Private Eric Morris
National Archives catalogue reference - WO 208/3325/60
Name: 14203771 Pte. Morris, Eric.
Unit: 1st Battalion The East Surrey Regiment, 78th Division.
Captured: Near Tunis, 3rd December 1942.
Left: Marseilles, early October 1944.
Arrived: Liverpool, 2nd December 1944.
Date of Birth: 28th March 1923.
Army Service: Since 19th February 1942.
Peacetime Profession: Storeman, G.P.O.
Private Address: 54 Felixstowe Road, Edmonton, London, N.9.
1. Capture:
I was captured near TUNIS on 3rd December 1942.
2. Camps in which imprisoned:
Campo 98 (SICILY) Dec 42 - Jan 43.
Campo 66 (CAPUA) Jan 43 - Mar 43.
Campo 59 (SERVIGLIANO) Apr - Jun 43.
Working Camp at TRINO attached to Campo 106 (VERCELLI). Jun - 9 Sep 43.
3. Attempted Escapes:
Nil.
4. Left Working Camp (TRINO) attached to Campo 106 (VERCELLI):
In Sep 43 I was at a Working Camp near TRINO (ITALY 1:250,000, Sheet 9, J 53). At the conclusion of the Armistice the Italian guards left the camp, and the next day (10 Sep) I set out with another private (name unknown) with the intention of reaching the vine-growing district, where we hoped to find work until the British troops arrived.
The same day we approached a farm at VALBASCHERA, near TRINO, where the farmer suggested that we should work for him, which we did. He provided us with civilian clothing and paid us 50 lire a week. Towards the end of Oct he became frightened, as the whole village knew of our presence, and asked us to go.
We set out again and crossed the river PO by ferry, but were unable to find any work in the district beyond the river, and as the people were definitely unfriendly we decided, after three days, to return to the area we had recently left.
We re-crossed the river PO by the bridge near TRINO and at MORANO SUL PO (J 5635) we met an Italian who was collecting food for the partisans and decided to join forces with him. He took us to a farm nearby, where we remained for three days. We were then taken into the town, where we spent the night and were provided with new civilian clothes and shoes. The next morning we caught the train to VERRES (J 0994) from where we were taken by car to BRUSSON (Sheet 2, D 1404). There we met the partisans.
We remained in the mountains above BRUSSON for five weeks helping the partisans. Here we met about 20 British soldiers, among whom were Gnr. PALMER, R.A. and Pte. KITTO S.W.B. About the middle of Dec the camp was attacked, and we were forced to disperse. I left with a party of five, which consisted of KITTO, PALMER and two Australians, for GRESSONE (D 2113) where we remained for a few days. During this time our food consisted entirely of chestnuts. We then continued on to BAJO DORA (ITALY 1:100,000, Sheet 42, 1876) where we were given shelter at an hotel for six weeks.
At the end of Jan 44 the Fascists began a house to house search of the district and we were again forced to leave. We contacted an Italian helper, who arranged for us to go to a house in the mountains near ANDRATE (ITALY 1:250,000, Sheet 9, J 2377). About mid Feb, I left on my own with the intention of returning to the farm at VALBASCHERA. I was caught in a snowstorm, however, and was forced to seek shelter at a small village called PLANE, near BOLLENGO (J 2872) where I remained for two weeks. At the end of Feb I continued my journey to VALBASCHERA, which took me two days. On arriving at the farm I was informed that the Germans had recently captured many British soldiers working on the farms in the area, and was told to go away.
I returned to ANDRATE, where I remained for a week, after which I and my four companions went back to the hotel at BAJO DORA. The day after we left ANDRATE the Fascists visited the house where we had been staying and questioned our hostess concerning our whereabouts. In spite of the fact that her hair was cut off and her face burned with cigarettes, she refused to tell them where we had gone.
At the end of Mar we returned to ANDRATE to fetch our kit, which had been hidden in the house, and the next day KITTO and I went to stay with my former hostess at PLANE. We remained here till Sep. During this time I was taken ill with appendicitis and was cared for by my hostess and a doctor from a neighbouring town.
At the beginning of Oct we joined a party of about 15 Australians and New Zealanders at SALA (J 2775). Shortly afterwards we contacted an Italian officer wearing American uniform who told us to move to PERLOZ (J 1888) where we would be met and conducted across the border into FRANCE.
We set out on 26 Oct with six Italian guides travelling via PONTE SAN MARTINO (J 1686) to COGNE (Sheet 8, H 57) and thence to VAL D'ISERE (H 57) where we crossed over the border. We made contact with American troops on 1 Nov at the first small village we came to in FRANCE (name not remembered).
From here we were sent to AIX and then MARSEILLES which we left about 14 Nov for the U.K. via NAPLES.