Signalman Arthur Wright Miller
National Archives catalogue reference - WO 208/3324/125
Name: 2340041 Sgmn. Miller, Arthur Wright.
Unit: 13 Corps Signals, Royal Corps of Signals.
Captured: Near Mersa Matruh, 29th June 1942.
Escaped: Near Terontola (Italy), 25th September 1943.
Left: France, 29th August 1944.
Arrived: U.K., 27th September 1944.
Date of Birth: 24th Mary 1918.
Peacetime Profession: Postal Sorting
Clerk.
Army Service: Since 2nd September 1939.
Private Address: 34 Lincoln Avenue, Stretford, Manchester.
1. CAPTURE.
I was captured near MERSA MATRUH on 29 Jun 42.
2. CAMPS IN WHICH IMPRISONED.
TOBRUK 2 - 3 Days.
DERNA
5 Days.
BENGHAZI
2 Days.
CAMPO 91 (AVEZZANO) Mid Jul 42.
WEST END LAGER (MUNICH) Jul - Aug 42.
CAMPO 91 (AVEZZANO) Aug 42.
CAMPO 78 (SULMONA) Aug 42 - Sep 43.
3. ATTEMPTED ESCAPES.
Nil.
4. LEFT CAMPO 78 (SULMONA) (ITALY), 1:250,000, Sheet 29, G 9483).
After the Armistice with ITALY the Italian guards left, but we remained on in the camp till 10 Sep 43. On that day the whole camp was marched out in an orderly way to the mountains. The S.B.O. asked those men belonging to the R.C.S. to lay a wire from the camp to the main road and another from the camp to a point in the mountains so that a warning of the approach of the Germans could immediately be given to the men waiting in the mountains.
5. RECAPTURE AND FINAL ESCAPE.
It took us two or three days to lay the wire from the camp to the road, but the Germans arrived before we were able to finish the job. I was captured on 15 Sep together with about 2,000 men.
We were taken back to the camp where we remained till 24 Sep when we left by train for GERMANY. We were put into a cattle truck and the following day (25 Sep) we managed to unscrew the frame holding the window bars. We remained the glass and then replaced the frame. The same night several of us escaped through the window. I was the fourth to go. I escaped just before the train reached TERONTOLA station (ITALY, 1:250,000, Sheet 34, R 3905). I walked into the mountains to a point above TUORO SUL TRASIMENO (R 4404) where I got work on a farm for three months. I remained here for this length of time as I thought that the British would soon reach this point.
On 25 Dec I met Cpl. COOPER, South African Army, who was making his way South and joined him. We crossed the river TIBER at PONTE PATTOLI (W 7299). We skirted most of the towns and villages and eventually reached VERCHIANO (Sheet 24, B 0983) in Jan 44. We remained in the district until May as the weather was very bad.
In Feb we set out again for NORCIA (B 2656) where we met several British officers, among them being Lt. O'BRIEN, R.E., and Lt. K. LAWLER (Regiment unknown), Lt. David CAMPBELL, R.A.O.C. and a South African, Pte. EATWELL, Transvaal Regiment. We were asked to join the partisan group which these officers formed in the mountains, which we did. We were sent out in parties to try to collect the names of any British soldiers hiding in the neighbourhood. We remained operating with this group until May 44. During this period Pte. EATWELL and Lt. CAMPBELL were caught by the Germans and shot at NORCIA. Lt. LAWLER was captured.
The group became disorganized and so I decided to try to reach SPAIN with Pte. HEPPENSTALL, 2 N.Z.E.F., and two South Africans Pte. DELILE and Pte. DEVILLEIRS. Shortly afterwards we split up into two parties and I continued North with HEPPENSTALL towards the French border. On the way we met Lt. Richard BUSKIN (Regiment unknown) who was unable to walk and was sheltering with some partisans.
At the beginning of Aug we reached BOBBIO (Sheet 8, H 5703). On the border we contacted a British parachutist who advised us to remain near the FRANCO - ITALIAN border once we had crossed into FRANCE. We crossed the frontier near COLLE DE LA CROCE and joined the F.F.I. in GUILLESTRE (Sheet 14, O 47). We remained working with the F.F.I. till 26 Aug when we made contact with the Americans at BRIANCON. We were immediately sent down to the coast and about 29 Aug we sailed for NAPLES.