Do you have a photo of your uncle in his uniform? I think it’s nice to see the person being researched! Regards from the UK.
Bob