WEAVER, Claude

Warrant Officer Claude WEAVER (R.83374) D.F.M. and Bar was a Pilot in the R.C.A.F., although he appears to be an American Citizen as, in the National Archives catalogue (ref: WO 208/3315/6), he provides his home address as 1201 N.W. 38th Street, Oklahoma, U.S.A.

His record clearly shows that he was a Spitfire Pilot with 185 Squadron, Middle East Command, R.A.F., shot down over Sicily and moved from various Camps in Italy via Comiso, P.G. 50 at Poggio, then P.G. 21 at Chieti before being moved on to P.G. 49 at Fontanellato in March 1943.

He then claims to have, after 3 months at P.G. 49, “managed, by special request, to get myself sent back with other Americans to P.G. 21 at Chieti. I arrived back there about the middle of June 1943”. This ties in with the request made by Lt.Col. Sam Agee to have American internees transferred to an American Camp.*

The National Archive provides detail of his Escape from P.G. 21 Chieti on 17th September 1943:-

Lt.-Col. RIDEOUT and I escaped from CHIETI early on the morning of 17 Sep. By that time the Germans had entered the camp. The Senior British Officer had given the all-clear, and the Italian guards had largely deserted. We went over two layers of wire and a 6 foot wall. We were challenged once from one of the raised sentry boxes (I think by a German), but we pretended to be drunk, called out “Amigo”, and were not fired at.

We wore British battle dress, and little blue skull-caps. We were posing as Spanish workmen. Our passes had been forged by Lt. GOLDINGHAM and the photographs used on them had been taken by the Italians in Campo 21. We were wearing blue battle dress tunics when photographed, but we pared the photographs down to show only part of the collar. The passes were over-stamped BRENNO-INTRETA.

In addition, we each had a tracing from a silk map obtained in the camp, and home-made compasses. We intended making for the 8th Army on the East side of ITALY.

We covered 17 miles Southward across country on the morning of 17 Sep. On the evening of 17 Sep we reached FARA S. MARTINO (EUROPE AIR MAP 1:250,000, Sheet CHIETI), which we found full of European civilian internees. We were given 100 lira by a Russian woman. Two Italian youths wanted to attach themselves to us, in the hope of reaching the Allied armies with our assistance. We decided that the assistance should be mutual. We left FARA on the evening of 17 Sep and were guided over fields by the two youths to an electrified railway station, where we caught a train at 0400 hrs on the morning of 18 Sep. On the train we exchanged clothes with some Italians, who were glad of our warmer battle dresses. We left the train at VILLA S. MARIA (EUROPE AIR MAP 1:250,000, Sheet FOGGIA) at 1300 hrs on 18 Sep, and at 0200 hrs, reached AGNONE, where we slept in straw stacks outside the town.

On 19 Sep we walked all day to S. ELLENA. On 20 Sep we by-passed CAMPO BASSO, where we learned German Staff were installed, and walked to near RICCIA.

On 21 Sep we went on to MOTTA (N. of VOLTURNO). At this point we decided to push on without our guides. At 1400 hrs on 23 Sep we had reached a position just East of LUGERA from where we could see FOGGIA. We heard that FOGGIA was still in German hands. We had acquired by now shepherds’ crooks, floppy hats, and a great growth of beard.

At noon on 24 Sep we reached MELFI, where we heard that the Allied Forces were at LA CAPISCOLA, some 20 miles distant. We decided to push on, but between MELFI and RIONERO I sprained my ankle. We saw some German patrols along a railway track. I struggled along for about three miles and we reached RIONERO and broke into an empty house.

RIDEOUT went out to scrounge for food and then started off through the German lines to get help for me. He was back within 12 hours, bringing with him a mile which he had obtained from two Canadian engineers. I rode on the mule into LA CAPISCOLA on 25 Sep with RIDEOUT from whom I then parted.

I was taken to 8th Army H.Q. I was interrogated by several Intelligence and Staff officers on General MONTGOMERY’s staff.

On 27 Sep I was flown to MALTA where I was interrogated and taken before Air Vice-Marshal PARK. I was kept in MALTA about a week in a rest camp and was then allowed to rejoin my squadron, where I did some practice flying. On 6 Oct I received instructions to return to U.K. I was four days in ALGIERS where I was interrogated by Major HOLDER and Colonel HUFFER (Combined Allied H.Q.) and P/W Centre, C.S.D.I.C. I flew to U.K. in a Fortress, leaving ALGIERS on 14 Sep.

I have not included W/O Claude WEAVER in my Roll Call for P.G. 49 as he was not present at the time of the Italian Armistice when the 600 POW’s were released into the Italian countryside.