Description
Object description
Italian NCO served with Special Armoured Bde, Libyan Tank Command, Italian Tenth Army in North Africa, 6/1940-1/1941; prisoner of war in Libya, Egypt and Camp 27, Ledbury, GB, 1941-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Mantua, Italy, 1921-1939: family circumstances; father's reaction to GB being considered as enemy state; education; reasons why he volunteered for Italian Army, 1938; story relating to his attitude towards Blackshirts; character of Benito Mussolini's welfare policies; Italian's attitude towards Austrian and Germans; Italian attitude towards Jews; behaviour of Blackshirts; state of Italian Army during 1930s.
REEL 2 Continues: attitude towards Germans treatment of Jews and Italians. Recollections of operations as NCO with Special Armoured Bde, Libyan Tank Command, Italian Tenth Army in North Africa, 6/1940-1/1941: quality of NCOs compared with officers; role during initial action against 2nd New Zealand Infantry Div in desert; opinion of Carro Armato M13/40 Tank; conditions for Italian Army infantry, troops; finding dog; camouflaging tanks in sand; attitude to fighting in desert; movements from Tobruk to Bardia, Libya, 1940; withdrawal to Tobruk, Libya; siege conditions in Tobruk Libya, 1940-1941; air activity over Tobruk, Libya; effect on morale of withdrawal of Italian Air Force; ceasefire at Tobruk, Libya, Christmas, 12/1940; artillery barrage at start of British forces attack on Tobruk, Libya, 21/1/1941.
REEL 3 Continues: reasons for his decision not to fire on advancing Allied forces at Tobruk, Libya, 21/1/1941-22/1/1941; chaos in Tobruk; move to Italian Red Cross centre and what he found there; surrender to Australian Army troops. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in North Africa, 1/1941-8/1941: mass transfer of prisoners of war to makeshift camp; Italian Air Force bombing of camp; arrival of medical services and mass burial; meeting between Australian and Italian brothers; behaviour of drunken Australian Army troops; living conditions in camp, 1/1941-4/1941; method for drinking urine; move to Alexandria, Egypt; living conditions in camp; relations between prisoners of war and Polish guards; move to Suez, Egypt; role in organising work parties.
REEL 4 Continues: reaction of some prisoners of war to his role; reason for being chosen to go to GB. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in GB, 9/1941-12/1941: voyage aboard HMT Duchess of Richmond from Suez, Egypt to Liverpool, GB, 9/1941; arrival in Liverpool, 9/1941; move to camp in Sheffield; first contact with family. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in No 27 Camp, Ledbury, GB, 12/1941-4/1946: description of early stages in camp; organising work parties; reaction to potential escaper; camp orchestra and theatre; effect of Marshal Pietro Badoglio's take over in Italy and removal of fascists from camp; type of work done by prisoners of war and pay; change in prisoner of war clothing after the fall of Benito Mussolini's fascist regime.
REEL 5 Continues: drainage work carried out in Ledbury area; story of how he was trusted with shotgun to shoot birds; new opportunities for work after fall of Benito Mussolini's fascist regime; distinction between terms co-operators and collaborators; pay for work; attitude towards non-fraternisation policy; meeting with future wife Sybil; reasons for engagement on route to Italy; life in camp, 1945-1946. Recollections of period as civilian in Italy, 1946-1947: reasons for wanting to return temporarily to Italy; reception in Naples; character of train journey through Italy; reunion with family in Mantua.
REEL 6 Continues: voting for Popular Democratic Front; his father's demand for recompense for son's 'suffering' during Second World War; background to return to GB, 1947; types of work he took; return to Ledbury, GB, marriage and subsequent career. Reflections on military service and period as prisoner of war in Second World War: question of nationality; question of Italian forces' fighting reputation; story of reaction of Italian prisoners of war to sight of hanging of Benito Mussolini's corpse in Milan, Italy.
REEL 7 Continues: Additional material: Interview by Jane Williams of BBC Hereford and Worcester entitled 'Dad's Prisoner of War Epic', 13/11/1998.