ESCAPE IN ITALY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 273, 18 November 1943, Page 3

ESCAPE IN ITALY

THREE N.Z. OFFICERS PASSED FOR ITALIANS (Special Correspondent—N.Z.P.A.y Recd. 6 p.m. London, INov. 16. It was only a small Italian town, but there were Germans everywhere. They held up a train loaded with Italians and walked round staring at the Italians haughtily. Once one German stpoped and stared at a group. Two or three Italians said politely, "Bon giorno” (good morning). A German strode disdainfully past the Italians, who grinnod at one another. Those ‘ltalians” were LieutenantColonel C. D. A. George and Captain D. Gerard, both of Wellington, uno Flight-Lieutenant R. D. Campbell, of Opunake. They had escaped from Modena camp and were en route to find the Eighth Army. After many adventures they crossed through the German lines.

Lieutenant Campbell is now in London. His adventures began on January 6, 1941. He was piloting a Blenheim, one of nine which took off from Athens to bomb the port of Valona, in Albania. They made a low-level attack, but. an Italian fighter knocked out Campell's port motor and then set fire to his starboard motor. He crash-landed In the sea safely, but broke his left leg just above the ankle when his aircraft hit the water. He and his Yorkshire rear-gunner. Raymond Appleyard, began to swim for the shore. The navigator, who could not swim, had a lifebelt. He was later picked up by an Italian destroyer which evidently could not see Campbell and Appleyard because of a heavy swell.

When they reached shore an hour and a-half later, they had to climb a cliff 400 feet high. It took them six hours, and then an Albanian peasant woman found them. After much discomfort, they spent six weeks in Tirana Hospital, and then were separated, Campbell eventually going to Modena camp, where there were 22c New Zealanders and many South Africans. When the Germans entered the camp on September 9 after the armistice with Italy was announced, Lieutenant Campbell, Lieutenant-Colonel George, Captain Gerard, and a Scotsman decided to escape. Jhey threw small bags of food over the barbed wire and dived after them. They were lucky when a German guard with a tommy-gun was changing a clip and was unable to fire at them. They ran for two and a-half miles and then hid in a maize patch. There they found seven Italian deserters who had made up their minds to go to Rome, so the New Zealanders joined them, changing into Italian peasant clothes. It took them 41 days to find the Eighth Army. Sometimes they rode in trails and at other times they walked 200 miles. The first part of their journey was made on a train packed with Italians. They were on ;he roofs, on the engine, and everywhere they could find room. Campbell sat on a buffer, George on a gangway, and Gerard on the roof. They reached Pescara after what seemed a year’s travelling, and later took a train towards the middle of Italy. Finally, they walked the rest of the way through the German lines. Sometimes they picked grapes and at other times tramped grapes with their bare feet In wine-presses. Sometimes they helped to make macaroni. Once they met a charming woman, who gave them 1000 lira, tins of food, a box of cigars, the 8.8. C. news and a good meal. Once they walked for 21 hours With only a break of two hours. Another time they walked for 18 hours.

Through the German Lines. When Campbell’s and George’s boots wore out they persuaded an Italian to steal two pairs from the Germans. It took them eight hours .j cover the last two miles through the German lines. Fortunately, the Germans had not formed a real line then, but were in groups. There was also lighting going on all around them at the time, so the Germans were probably too busy to notice them. Filially they swam the Biterno River and then celebrated getting through the lines by eating a slab of New Zealand ration chocolate produced by George. When they reached the Eighth Army they were challenged by a sentry. they shouted out, "Don't shoot. We are British.” The sentry took one look and said, "You look like prisoners of war,' 'and then, without saying anything else, put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a handful ol cigarettes. Later, they were flown to Cairo, from where George and Gerard are setting out for New Zealand. Campbell was flown to London. He was walking down the Strand, and he could hardly believe his eyes when he saw Rav Appleyard, who had escaped from another Italian camp. Appleyard also trvelled the length of Italy. They almost embraced, to the surprise of passers-by, and then fittingly celebrated. Campbell expects to be returning to New Zealand shortly.