243530 Rfmn. George Edward "Tubby" Evans British Army Rifle Brigade from:London My father George Evans served with the Rifle Brigade. He was taken prisoner in Libya 1st of April 1941 and was always known as 'Tubby' among his fellow POWs. I have the Army form sent to my mother listing him as being missing in action and then a further report dated 11th of May 1941 advising that he was a prisoner of war. He was held in several camps in Italy, finally escaping from Sulmona Camp 78 in 1943, walking the mountain passes and being assisted by locals to reach the allied captured region, this following the Italian surrender of 1943. Together with a fellow camp prisoner, a chap called Harry Short they made their escape and headed for the mountain passes. They were ahead of the coming winter snow but were continually pursued and avoided the German Army patrols who were then very active within the Abruzzi and Aquila regions. Each POW had a price on his head and any locals found helping them risked serious consequences. Even so, these local people helped many of them assisting them by hiding them and generally helping them on their perilous journey. Many of the boys from the camp I believe were re-captured and sent on into German POW camps including my dad's great friends Wally Green & Joe Onslow. I have a Kriegegefangenenpost card written by Joe to my dad from the German POW camp 9th August 1944 describing how he feels being incarcerated again and in far worse conditions. We later learned that if he and others had 'Laid off the Vino, they might be home with Tubby now'. I still have the Italian map he had at that time (very thin & worn) and a wooden rosary & beads given to him en-route by one of his helpers. He rarely spoke of this journey but spoke more about his time in the camps making lots of friends who lasted his lifetime all now sadly departed. I have a photograph taken in the camp and the names of the men are listed on the back. I believe Sulmona was the 3rd camp that my dad was contained within. It was considered I believe, to be a 'bad boys camp' and anyone who had made repeated attempts at escaping was also finally moved here because of its geographical location being regarded as escape-proof.
My dad had made 2 previous attempts at escaping from camps one I know was Foggia and I have a Christmas greetings message sent to my mother via the Vatican post listing his then camp number PG 102. I also have the War Ministry form sent to my mother dated 11th of November 1943 stating that he had reached Southern Italy and was safe within allied hands and would be sent back to the UK as soon as suitable transport could be arranged. He later came home via Liverpool on a troop ship with American Army personnel. I believe he and Harry had walked into American Army lines following their long trek homeward bound. My dad died in 1991. Oh so many questions I now wish that I had asked him. Now they have all gone. He made so many lasting friendships from that camp and these I remember throughout my childhood years so many of his friends visiting our home and the Christmas cards always being sent from so many. Harry (Lucky) Paxton, Richard (Chalky) White, Stan Evans.
Jock Devlin and another came to visit us after the war on a motorbike, few cars around in those immediate post-war days and several others whose names escape me, I was only a child myself. My dad had left for the North Africa campaign when I was a matter of months old and returned home when I was 4 years old. On the back of the photograph among his papers taken at the Sulmona camp 'A Souvenir Of Pow Days Italy 1942/43' among those listed and names that I can decipher: Stan Blakey RASC, A.E.Judd RB (he was in my dad's company and taken POW same time), Musgrove RA and Hinchcliffe RE.
|