anzac POW freemen in europe

Introductory Guide / Site Map

 

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Welcome Letter

Introductory Guide / Site Map "Putting Up The Sign Posts"
A.  Map of European Prison Camps
B.  Rationale
C.  Methodology
D.  Definitions
     1.  POW?
     2.  POW "Free Man?"
     3.  POW "Freedom Fighter?"
E.  Structure
F.  Narrators
G.  Formations of AIF
H.  Prologue - Ruin Ridge - El Alamein, July 29, 1942

PART ONE - "Missing in Action - Believed POW" - Middle East
"What was it like to be a POW Daddy?"
Preface & Summary

Chapter 1 - Becoming a POW
Narrators - Doug Baker; Ron Crellin; Ted Faulkes; Lt Barney Grogan; Jim Kinder; Ted Kent; Jim Wilson

Chapter 2 - Being a POW
A.  Health and Hygiene
B.  Food
C.  News
D.  Entertainment

Chapter 3 -  The Geneva Conventions and Protocols covering POW

Chapter 4 - Transportation of POW
A.  By Sea - "Chakdina"; "Nino Bixio"; "Jason" - Mediterranean
B.  By Land - "The Moosburg Express" and other trains - Europe

Chapter 5 - Italian Prison Camps for ANZACS
A.  PG 78 Sulmona (Officers)
B.  PG 57 Udine/Gruppignano (Other Ranks)
C.  PG 106 Vercelli (Other Ranks below the rank of Sergeant)

Chapter 6 - Italian AIF POW Casualty List (Incomplete)

PART TWO - Escape of ANZAC POW from Italian Prison Camps to neutral Switzerland - "I don’t like the look of those bloody high mountains"
Preface & Summary

Chapter 1 -  The Italian Armistice September 1943

Chapter 2 - Confederatio Helvetica

Chapter 3 - The Hague Conventions and Protocols governing the conduct of neutral countries in times of war

Chapter 4 - Neutrality: Swiss Style

Chapter 5 -  The Yankees are coming!

Chapter 6 - The Swiss "Camp" at Adelboden

Chapter 7 - Adelboden/Wildegg: The Richner Family

Chapter 8 - Capt. Jack Kroger, his AIF Officers, and the "Swiss Composite AIF Half-Battalion"

Chapter 9 - Christmas in the Snow

Chapter 10 - SOE and its activities in Switzerland - Frank "Butch" Jocumsen and John Peck

Chapter 11 - The Bombing of Schauffhausen by the USAAF

Chapter 12 - The Role of Diamonds: Diamonds are the Swiss Best Friends

Chapter 13 - Love knows No Borders - POW Marriages in Switzerland

Chapter 14 -  Autumn Again

Chapter 15  - Repatriation - Farewell and Thanks for the Hospitality

Chapter 16 - Home via Naples and Bombay for most - via Eastbourne in the UK for some

Chapter 17 - Official Report on the AIF in Switzerland, by Capt. Jack Kroger - Senior AIF officer

PART THREE - The RAAF in Switzerland - Abstract from AIF POW Nominal Roll" "The Intrepid Alpine Airmen - Some in their flying machine"
Preface & Summary, The 13 RAAF "Evade" and the 3 RAAF "Internees" in Switzerland
"Evades" and "Internees"

PART FOUR - Full Nominal Roll of all AIF "Free Men" in Switzerland
The Swiss AIF POW’s "Whose Who" -  Which blokes made it to Switzerland?"
Preface & Summary

Chapter 1 - Nominal Roll of AIF POW in Switzerland:
By Alphabetic Surname
By Service Unit
By Australian State
By Date of Arrival in Switzerland

Chapter 2 - The Sixth Division POW in Switzerland
 a. 16th Brigade - 2/1st Bn.; 2/2nd Bn.
 b. 17th Brigade - 2/6th Bn; 2/7th Bn.
 c. 19th Brigade - 2/4th Bn; 2/8th Bn; 2/11th Bn.

Chapter 3 - The Seventh Division POW in Switzerland
 18th Brigade - 2/9th Bn;2/10th Bn;2/12th Bn.

Chapter 4 - The Ninth Division POW in Switzerland
 a. 20th Brigade - 2/13th Bn.;2/15th Bn.;2/17th Bn.
 b. 24th Brigade - 2/28th Bn.;2/32nd Bn.; 2/43rd Bn.
 c. 26th Brigade - 2/23rd Bn.;2/24th Bn.;2/48th Bn.

Chapter 5 - Support Troops POW in Switzerland
 a. Gunners -2/1st RAA; 2/3rd LAA; 2/3rd A/Tank;2/26th A/Tank;2/2nd MG
 b. Sappers - 2/1st RAE; 2/3rd RAE; 2/7th RAE; 2/1st Field Workshops
 c. Pioneers - 2/1st Pioneers; 2/3rdPioneers
 d. Supply - 6 Div. AASC; 9 Div AASC
 e. Signals - 9 Div. Signals
 f. Medics - 2/5th AGH; 2/8th Field Ambulance; Attached AAMC
 g. Headquarters - 9 Div HQ

PART FIVE - Other AIF POW European "Free Men" in addition to those in Switzerland. "Another AIF POW Composite Half-Battalion Behind Enemy Lines Elsewhere in Europe?" Preface & Summary

Chapter 1 - Italy

Chapter 2 - Yugoslavia

Chapter 3 - The Balkans & Central Europe

Chapter 4 - Greece

Chapter 5 - Crete

Chapter 6 - Turkey

Chapter 7 - Germany and Austria

Chapter 8 - The British Free Corps

PART SIX - Incomplete Nominal Roll and Casualty List of the AIF POW "Free Men" in Europe. "We Shall Remember Them". Preface & Summary

Chapter 1 -  #1 Reception Camp Eastbourne

Chapter 2 - Operation Liddington

Chapter 3 - Incomplete Nominal Roll & Casualty List of POW from various units, who either escaped and returned to Allied Lines, reached Switzerland or another neutral country, remained underground in enemy occupied territory, became "Freedom Fighters" with local partisan groups, were repatriated by the IRC or died on active service from various causes in the European theatre of war during 1939 - 1945.

Summing Up

Epilogue

Reference Material

References

Glossaries & Abbreviations
AIF
German
Italian

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