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Italian Army North Africa Prisoners of War from 1942

penstraze1950

New Member
I am not sure which regiment my father, Giovanni Barbiero (Barberio) was in except he said he was in the Kings Army and was captured in 1942 having joined in 1936. He said he was an aid to a colonel and was captured by the Belgians. I know nothing else except he went as POW from where he was captured to South Africa then India and eventually in England. Unfortunately he died in 1976 so cannot ask him nor my mother who sadly has also passed away. Anyone help with which regiment he may have been in. He came from Calabria.
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
Good day penstraze1950

Humm, the information have provided doesn't give us much to work with.

-Captured by the Belgians in 1942. Belgium was occupied since June 1940. While they had some small colonial possessions, the Italians didn't fight anywhere that a Belgium military unit could have operated. I am not aware of any Belgium units operating/fighting with the Allies in 1942, but I am willing to be educated otherwise.

The best option is for you to contact Archivio di Stato that covers your father's home town. All the military personal records from 2GM (WW2) have been transferred from the military archives to the state archives. If you have your father's place and date of birth, you can request a copy of his military records. For example, here is the link for the Archivio di Stato di Reggio Calabria

Note that the provinces of Italy have changed a bit since the 2GM. Find his home town/place of birth on Google and see under which province the town is both currently and at the time of the 2GM. Reggio Calabria has changed since 2GM. His place of birth might place his records at a different archive.

You can also get his POW records. Here is the link for the Prisoners of War in British hands. Often his capture records will include his unit.

If you can provide more information, it would help. Any photos of his military service? letters, etc?

I hope this was some help.

Pista! Jeff
 
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penstraze1950

New Member
Thanks Jeff
I looked up those suggestions but I am afraid I did not get very far. I have my parents birth and marriage certificates issued in Pedivigliano and know that my father was Barbiero but somehow - do not know when - this became Barberio. He said very little about the war except to say that he had been captured in 1942 and ended up in Cornwall via South Africa, India and Liverpool. All I know is that he joined the Italian army in 1936 shortly after he was married -probably July/August.
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
Good day penstraze1950

Given the birth town of Pedivigliano, you will need to contact the Archivio di Stato di Cosenza. THIS PAGE explains how to request documents by e-mail. I have added a template below you can use to contact the archive. I would send the request in both Italian and English. Use the name on the birth certificate, especially if it is the same name as on the marriage certificate. As you have a copy of his birth certificate, I would include a clear scan of it as well to help the archivist find the correct files. There is a cost. The archive will contact you once they have find the records and tell you what it will be.

Check his birth certificate to see if Cosenza is list stated as the province of birth. If not, be prepare if the archive directs you to contact a different archive. As I previously stated, some of the provinces were adjusted/created after the war.

Please post if you were successful.

Pista! Jeff

**********

Archivio di Stato di Cosenza

Egregi signori,
il sottoscritto YOUR NAME, residente in YOUR ADDRESS, richiede il rilascio di copia del foglio matricolare (e qualsiasi altro dei suoi documenti militari) di mio padre FATHER'S NAME, nato a FATHER'S BIRTHPLACE provincia di Cosenza in data FATHER'S BIRTHDATE, che ha prestato servizio nell'Esercito Italiano durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale.

Cordiali Saluti
(YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND SIGNATURE)

*****

English translation :
Dear sirs,
the requestor (YOUR NAME), living in (YOUR ADDRESS), requests a copy of the "foglio matricolare" (and any other of his military records) of my father (FATHER'NAME), born in (FATHER'S BIRTPLACE) district of (PROVINCE) in date (FATHER'S BIRTHDATE), that served in the Italian Army during WW2.
 
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