Gunner John Myers
National Archives catalogue reference - WO 208/3325/49
Name: 856460 Gnr Myers, John,
Unit: 175th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (Formerly 157th Field Regiment, 10th Indian Division).
Captured: Mersa Matruh, 29th June 1942.
Escaped: Ascoli, mid-June 1944.
Left: Naples, 22nd September 1944.
Arrived: Liverpool, 23rd October 1944.
Date of Birth: 6th July 1918.
Army Service: Since 10th July 1936.
Peacetime Profession: Regular soldier.
Private Address: 955 Bolton Road, Bradford.
1. CAPTURE.
I was captured at MERSA MATRUH on 29 Jun 42.
2. CAMPS IN WHICH IMPRISONED.
Hospital at TOBRUK Jun - Jul 42.
P/W Camp BENGHAZI Aug - Oct 42.
Campo 51 (ALTAMURA) Oct 42.
Campo 70 (MONTE URANO) Nov 42 - Sep 43
11 Nov - 2 Jan 44.
Campo 53 (MACERATA) 19 Dec 43 - 2 Jan 44.
ASCOLI Civil Prison 12 May - Jun 44.
3. ATTEMPTED ESCAPES.
I was in Campo 70 (MONTE URANO) (ITALY, 1:250,000, Sheet 25, S 7403) when I joined a party of about 20 men who were engaged on a tunnelling scheme. It took us twelve days to dig the tunnel, which ran from a marquee in which most of the men were sleeping, to a point just outside the camp. We hid the earth in Red Cross boxes under the men's beds. I can only remember the name of one of the men taking party - Cpl. CULL, H.L.I.
We left the camp by night, but the first man out found the guards waiting for him as he emerged from the tunnel and was immediately arrested. We were of the opinion that the scheme had been given away to the Italians by a P/W.
4. JOURNEY FROM CAMPO 70 (MONTE URANO).
At the conclusion of the Armistice with Italy the guards were removed, but we were forbidden to leave the camp. By 14 Sep 43 food was getting scarce, and I and Pte. BEATON, H.L.I., decided to escape. We picked a hole in the brick wall and got out. Shortly afterwards we heard people coming along the road and immediately hid ourselves. Just as they were passing us, BEATON jumped up and was immediately arrested by the carabinieri. I lay low for some time and then continued towards the foothills. Three days later I reached MONTELPARO (Sheet 25, X 6381) where I met a Commando, Pte. Samuel PARSONS. Just outside the town we were given shelter and civilian clothing by a farmer.
We left on 20 Sep hoping to reach the Allied lines. We travelled South for three days, making our way through MONTEDINOVE (B 6686) - CASTIGNANO (B 6682) and RIPABERARDA (B 6881). On 23 Sep we asked for shelter at a farmhouse, but were refused. We therefore decided to rest in a haystack, but about 0300 hours we were awakened by shouting. We managed to skip away unnoticed, and continued towards ASCOLI (B 67). At a point somewhere below MALTIGNANO (B 7470) we were overtaken by two German armoured cars and a motorcyclist. The two cars passed us by, but as the motorcyclist approached us he sounded his horn. We dropped tot he ground. I immediately doubled back, cut across the road and made for the foothills. As I reached the top of the slope I turned round and saw PARSONS being taken into one of the cars.
I returned to the farm at MONTELPARO where I remained from 25 Sep till 11 Nov. On that day I was arrested in the village by the Fascists together with Gnr. William JONES, R.A., who had been sheltering with another family in the area. We were immediately sent back to Campo 70 (MONTE URANO), where there were many re-captured P/W.
On 18 Nov the R.A.F. machine-gunned the camp, and whilst the guards were taking cover about 28 of us managed to get out. JONES and I swam the river and approached a farmhouse, where our clothes were dried. I then made my way back to the farm at MONTALPARO.
On 19 Dec the Fascists searched the house and arrested me. Thirteen other P/W were captured in the area at the same time. We were sent to Campo 53 (MACERATA) (S 61).
While I was here I joined an escape party with Pte. BOWMAN and five others. We removed the bricks from the outside wall of our hut and dug a tunnel through the snow which covered the ground. We escaped on the night of 2 Jan 44.
BOWMAN and I returned to MONTELPARO, when I went back to the farm on which I had previously stayed. I remained here till Mar, although I did at one time join a local band of patriots who were forced to disperse when their camp was attacked by the Germans. During this period also I made my way to SERNANO where I knew the patriots had their headquarters, and was given a considerable sum of money, from funds which had been dropped to them by the R.A.F.
On 21 Mar a small party of Fascists and Germans went to a house in MONTALPARO where they knew Sgmn. Sidney George SMITH, Royal Signals, was in hiding. He was finally caught and shot. The farm in which I was hiding was then searched, but, though they saw me, I managed to make good my escape through a window at the back. I reached MONTELEONE (X 6385) and spent the night at the farm. I then returned to MONTELPARO but left again immediately, as the people were very nervous.
When everything had quietened down, a few days later, I again was given shelter at the farm.
On 10 May I left MONTELPARO with Pte. John GIANELLA, Rifle Bde, for the Allied lines. The next day while we were resting at a farmhouse in MONTALTO (Sheet 29, B 68) the house was surrounded by Fascists and we were forced to give ourselves up. We were then taken to their headquarters for the night and the next morning were sent to the civilian gaol at ASCOLI (Sheet 25, B 67). There were many Italian political prisoners in the gaol, besides Greeks, Chinese, and about 24 Allied prisoners - Australian, American and British.
5. FINAL ESCAPE.
While I was here, a Yugoslav Army Major, who had been sentence to be shot for being in possession of a wireless transmitter, suggested that I approach one of the guards with money on condition that he got into touch with a band of patriots who were operating in the area and asked them to release us. When I was captured for the final time I had 59,000 lire on men, part of which I had acquired while working with the partisans and part of which had been given me by my helpers at MONTELPARO. 30,000 lire were taken from me when I was searched at ASCOLI, but I had managed to retain the remainder of the money. I accordingly approached a guard who was known to be pro-Allied in sympathy. He said he was willing to contact the partisans for the sum of 3,000 lire, which I immediately gave him.
Contact was made with a band of partisans operating near SAN VITO (B 6455), and a few days later they came down from the mountains. They held up the Italian guards, who put up little resistance, and forced them to release the prisoners, who walked out of the camp in pairs at five minutes intervals in order to allay suspicion. When it was my turn to go I left with an Italian prisoner and walked to the patriots headquarters at SAN VITO, where I again met all the Allied prisoners who had been in the gaol with me.
When we had all assembled, the leader of the band asked if we would help to capture ASCOLI. Everyone refused, except for Pte. TIPPING, K.O.R.R., and myself. We entered the town as the Germans were pulling out and were only able to take a few German prisoners. The next day a British advance guard under the command of Brigadier MACINTYRE, R.A., entered ASCOLI, and we immediately made contact with them.
I was ordered to remain in the town and did so until Aug, when I went round the area with the Field Security Section to help them in rounding up the Fascists. I left ASCOLI on my own on 8 Sep for NAPLES. When I arrived here I was sent to hospital. I left NAPLES for the U.K. on 22 Sep.