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South African POWs used as extras in the Italian camp 122 (Cinecittà)

pangloss

New Member
Dear friends,

I am an Italian documentary filmmaker and international researcher.

I'm currently writing an essay on a Fascist propaganda movie called "Harlem" shot in Rome in which South African prisoners of war (Native Military Corps) were used as extras.

I'm trying to find any kind of record and phot about this story and the camp no.122 near Cinecittà (film studios based in Rome) where these South African POWs were detained from the Spring 1942 to Spring 1943. Before "Harlem", South African POWs were used for a nazi propaganda movie called "Germanin - Bayer 205", filmed in Cinecittà and Babelsberg in Berlin.

South African soldiers of Native Military Corps (NMC) were captured in Sidi Rezeg and brought through several transit camps in Italy.

I was wondering if maybe someone of this forum did research about this topic.

I already have several reports written by the International Red Cross with the name of two camp leaders: Henry Suestane and Bernard Rakeepile.

To be specific, I'm looking for memoirs or war diaries about the making of the movies written by South African soldiers. I'm also looking for reports written by the Italian Army General Staff (Stato Maggiore dell'Esercito).

The following source is the only one so far I found out:

LANCE CORP
NZAMO NOGAGA
AN AFRICAN SOLDIER'S EXPERIENCES AS PRISONER OF WAR
THE SOUTH AFRICAN OUTLOOK 75.894
october 1, 1945

In this camp no.122, there was another special South African prisoner or war. His name was KAY MASAKI (REAL SURNAME: MAYAKE) and an article published on Time Magazine (August 1944) tells about the boxing match between the former heavyweight champion Italian Primo Carnera and the prisoner Kay Masaki for propaganda purpose. It seems there is another source about this match: "Spingobok" (South African Veterans' Journal, 71, march/apil 1988). Someone knows other details about this story?

Thank you.
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member

pangloss

New Member
Thank you but I already know campifascisti. I'm in touch with the site creator.

Actually, I'm looking for original and unknown records from other archives.
 
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