POSTS
Home by Christmas? – edited by Ian English
I first started dabbling with Family Research back in 2008 when I became curious about my partner Rex’s family origins in that his family name was Blanchette, which clearly sounded very French to me, and he had indicated when we first met that the only thing he had heard about his origins was that mention…
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COLLINS, G.J.H.D. (Geoffrey) – Major
When I first started to find stories written by Servicemen who had been POW’s during World War II, I was immediately disappointed that I had never come across anything put in writing by my father. That’s not to say that he didn’t put pen to paper, but I’ve certainly not found anything so far and…
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VICKERS, T.D. (Tom) – Lieutenant.
When I first found out that my father had been a POW in PG 49 at Fontanellato I immediately recalled that, during my childhood, he had briefly talked about living in the hills with an Italian family during a brief period of his wartime experience. But I knew nothing of how this had come about…
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BLIGH, H.K.H Lieutenant
Hubert Kenneth Henry – 92415 (R.E.) I am so thrilled to be hearing from both English and Italian relatives who are finding that my little project is both interesting and informative. Recently I was contacted by a Patrick Bligh who had also been researching his father Lt. H.K.H. Bligh who had also been a Prisoner…
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27th January 1942 – The Fall of BENGHAZI
On 27th August 2023 I ordered two books from the Naval & Military Press which I had posted to my brother Graham’s address in Sussex and, on my arrival there a month or two later, he was able to present me with a remarkable find. In January 1942, during World War II, Benghazi in Libya…
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1st July 1942 – DEIR EL SHEIN
I can’t recall exactly when but, sometime before my father died on 5th December 1998 and whilst he was still mobile (possibly in the 1980’s or 1990’s?), I vaguely recall asking him if he would like to visit the Western Desert on one of the Tours that were becoming popular for veterans and families. I’m…
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OLDHAM, Lieutenant Graham Francis.
Military Cross. Officer Commanding 18th Indian Infantry Brigade Signal Section. WWII. Western Desert Campaign. Published citation: In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the field. No recommendation—For his conduct at Deir el Shein on 1 July 1942 in the First Battle of El Alamein during theWestern Desert Campaign prior to being captured when the…
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1945-2025: 80 Years of Liberation to Celebrate Together
In January 2025 I was pleased to receive the following notification from the Monte San Martino Trust. The Trust is pleased to be working with the London branch of the Italian Partisan Association (ANPI) who are planning an event on 25th April, being the 80th anniversary of Italian Liberation. Given the special anniversary, the Trust hopes to…
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NARA 2
N.A.R.A. and the Allied Screening Commission – Looking for VAJENTI or PONZI? When attempting to search for the identity of the anonymous soldier associated with the ANON Post that I had stumbled upon on the Internet, my first instinct was to look at the N.A.R.A. website which was in the process of digitising the Allied…
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ANON. plus DE CLERMONT, Patrick Howard Voltelin (Part 2)
Set out below is the text written by the anonymous author of the story that had been posted by the creator of The Pegasus Archive who I contacted to establish if he had any further information contained in the Exercise Books that he had been given access to by Ambrogio “Getto” Ponzi that might help…
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PG 49 at Fontanellato in Italy - The Story of allied servicemen who were held prisoner of war in this town in Italy in World War II 