Hello, I am French and I am looking for information about my Belgian grandfather. he engaged in the French foreign legion (3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment) and was captured in Oued Khebir (in Tunisia) on January 18, 1943. First declared missing in the fighting and then he was declared prisoner on October 21, 1943 in Italy (Notification N 14999 FR PG / P / EG du Général Commandant en chef ) he was interned at Camp 66 (Capua) and at camp 82 (laterina) he escapes on 12 May 1944 and crosses the English lines. I don't know if he was alone ... There isn't a lot of document in French, I hope find information on this forum and with your help. thank you Estelle sorry but I don't speak English well and use google translation!
Hello Estelle, There were several breakouts/attempted breakouts form Laterina in April and May 1944 when the camp was being used as a transit camp for men waiting being sent to Germany. There had been another one, in July 1943, when another member of the French Foreign Legion, who had also previously been in PG 66 Capua, managed to get out via the sewer pipe. He was shot at, wounded and ended up in hospital in Arezzo, from where he did eventually escape and manage to cross the lines. His name was Pierre Dotrement. His story and a photo are on my website powcamp82laterina.weebly.com. Click on TESTIMONIES There was at least one other Belgian in the camp. This what Greek Sergeant Solomon Saltiel, 50 Greek Infantry Division, had to say about him: About this time, on Friday, there was a fight in the kitchen. There was a helper in the kitchen who was from Belgium. He was mad because he received a high number, around 80, to get out of the tunnel. He became angry and the next day he told the Germans that the prisoners had built a tunnel under barracks 12 and were going to escape. The Germans entered barracks 12 and searched everywhere finding nothing. The Belgian could not speak German very well and he could not explain well. The Germans brought in the SS and they started to tear everything out and then they discovered the mattresses filled with dirt. They found the tunnel, removed the cement cover, and went inside. After a while they emerged. They were visibly impressed and said that this was not a tunnel but a work of art. Then the Germans started to dig from the exit of the tunnel. It turned out that when we thought we were between the wires on Thursday, we were actually five feet beyond the outermost wire. What a mistake we had made! Had we we stopped digging Thursday and opened the hole, we would have been free. The Germans assigned the Italian workers to destroy the tunnel. Then the Germans were looking to exact punishment and wanted to know who was responsible for the escape attempt and who worked on the tunnel. The camp leader told them everyone in the camp worked on it. The Germans said not everyone could fit into that tunnel and they wanted the names of those who participated in the escape attempt. The leader told them that everyone spent time working on the tunnel including himself. Then they interrogated the leader of barracks 12 and he said the same thing. They threatened to court marshal him and he said you can do the judgement right here and now, opening his shirt and telling them to shoot him. The Germans did not end up punishing anyone. They moved the Belgian out of Laterina after the other prisoners threw stones at him and hit him. No one ever found out what happened to him. This extract frommy website was sent to me by Sgt. Saltiel's son. The number 80 he is referring to is the Belgian's position in the escape queue. I hope it's not your grandfather he is speaking about. Best wishes, Vitellino
For information Foreign Legion events: January 11 – 20 | French Foreign Legion Information French Foreign Legion: January 18 – 1943, Battle of Oued El Kebir – a battle of the Tunisian Campaign of WWII – a part of the North African Campaign between Axis and Allied forces – the battle took place near the Oued El Kebir dam, at Djebel Mansour, northern Tunisia – that day, 2nd Battalion, 3e REIM (Regimental Combat Team, composed of 3e REI legionnaires in the majority) faced tanks of the German Africa Corps of Marshal Rommel – during the battle, the battalion was annihilated – hundreds of poorly-equipped legionnaires were killed, wounded or missed — Estelle - can you tell us your grandfathers name as it may help members find something about him TD
Good evening Vittelino and TD, My grandfather's name was Arsène Zigrand, born July 24, 1914 in Martelange, Belgium. (French naturalized in 1948) Engaged in the French foreign legion from 1935 to 1951. On June 23, 1940 he was taken prisoner in Toul with the 11th REI and escaped in September 1940. He joined the foreign legion in North Africa. With the 5th company of the 2nd battalion of the 3rd REI (commandant Boissier) he participates in the defense of the wadi el Kebir. From January 18, 1943 he was wounded and captured by the Germans and given to the Italians. I do not know where he was treated or when he was shipped to Italy. He had a quote for that: "On 18 February 1943 in the Coast 647 area, repelled the enemy elements that had entered the position and disabled the firing squad of his FM A contained a second attack on the grenade until his ammunition was exhausted, pursued and wounded by machine gun fire and grenade splinters, joined the Company Commander's PC where the resistance continued ... " "wounded during the fighting of Oued-Kebir (Tunisia) wounded to the enemy by shrapnel grenades plays left and left hand and machine gun (mitraillette) bullet to the left butt on 18/1/1943 in Oued Kebir wound of war" In his registration form (fiche matricule), only the camp of Capua is mentioned. It's in an article of the magazine Képi Blanc that I read that he could have passed through Laterina camp. He told me about his escape. he was working outside the camp and they had moved away little by little from their workplace and started running. It's a bit confusing but I think they were several. In his registration form (fiche matricule) it is just noted that he crosses the English lines and is taken over by the 2nd Moroccan GOUM on May 12, 1944. He joined the 13th DBLE July 5, 1944 and is incorporated in CA2 of the 2nd battalion. He participates in the landing of Provence and continues the war in France. In early 1946 he embarked for Indochina ... The archives of Caen have nothing on his captivity in Italy. I am waiting for the Red Cross service to open in 2019 to apply. I will post a message in the "prisoner" section. I hope it's another Belgian who worked in the kitchens Estelle
Welcome Estelle, I'm looking forward to seeing how your research develops. Good luck going forward. Steve
All the best in your search Estelle, looking forward to seeing what you uncover. My Great Uncle, Father William (Bill) Sheely was in PG 82 Laterina.
