Lieutenant Richard Crawsney Partridge
National Archives catalogue reference - WO 208/3324/166
Name: 153980 Lieut. Richard Crawsney Partridge.
Unit: 1st Battalion The Welch Regiment, 4th Indian Division.
Captured: Benghazi, 29th January 1942.
Escaped: Italy, 24th September 1943.
Left: Naples, 8th October 1944.
Arrived: U.K., 23rd October 1944.
Date of Birth: 14th February 1920
Army Service: Since 25th October 1939.
Peacetime Profession: Farmer.
Private Address: Pencraig Fawr, Llanhennock, Caerleon, Newport, Monmouth.
1. CAPTURE.
I was captured at BENGHAZI on 28 Jan 42.
2. CAMPS IN WHICH IMPRISONED.
CAMPO 66 (CAPUA) Feb 42.
CAMPO 35 (PADULA) Mar 42 - Jun 43.
CAMPO 19 (BOLOGNA) Jun 43 - 11 Sep 43.
3. ATTEMPTED ESCAPES.
(a) During the summer of 1942 we made a tunnel at CAMPO 35 (PADULA). This tunnel was about 80 yards long, and ran beneath the floor of a room, ending in a cornfield. We divided ourselves into two parties. The first party of 13 got away, but was recaptured about a fortnight later. Lieut. CONTAN, Royal Engineers; Lieut. Terence MUIRHEAD, Essex Regt; and I were in the second party, and were unable to get away, as the Italians found the tunnel after the first party had escaped.
(b) During the summer of 1943 we began another tunnel under the canteen floor in CAMPO 19 (BOLOGNA). The tunnel ended in a small chamber, but before it was completed the Armistice was declared. The guards refused to let us out of the camp, and by the time we managed to get the gates open, the Germans had surrounded the place.
There were 12 of us in the tunnel party, and we cut cards for the six lucky ones who were all the underground chamber would accommodate. The six were:- Lieut. CROSS, Worcestershire Regt; Capt. BLACKMAN, Lieut. HARRIS, Royal Engineers; a Russian Paratrooper Lieut. Peter (? NAUMOFF) (surname forgotten), myself, and one other officer who backed out at the last moment. The five of us hid in the tunnel chamber for 30 hours. Then the heat and the stuffy atmosphere drove us out. We got through the tunnel into the canteen and then out through the broken wire under cover of darkness. This was 11 Sep 43. We split up into parties, and the Russian and I headed for PIMINI, wearing civilian clothes which we obtained from the local people. We were both caught by the Carabinieri at BRISICHELLA (ITALY, 1:250,000, Sheet 19, M 21). After two days in the cells we were handed over to the Germans in FORLI (Sheet 19, M 41). We stated we were private soldiers, and we were taken to the Artillery Barracks in BOLOGNA where we worked in the armoury. Our party of 45 worked on rifles, and we arranged to remove the bolts from every other rifle we handled. This was done successfully, and we were also able to steal tools. After a week we were put on a train for GERMANY.
4. ESCAPE.
We managed to remove the ventilators from the closed truck in which we were travelling, and on the night of 24 Sep 43 Pte. MOORCROFT, South African Forces, and I jumped off the train near TREVISO (Sheet 6, F 67) and went into the mountains.
On 5 Oct 43 we got in touch with two Italian Partisan officers near CONGELIANO (Sheet 6, B 60). They took us to a hut in the mountains. One day a Scots Sgt. Major (of 68 Bow Street, GLASGOW) arrived from the partisan H.Q. at BRESCIA (Sheet 7 C 41). He was on his way to UDINE (Sheet 7, C 41) with a message to be sent to the U.K. by wireless, asking for arms to be dropped by air. He continued towards UDINE, and I sent Pte. MOORCROFT to BRESCIA to tell the partisans that the Sgt/Major had got through safely. This was the last I heard of either of these two men. I went to MIANA (Sheet 6, B 50) to join an Italian Colonel who, with Capt. John HESLOP (N.Z. Forces), led a band of 50 Allied ex-P/W. Later the 11 Italian officers of this band were caught by S.S. Troops, and were taken to BOLOGNA and there shot. The Germans found all our papers and documents, and we had to move quickly. We all split up and I went on alone to PIELUNGO (Sheet 7, C 1743) where I arrived on 26 Dec 43. For three months I was given shelter by a rich Italian who was living at SAN VITO AL TAGLIAMENTO (UDINE) (Sheet 7, C 10). He had helped many other escaped P/W.
At the end of Apr 44 I joined a communist band and went back to MIANE to look for Capt. HESLOP, whom I eventually found living in a hut in the woods. He was being supplied with food by the local people. I went on to [?]PEZZO (Sheet 7, C 0759) and operated with the "GARIBALDINI" for two months. We blew up railways and made several attacks on German garrisons. With an Italian Lieut. of ALPENI I formed a battalion 200 strong, but after a short time I left them, as I had heard that a British Major "BECKETT" had been dropped by parachute near PIELUNGO. He was with a non-communist band called "BRIGATA OSOPIO". When I had talked with the Major he decided that I was to go to BARI via YUGOSLAVIA and report on my experiences.
On 8 Jun 44 I set off with a party of ten South African and British. We travelled on foot, crossing the river TAGLIAMENTO and then to CIVIDALE DEL FRIULI (Sheet 7, C 53). We crossed the River AZONZO at CAPORETTO (Sheet 7B, C 63), thence to CHIAPOVANO (Sheet 7B, C 81) where we spent a day at the SLOVENE 9th Corps H.Q. We met two officers of the British Military Mission. From CHIAPOVANO we went to SAN PIETRO (Sheet 7B, J 1576), then skirting POSTUMIA (Sheet 7B, J 18) we crossed the frontier into YUGOSLAVIA at the "PICCADILLY CLUB" at the end of Jul 44. From here we were evacuated by air on 27 Aug 44 and flown to BARI. I was sent to MONOPOLI (Sheet 38, P 76) for interrogation by No.1 Special Force, and saw Colonel WILKINSON and Lieut. BROWN. I spent five days in MONOPOLI.
During the month I spent in BARI I saw Major ASHFORD RUSSELL, 315 F.S.S., who wired to LONDON for permission for me to take a wireless set and return to work in the districts in which I had been living. This permission came through, but by that time he said that the scheme was not worth pursuing, owing to the changed Allied positions. Major ASHFORD RUSSELL said that he would wire to the War Office for someone to see me, and he has recommended me for the Intelligence Corps.
I sailed from NAPLES 8 Oct 44 and landed at LIVERPOOL 20 Oct 44, disembarking on 23 Oct 44.