Sergeant Frederick Thomas Lockett
Name: 5050498, Sgt. Lockett, Frederick Thomas.
Unit: 2nd Parachute Battalion.
Date of Birth: 20th February 1921.
Date of Enlistment: 3rd May 1939.
Captured: 2nd December 1942.
Escaped: 15th September 1943.
Peacetime Profession: Driver.
Private Address: Woodbank, Penkridge, Staffs.
1. Capture.
At Oudna, Tunisia, on 2 Dec 1942. Source was trying to capture an aerodrome and got surrounded.
2. Camps in which imprisoned.
In transit in North Africa.
Camp 98, Sicily: 3 to 29 Dec 1942.
Camp 66, Capua: 1 Jan to 5 Feb 1943.
Camp 59, Servigliano: 7 Feb to 15 Sep 1943.
3. Attempted Escapes.
Nil.
4. Escape.
From Camp 59, Servigliano on 15 Sep 1943. The Germans were coming into the camp and Source got through a hole in the wall.
Source was with three others:
Sgt. Knight, T.H., 2 Hamps (Report No: S/P.G./MISC/INT/373)
Cpl. Jones, R.A.M.C.
Sgt. Edwards, 2 Hamps.
Cpl. Jones and Sgt. Edwards were left at Montefalcone.
From Servigliano they went on foot to San Vittorio and Montefalcone where Source stayed with a farmer for two months as Sgt. Edwards was ill with gastritis. The latter left Source and went to a Monastery. Source proceeded to Amandola and met British paratroops (Capt. Power and his batman) with whom they went to the beach at San Benedito to get a fishing boat. None were available. Capt. Miller, R.A.M.C. was in the party, and speaking Italian, he managed to find a Fascist Officer who told them where there was a motor boat. Eventually they got the engine of the boat going, with the assistance of two Italian youths and arrived at Termoli on 18 Nov 1943.
INTERVIEWED: 25 Jan 1944.
APPENDIX A
(1) HELPERS.
20 Sep to 14 Nov 1943. Francesco VALLORANI, Farmer, Monte Falcone, Prov. Ascoli Piceno. Sheltered Source and gave him food.
My thanks to John Howes for this report.