The Greatest Escape in Italy
To go beyond the wire was to leave the camp in which prisoners of war had been
held for perhaps three days, three months or even three years. For the first
time the servicemen tasted freedom: the power to act, speak and think freely.
But this was only the beginning. On the horizon of the
camp there should have been advancing Allied troops. Planners in London said
that there would be and issued a stay put order. Instead, there were only Germans
and Fascists. The escapers had to choose the right road to get them home. The
wrong one meant recapture and a journey in a sealed railway cattle truck to
a prison camp in Germany.
The greatest escape in Italy was at PG 49 Fontanellato.
Over 500 POWs marched out at noon on 9 September 1943, just ahead of a German
column sent to take over the camp. Among the Italians who helped the escapers
were the author's mother and grandparents.
'Beyond the Wire' covers the experiences of the escapers from PG 49 and other
camps. A secret army of civilians and members of the Resistance helped the
fugitives. As a result, over 17,000 former POWs were able to cross to Switzerland
or to reach Allied forces within Italy. This new book is full of true stories
of personal courage.
These are the chapters:
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