Lieutenant Eric Davies
Name: 207782. Lieut. E. Davies.
Unit: 2nd Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment.
Born: 9th December 1918.
Service: Since 18th January 1940.
Home Address: 50, Oxberry Avenue, Fulham, S.W.
1. CAPTURE.
Source was engaged on Exercise PIGOT on 9 Jul 54 and when about 5 miles off the coast of Sicily his glider was ditched. As 6 men could not swim source and the other members of the crew swam and pushed the glider towards the shore. An Italian motor launch came out and took them prisoner, slightly SOUTH of AUGUSTA.
2. CAMPS IN WHICH IMPRISONED.
LENTINI Town Prison
PIAZZA ARMERINA
MESSINA
Camp 66, CAPUA: 16 Jul - Aug 43.
Camp 19, BOLOGNA: Aug - 8 Sep 43.
3. ATTEMPTED ESCAPES.
(1) Source attempted to escape during an air-raid on the seaplane base when he was first captured but got chained to another P/W for a few hours as a result.
(2) Whilst in LENTINI Town Prison he tried to escape over the prison wall but was recaptured.
(3) During the trip to MESSINA source planned to escape by cutting the canvas of the truck. A hole was cut but discovered and he cut it again only to be found out once more.
(4) Whilst at Camp 66 CAPUA, source occupied his time planning to escape and assembling escape kit. He managed to cut the wire with Capt. LASH but the guards discovered the hole before they had time to use it.
(5) Source and Capt. LASH worked on a tunnel started by Lts. BROOKE-JOHNSON and Capt. WEIR, S.A.S. at Camp 66, CAPUA, but they were moved to Camp 19, BOLOGNA when only a few feet remained to be excavated.
4. ESCAPE.
Camp 19, BOLOGNA, 9 Sep 43. The Germans surrounded the camp and took it over. Source and Lt. SHEPHERDSON, D.L.I. went to the back of the camp and found a gap in the inner barrier of wire. With the assistance of Brig. MOUNTAIN, the S.B.O. the sentry was persuaded to open the gate and the party got out. They hid in a wood as the Germans were searching it, and whilst trying to cross a railway line they were fired on but managed to hide in a field of high crops.
They journeyed on to ST. LAZZARO, where food, civilian clothes and money were obtained. They went by train via IMOLA, MONGHIDORO to CASTEL DEL RIO, and an Italian couple obtained their tickets. They got another train to FIRENZE and there boarded the train to ROME. Italian helpers obtained railway tickets for them and they continued by train to a few miles from CISTERNA DI LITTORIA.
In the area of PRIVERNO source left Lt. SHEPHERDSON who had bad feet and decided to await the arrival of Allied Troops.
Source walked on to CASTRO, PICO, ESPERIA, swam the R. CARIGLIANO and met American Troops at STATIGLIANO on 18 Oct 43. On the night of 18 Oct 43 source went back through the German lines to make a recce. of ROCCAROMANA for a possible enemy counter attack. He was nearly taken P/W by the Germans but managed to crawl back to the American lines. American Artillery bombarded a farm where a German Platoon were dug in as a result of source's recce.
COMPILED FROM A STATEMENT BY LT. E. DAVIES: 29 Apr 44.
APPENDIX A.
[Date] Unknown. Lucio ATTANASIO, (FU MICHELE) Charcoal-burner, ROCCAROMANA, NAPOLI. Supplied source with food, clothes, shelter and information for 3 weeks.
END.
A more detailed account of Lieutenant Davies' escape can be read here, which includes a report on his second escape report after being taken prisoner at the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944.
My thanks to John Howes for this report.