Newby, E
Eric Newby
Information provided by Karen Bonatti:
I just read a book by Eric Newby, entitled “Love and War In the Apennines”. He was a prisoner at PG 49. I read it because my father lived in Fidenza at the time, and helped 3 British prisoners for a time. They were hiding in a ditch on my father’s uncle’s farm; my father would whistle “South of the Border” to let them know it was him, and bring them food and wine. A man named Harry Spence (I believe he was a captain in 1943) continued to write to my father throughout his life, and recommended the book to him, saying it was “all about our escape from Fontanellato”. Was PG 49 the only camp in that area? One of the other men was a Captain Benson, and he mentions someone named Reggie. They may be the same person, but I have no idea. In one of Harry’s letters he mentions a “secret war diary” which he apparently donated to the War Office. Some quotes:
23/10/43 Left Benson in chalet and went south with Neil Stanford of the 17/21 Lancers.
27/10/43 Captured by Italian fascists at Tizzano by Signor Pattinati of ill fame. 1700 hrs Taken to Parma and handed over to the Germans. Ransom of 2800 lire paid to Pattinati.
17/10 to 1/11/43 The Citadel Parma
1/11/43 By wagon to transit camp at Mantua where I stayed for a little time before going to Moosburg then on to Brunswick* my permanent home.He also mentioned that Eric Newby and his wife, Wanda, were “rapidly
becoming TV stars”. This was in 1985. No doubt a result of the books he wrote.There appears to be no record of who was held there. That’s what I was hoping to find!
* The town of Braunschweig was known to English-speaking allies as Brunswick.
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