Hi. My father was a New Zealand POW in Aqua freeda, Italy. He escaped in September 1943 and reached allied lines at the beginning of December 1943. My father, like many others, didn't talk about his experiences during the war. I would very much like to find out if any Italian families or others helped him during his time on the run. According to the Sulmona information page there exists a document called "II Quarantaire" (The Forty Three) which lists the names of all those Italians alongside the name, rank and service number of the men they helped. Can anyone help me with this information or alternatively help with where the Interrogation Reports might be available for the New Zealand POW's. Thanks
Hello, I presume you mean Acquafredda, a sub-camp of PG 78 Sulmona. Could you please give us your father's name? I will look for the document you mention. Your father will have compiled an Escape and Evasion Report, not a liberation report, given that he made it down to Allied lines. You need to contact the New Zealand Archives to find out where these reports are held. Regards, Vitellino Edit: I have checked out the camp. It was at a place called Roccamorice. The POWs were from Sulmona as I thought but whilst at Roccamorice came under the auspices of PG 21 Chieti.
The book called 'Il Quarantre' by A. M. Scalzitti contains a list published by the Allied Screening Commission giving the names of the families who helped the escapers. I haven't looked on line but presumably there's a copy of this book out there somewhere. Would you like me to ask in my local library? (I live in Italy) Vitellino Edited: I have looked online can't find a copy of this book anywhere in Italy.
Hello, My father's name was Norman Vivian Gillan, P.12862 20th NZEF. Anything you can help me with would be very much appreciated. I always knew my father had escaped a camp but had no other details until on Anzac Day last year a photo appeared in our local paper of a number of prisoners at Acquafredda and I immediately picked out my Dad. This then left me very interested (along with others I might add) to find out a bit more about their time as POW's. A friend of mine has spent a considerable amount of time at N.Z. Archives, however it doesn't appear as if any of their documents about POW's have been digitised so the search found nothing. The other option is hiring a researcher at National Archives in London. Regards
Go on to the National Archives website, insert Escape and Evasion in the Discovery box followed by your father's surname and see what comes up.
Hi Taieri, If you haven't already, I would reccommend reading the Official History of Prisoners of War here Prisoners of War | NZETC you can just pick the chapters relevant to your Father's period. The Official History gives a good overview of the conditions your Father would have experienced.
