Sergeant Henry William McInnes
Name: 1488383, Sjt. McInnes, Henry William.
Unit: 1st Special Air Service.
Date of Birth: 9th February 1908.
Date of Enlistment: 17th October 1939.
Captured: 17th December 1942.
Escaped: 10th September 1943.
Peacetime Profession: Goldminer.
Private Address: 5, Brighton Place, Portobello, Midlothian.
1. Capture.
South of Tripoli on 17 Dec 1942 at 1500 hrs. While watching for enemy transport in order to mine at night they were spotted by enemy O.P. and surrounded by armoured cars.
2. Camps in which imprisoned.
In transit through North Africa.
Camp 75, Bari: 31 Dec 1942 to Mar 1943.
Camp 85, Tuturano: Mar to Jun 1943.
Camp 78/1, Sulmona: Jun to 10 Sep 1943.
3. Attempted Escapes.
From Camp 85, Tuturano in Jun 1943. Tried to get out of sewer with S.M. May, N.Z., but was betrayed.
4. Escape.
From Camp 78/1, Sulmona on 10 Sep 1943. Source got through the wire and went up into the hills.
He was with Sjt. Maj. May, 2 Bn N.Z.F. who escaped successfully.
From Sulmona they went across the mountains to Palena, Trivento and Palata. They met British Troops south of Palata, on 13 Oct 1943.
They were on foot for the whole journey and obtained food and shelter from farmers. One farmer dyed Source's battledress black.
Names of helpers handed in to 2 Bde. S.A.S. at Termoli, but now forgotten.
INTERVIEWED: 13 Jan 1944.
My thanks to John Howes for this report.