Research of descendants and survivors on POW Camp 65 Gravina-Altamura Italy

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by Domenico Bolognese, Nov 1, 2018.

  1. EllieB2

    EllieB2 New Member

  2. EllieB2

    EllieB2 New Member

    Thank you Janet. Since posting this, I've found his service number 82210 and confirmation (supporting the family oral history) that he was in this camp and in Stalag IV-G, his POW number in Germany 274454 on "Find my Past". Will now be following your advice and email the Department of Defence. Thanks again
     
  3. EllieB2

    EllieB2 New Member

    Thanks
     
  4. mike Wilkinson

    mike Wilkinson D.A.Wilkinson 3996

    Hi
    Just found this sight. My Dad was a Pow here at camp65 DA Wilkinson 6993. I believe he escaped. Would love to find info. He might have been taken to Germany and then escaped, he often spoke about the Gerry Prison guards, not sure?
    Thanks Michael Wilkinson
     
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  5. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Your father does feature in the listing for South African POWs held by the Italians as of August 1943 and at Camp 65:

    Wilkinson.jpg
     
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  6. mike Wilkinson

    mike Wilkinson D.A.Wilkinson 3996

    Thanks Sir, Great to find out, not sure how much information they collected about POW's, are there any Pictures or other records
    Thanks
    Mike
     
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  7. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    There is a report for Camp 65 already posted on the forum. It may be of some interest to you going forward. Other forum members may be able to tell you more.
    Campo 65 Gravina Report
     
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  8. mike Wilkinson

    mike Wilkinson D.A.Wilkinson 3996

    HI Bamboo43
    Thanks for the report .I cannot open any of the files, says I must login in , I already am and when I do try again is says "faulty" do I need to pay to see files?
    Thanks
    mike
     
  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    There's a glitch in the link. It Logs me out too.
    I just logged in again on that page.
    Campo 65 Gravina Report | WW2Talk
     
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  10. mike Wilkinson

    mike Wilkinson D.A.Wilkinson 3996

    Thanks Bamboo managed to open files
    Mike
     
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  11. mike Wilkinson

    mike Wilkinson D.A.Wilkinson 3996

    thanks Owen working now
    Mike
     
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  12. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Apologies for the glitch there Mike.....and thanks to Owen for getting you past the problem.
     
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  13. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Hello Mike and welcome.

    First of all, camp 65 had been emptied by August 1943 - the register WO 392/21 is out of date in that it shows the last KNOWN camp in which the prisoner had been registered/ recorded by the International Red Cross. By August all the southern camps had been emptied - the allies were already in Sicily and these camps were judged to be too near to the front. The men from PG 65 had been sent to a variety of northern work camps - the South Africans specifically to 146 Mortara and 106 Vercelli to work in the rice fields. Some had been sent to camps in the Marche Region, escpecially to PG 53 at Macerata, but again from there a fair number of them ended up in the north.

    I have checked and your father is not registered as present in a camp in Germany or German-occupied country - he is not in WO 392 /5 (September '44) or WO 392/15 (Spring 1945). I cannot find him in Switzerland either but will have a further check.

    I suggest you send for his service records and I will check the link and edit this post,

    Vitellino
    Edited:
    Offices to Contact
    For any queries regarding military history, contact the Department of Defence Archives at the South African Military Records Centre via email at sandfdoc@mweb.co.za. They are located at:
    Schweikert Building
    20 Visagie Street
    Pretoria
    Telephone: (012) 339-4600
    Fax: (012) 339-4631
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2024
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  14. mike Wilkinson

    mike Wilkinson D.A.Wilkinson 3996

    Thanks for this. I know my Father escaped from prison, he spoke a lot about escaping into Italy, stayed in cow sheds , presume escaping from Germans and Italians.
    He did speak of German Prison Guards not sure if they had them at camp65 , he didn't speak of being recaptured>
    Will contact Pretoria
    Many Thanks
    Mike
     
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  15. mike Wilkinson

    mike Wilkinson D.A.Wilkinson 3996

    Email bounced back , no longer valid, maybe Pretoria has been sabotaged
    Mike
     
  16. mike Wilkinson

    mike Wilkinson D.A.Wilkinson 3996

    Ellie Hi
    Did you ever hear from DOD in Pretoria the email seems to bounce back
    Thanks
    Mike
     
  17. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Try a letter, or look for a private researcher.

    Best of luck,

    Vitellino
     
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