POW’s

Their Stories

Under this heading I hope to add stories (or links to the appropriate sources) that I have discovered in relation to (hopefully) each Prisoner of War (POW) that I am able to identify as being incarcerated at PG 49 at Fontanellato.

As the men and their stories unfold, I hope to add them here to help build a picture of life in this Prison Camp, known as PG 49, at Fontanellato, and the moments that led to their capture and subsequent release into the Italian Countryside at the time of the Armistice, as well as their efforts to reach the safety of Allied Lines advancing from the south or the sanctuary of Switzerland to the north.

Shown below is a list of British Indian Army Prisoners recorded as being in Camp No. 49 that I have compiled from this magnificent page sent to me in the very early days of my research by the very inspirational Dennis Hill, author of the truly excellent Camp 59 Survivors, without whom this Weblog would never have been attempted.

List of World War II prisoner-of-war camps in Italy – Wikipedia

Extracted from the page above are the first POW’s that I was able to identify as having been in PG 49 at Fontanellato, including the 4 Indian Army “Musketeers” I have HIGHLIGHTED who I, later in my investigations, established had got together at “The Bund” after the mass exodus from Camp, before setting off on their extraordinary “Journeys to Freedom”.

BROWNE, N.Q.
Indian Army
Capt./907.AI/4 G.R.

BRUEN, E.J.D.
“Paddy” Bruen
Indian Army
Lt./IA.1254/6 Rajput R.

DAVIES, S.H.
Indian Army
Capt./EC. 799/2 Punjab R.

DEROZHINSKY, D.
Indian Army
Capt./EC.422/5 Mahratta L.I.

DUNCAN, W.W.
Indian Army
Capt./EC.830/10 Baluch R.

FINCH, R.J.
Indian Army
Capt./687.AI/12 F.F.R.

FRASER, I.M.
Indian Army
Capt./AI.1056/13 F.F. Rif.

GLOVER, W.
Capt./E.123824/I.A.O.C.

GOLDINGHAM, M.J.D.
Mike “The Forger” Goldingham
Indian Army
Lt./EC.3512/18 Cav.

LEACH, E.R.
Indian Army
2/Lt./EC.775/I.A.C.

MEARES, J.
John Meares
Indian Army
Capt./662.AI/I.A.C. (18 Cav.)

PHILIP, J.
Indian Army
EC.1797/7 Rajput R.

SMITH, R.J.
Indian Army
Capt./EC.1240/4 G.R.

STEPHENSON, A.T.
Indian Army
Capt./760.AI/18 R.Garh.Rif.

WALKER, J.M.P.
Indian Army
2/Lt./EC.1283/I.A.C.

WERNER, R.L.H.
Indian Army
Capt./EC.189/4 G.R.

WILLIAMS, R.N.D.
Indian Army
Capt./1093.IA/4 G.R.

WILLIS, A.G.R.
Andre Graham Romain Willis
Indian Army
2nd Lt./EC. 1357/11 Sikh R.

Source: Prisoners in Italian Hands (Indian Army) – British Officers

This page was one of many Dennis had been sent by his friend Brian Sims included with this document below, IMPERIAL PRISONERS OF WAR – ALPHABETICAL LISTS: ITALY, which had 9 SECTIONS starting with Section 1, British Army (the whole document being over two hundred and sixty pages in length), which contained the names of thousands of British and Allied prisoners of war, along with their ranks, service numbers, and the military units to which they belonged.

ITALY: IMPERIAL PRISONERS OF WAR (ALPHABETICAL LIST) Section 6 – Indian Army started at page 217 and 218 of the 267

And page 219, which preceded page 220 in which my father’s name appeared, provided a Key to the Abbreviations to all Ranks (Officers and Men) of the Indian Army.

Indian Army Abbreviations

• A.I.R.O. – Army in India Reserve of Officers.
• I.A.C. – Indian Armoured Corps.
• Ind. Arty. – Indian Artillery.
• Ind. Engrs. – Indian Engineers
• Madras S. & M. – Madras Sappers and Miners.
• Bengal S. & M. – Bengal Sappers and Miners.
• R. Bom. S. & M. – Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners.
• I.S.C. – Indian Signal Corps.
• 1 Punjab R. – 1st Punjab Regiment.
• 2 Punjab R. – 2nd Punjab Regiment
• 5 Mahratta L.I. – 5th Mahratta Light Infantry.
• 6 Raj. Rif. – 6th Rajputana Rifles.
• 7 Rajput R. – 7th Rajput Regiment..
• 8 Punjab R. – 8th Punjab Regiment.
• 9 Jat. R. – 9th Jat Reginebt.
• 10 Baluch R. – 10th Baluch Regiment.
• 11 Sikh R. – 11th Sikh Regiment.
• 12 F.F.R. – 12th Frontier Force Regiment.
• 13 F.F. Rif. – 13th Frontier Force Rifles.
• 14 Punjab R. – 14th Punjab Regiment.
• 15 Punjab R. – 15th Punjab Regiment
• 16 Punjab R. – 16th Punjab Regiment.
• 17 Dogra R. – 17th Dogra Regiment
• 18 R. Garh. Rif. – 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles
• 19 Hy’bad R. – 19th Hyderabad Rifles.
• 1 G.R. – 1st Gurkha Rifles.
• 2 G.R. – 2nd Gurkha Rifles.
• 3 G.R. – 3rd Gurkha Rifles.
• 4 G.R. – 4th Gurkha Rifles.
• 5 R.G.R. – 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles, F.F.
• 6 G.R. – 6th Gurkha Rifles.
• 7 G.R. – 7th Gurkha Rifles.
• 8 G.R. – 8th Gurkha Rifles.
• 9 G.R. – 9th Gurkha Rifles.
• 10 G.R. – 10th Gurkha Rifles.
• R.I.A.S.C. – Royal Indian Army Service Corps.
• I.M.S. – Indian Medical Service
• I.M.D. – Indian Medical Department.
• I.H.C. – Indian Hospital Corps.
• I.A.M.C. – Indian Army Mediacl Corps.
• I.A.O.C. – Indian Army Ordnance Corps.
• A.R.D. – Army Remount Department.
• I.A.P.C. – Indian Army Pioneer Corps.
• I.G.S.C. – Indian General Service Corps.
• Ind. Post. Serv. – Indian Postal Service.