Sergeant Samuel Scholes
Name: 6471852, Sgt. Scholes, Samuel.
Unit: 2nd Parachute Battalion.
Date of Birth: 10th September 1915.
Date of Enlistment: 13th June 1940.
Captured: 1st December 1942.
Escaped: 13th September 1943.
Peacetime Profession: Commercial Traveller.
Private Address: 46, Alderue Avenue, Sharston, Manchester.
1. Capture.
Near Tunis on 1 Dec 1942 while retreating from near Tunis. Source had to fall out with an ankle injury. He was sent back under cover to farm house and walked into German troops.
2. Camps in which imprisoned.
Tunis: 2 to 3 Dec 1942
Palermo, Sicily: 3 to 4 Dec 1942
Naples: 4 to 5 Dec 1942
Camp 66, Capua: 5 Dec 1942 to 25 Jan 1943
Capua Prison: 25 Jan to 2 Feb 1942
Camp 70, Monte Urano: 10 Feb 1942 to 13 Sep 1943.
3. Attempted Escapes.
Camp 66, Capua. Source and 27 others made an escape attempt by going through the sewer pipe. 13 got clean away but were later picked up. Source was caught whilst in the sewer. Two of the 15 captured in the sewer pipe were bayoneted in the back - Sgt. Hunt, 2 Parachute Regt. and Pte. Fogg, Commando. - but they recovered later. Pte. Perkins, 2 Parachute Regt. was wounded in the ankle. They got 30 days' detention, but later this was remitted owing to the fact of some Italian Princess's baby's birth.
Camp 70, Monte Urano. Several attempts failed owing to someone informing.
4. Escape.
From Camp 70, Monte Urano on 13 Sep 1943. Major Parkes, R.A.M.C. gave orders on 11 Sep 1943 that no one was to escape and that everything was under control, but on 13 Sep Source and Cpl. Craw, 2 N.Z. Ex Force, took advantage of a Rugby match and left the camp.
They made South to Porchia and there contacted English-speaking people who provided clothing and food. On 16 or 17 Oct 1943 they contacted S.A.S. Troops who had landed and were organising escapes. On 24 Oct 25 Ps/W and S.A.S. escaped by boat near Cupra Marrittima. The alarm was given and the remainder dispersed. They met an ex-Italian Officer who told them that escape from San Benedetta dell Tronto by boat was being planned. They eventually left San Benedetta on the night of 12/13 Nov 1943 and got to Termoli.
INTERVIEWED: 25 Jan 1944.
APPENDIX A.
(1) HELPERS.
20 Sep to 13 Nov 1943. GIOVANETTI (Nanni), San Benedetta-dell-Tronto, (Ex Alpine Officer - now member of "A" Force). Gave help in escaping and evading.
Oct to Nov 1943. Signor Filiberto FIDRONI, Porchia. Food and shelter.
do. CARMILLO CARLINI, Porchia. do.
(2) BLACK LIST.
Mar to Jun 1943. Pte. THOMSON, Unit unknown. Camp 70, Monte Urano. Suspect by Col. of R.A.M.C. as stool pigeon. Later removed to Working Camp in Jun 1943.
My thanks to John Howes for this report.