Captain Anthony (Tony) Steven No. 89383 of the Royal Tank Regiment, was captured on the Gazala Line and spent time in camps:-
- Capua, PG 66;
- Rezenello, PG 17;
- Fontanellato PG 49;
- Stalag 337 at Mantova;
- Stalag VIIA at Moosburg;
- Mähr Trubah Oflag VIIIF
- and finally Oflag 79 at Brunswick.
His Diary gives many details of the food, provisions, people, ranks, nationalities, Red Cross parcels and life in the camps, including being:-
Liberated by Sgt. Jacob of “C” Troop, 125th Cavalry Regiment, U.S. 30th Division, 9th Army, 21st Army Group,
at Oflag 79, Brunswick on Thursday April 12th 1945 at 0930 hrs.
“Captured at 1000hrs on the morning of the 5th June 1942 by the German 21st Armoured Div, whilst attacking a position 2 kilos East of the 150 Bde position in the Gazala Line. Taken by Germans to an Italian HQ N’Singale on the afternoon of the 5th. Handed over to the Italians and stayed the night at this Berseglieri HQ. Morning of 6th moved to Derna after being searched at Timimi on the way. Arrived at Derna evening 6th left for Barce morning 8th arrived the same evening. Moved to Bengazi afternoon 14th. Left Bengazi by air for Italy on 18th arriving at Lecce airfield in Southern Italy on the same day. Stayed one night in a tobacco factory at Lecce. Left by train for Capua on the afternoon 19th.
Arrived at Capua on the morning 20th taken to Camp P.G 66, stayed at Capua until 30th Nov then moved North to Campo 17 at Rezenello 10 miles SW of Piacenzia. Moved to PG 49 on 30th March 1943 at Fontanellato 10 miles E of Parma, remained there until the Italian capitulation 8th Sept ’43.
Free in Italy until being recaptured in Piacenzia on 17th Dec, stayed one night at the fascists HQ in Piacenzia, Taken to the citadel in Parma and handed over to the Germans on 18th Dec. Taken to Stalag 337 at Mantova on 22nd Dec. Left Mantova by train for Germany on 28th came through the Brenner Pass and arrived at Moosburg Stalag VIIA on 30th. Moosburg is 30 miles from Munich.
Left VIIA on 21st Jan 1944 and arrived at Mähr Trubah Oflag VIIIF on 26th Jan. Mahr. Trubah is near the Chech frontier in the protectorate between Prague and Breslau. Left VIIIF on 29th April. Arrived Oflag 79 3 kilos from Brunswick on May 1st. Liberated by U.S. 9th Army, April 12th 1945.”
Included in the Diary were stories and references relating to:-
- ROQUES, Lt. V.J. (known as “Posty”)
- CARR, Lt. Norman
- COLBECK, John
- TUFNELL, Tom
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 