4079066 Morgan FRANCIS, 1/SWB: 08/02/1944

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by jonheyworth, Jan 14, 2022.

  1. jonheyworth

    jonheyworth Senior Member

    A POW in Italy , died 8/2/44. I know nothing about army POW research . Can’t find anything . Any kind , more knowledgeable soul have anything please
     
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  2. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    From the file WO392/21 British National Archive he is listed as being held at Camp 68 (Vetralla) as of August 1943. It must always be stated that these listings have been known to contain errors. See below:

    Morgan Francis.jpg
     
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  3. jonheyworth

    jonheyworth Senior Member

    Thank you kindly . It looks like
    He died after an escape ?
     
  4. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Hello Jonheyworth,

    I am pleased to be able to help out.

    Morgan Francis was held in PG 68 Vetralla until the camp closed in December 1942. It appears that he was one of the 500 Pows sent from there to PG 70 Monte Urano (Fermo) in the Marche region of Italy.

    After the Italian armistice of 8 September 1943 the prisoners dispersed into the countryside. Many were sheltered by local families. On 8 February 1944 two POWs were shot at a place not far from the camp called Penna San Giovanni. They were buried there and taken from the local cemetery to Coriano Ridge. The information about the initial burial comes from Morgan's concentration form (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) which I have downloaded from their site and attached below. Sheet 125 (Fermo) and grid square 5385 are given as the original burial place. The Reference S.I.B. refers to the Special Investigations Branch which carried out the investigations into these two deaths.

    This is a link to Google maps which shows Penna San Giovanni and Fermo.

    At the end of the war a War Crimes Investigation was carried out into the shootings and the report is in The National Archives at Kew:

    WO 311/1214 Shooting of two British escaped prisoners of war at Penna San Giovanni Italy 8 February 1944. Note: With photographs.

    If you can get hold of a copy without going to Kew - there are some people on this site who will obtain it for you at a reasonable price- you will get all the information you need.

    Best wishes,

    Vitellino

    Edited to say that the sheet number is wrong - it is Sheet 124 - the portion showing Penna San Giovanni is below. This is from the 1:100.000 Series, McMaster maps
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jan 14, 2022
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  5. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Penna San Giovanni.png
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2022
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  6. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    I should have asked where the bit of information you do have came from.
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2022
  7. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Casualty lists report him:
    List No. 879 - Missing 21.6.42
    List No. 902 - Previously reported missing now POW
    List No. 1726 - Died 8.2.44
    List No. 1758 - Corrected to KIA
     
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  8. jonheyworth

    jonheyworth Senior Member

    Thank you all very much indeed . I assume the other POW shot was Sgt Holmes RAF who was buried with him
     
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  9. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    That's what I understand, though I haven't read the report.
     
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