Peck, John Desmond (Oral history)

Australian private served with Headquarters, Australian Overseas Base, Australian Imperial Force in Palestine and Egypt, 1940; served with 2/7th Infantry Bn, 17th Australian Infantry Bde, 6th Australian Infantry Div, Australian Imperial Forces in North Africa and Greece, 1/1941-5/1941; evaded capture on Crete, Greece, 5/1941-5/1942; prisoner of war on Rhodes Island, Greece and in Campo PG 65 Gravina Altamura, Campo PG 57 Grupignano and Campo PG 106, Vercelli, Italy, 6/1942-9/1943; escaped and organised prisoner of war escape line in Italy, 9/1943-2/1944; prisoner of war in San Vittore Gestapo Prison in Milan, Italy, 1944; escaped to Switzerland, 1944; officer served with Italian Partisans in Intra area, Italy, 6/1944-10/1944

REEL 1 Background in Woollahra, Australia, 1922-1939: family; education; volunteering underage for Australian Imperial Forces, 10/1939. Aspects of period as private with Headquarters, Australian Overseas Base, Australian Imperial Force in Palestine and Egypt, 1/1940-7/1940: voyage aboard from Australia to Egypt aboard 1/1940; six month posting to unit; background to not being sent back to Australian on discovery of true age; role as batman to General Thomas Blamey at Gaza, Palestine; background to joining infantry battalion. Recollections of operations as private with 2/7th Infantry Bn, 17th Australian Infantry Bde, 6th Australian Infantry Div, Australian Imperial Forces in North Africa, 1940-1941: desert training in Western Desert, Egypt, 1940; attack on Italian trenches during Battle of Bardia, Libya, 1/1941; attitude to use of bayonet in action; 'mateship' in Australian forces and question of group loyalties; capture of Tobruk, Libya, 2/1941; advance towards Agedabia and Mersa Brega and first contact with Deutsches Afrika Corps. REEL 2 Continues: contrast between Italians and German forces. Aspects of operations as private with 2/7th Infantry Bn, 17th Australian Infantry Bde, 6th Australian Infantry Div, Australian Imperial Forces in Greece, 3/1941-4/1941: formation of Aliakmon Line in northern Greece and its abandonment; fighting on Olympus Line and retreat to Kalamata; German Air Force attack on SS Costa Rica during evacuation of Kalamata to Crete, 27/4/1941; rescue of troops from stricken SS Costa Rica, 27/4/1941. Recollections of operations as private with 2/7th Infantry Bn, 17th Australian Infantry Bde, 6th Australian Infantry Div Australian Imperial Forces on Crete, Greece, 4/1941-5/1941: landing at Suda Bay, 4/1941; awaiting German invasion at Georgeopolis; orders not to react to German Air Force attack, 5/1941; description of fight against German paratroopers, 5/1941; nature of fighting around Galatas; character of German paratroopers. REEL 3 Continues: patrol work around Galatas; withdrawal to '42nd Street' position; participation in joint Maori-Australian bayonet charge at '42nd Street' position; effect of German Air Force attack on Australian trenches; nature of trek to Sphakia where unit formed rearguard. REEL 4 Continues: reasons why group deliberately delayed capture of Sphakia; how group of his comrades rowed to Alexandria, Egypt in ten days. Recollections of period evading capture on Crete, Greece, 5/1941-5/1942: in hiding with civilians at Klima; capture by Austrian Mountain Troops and period in Canea Prison; transfer to prisoner of war camp at Galatros; escape from camp; hiding in hills above Georgeopolis; trek inland with New Zealand comrade; meeting with Lieutenant Commander Francis Pool; role as runner in organising removal of stragglers by submarine; meeting with George Psychoundakis; how bout of malaria prevented him leaving Crete. REEL 5 Continues: recapture by Italian Army troops, 5/1942; meeting with Patrick Leigh Fermor; reasons for not taking part in partisan fighting. Aspects of period as prisoner of war on Rhodes Island, Greece, 6/1942: escape from captivity and stealing boat; recapture at sea by Italians; period in captivity on Rhodes Island. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Italy, 7/1942-9/1943: period as inmate in Campo PG 65, Gravina Altamura, near Bari and Campo PG 57, Grupignano, near Udine; escape from Campo PG 106. Vercelli, summer 1943; recapture on Swiss border; release from prison at Vercelli by Italian civilians, 9/1943. Aspects of period organising prisoner of war escape line in Italy, 9/1943-2/1944: setting up escape line; method of obtaining funds; capture by Germans, 2/1944. Aspects of period in San Vittore Gestapo Prison in Milan, Italy, 1944: treatment by Gestapo. REEL 6 Continues: sentencing to death for sabotage; how he escaped execution; escape from Gestapo custody to join Italian Partisans in Intra area; escape to Switzerland with partisan help. Aspects of period as officer with Italian Partisans in Italy, 6/1944-10/1944: return from Switzerland to join Italian Partisans; Italian Partisans temporary capture of Domodossola, 10/1944; his report that factory was making V weapon parts and his sending to GB; suspicion by British authorities of Marc Sala, a Italian who accompanied him to GB, 11/1944. Aspects of period organising prisoner of war escape line in Italy, 1943-1944: nature of escape line and elimination of Italian Fascists who attempted to betray it; mistake of mixing escape line with sabotage work; practical problems of running escape line. REEL 7 Continues: escape line problems.