Italian soldiers captured in Greece and Albania arrived in Australia on 13th October 1941 on the Queen Mary into Sydney. A number of Italian officers from the Greek Campaign arrived in Sydney on the Queen Mary’s previous voyage: 16th August 1940.
Unfortunately, these Italian prisoners of war, due to clerical processing oversights, are not clearly identified. It is difficult to know how many Italians from the Greek Campaign arrived in Australia. It appears that they were processed as prisoners of war in Egypt and the clerical staff recorded their place of capture as LIBYA. Some Italian soldiers must have requested the addition of Greece or Albania, so we have this confusion: Place of Capture- Libya (Greece) or Libya (Albania).
A special thank you to Giulia Sigon. Her nonno Vinicio Sigon was the impetus for me to delve into this theatre of war.
2nd Lieut Raimondo Uda serving with the airforce was captured on 30th July 1940: Antichitera Greece.
Italians Invade Greece
At 3 p.m. on Monday 28th October 1940, Italian troops crossed the border into Greece. In the first18 hours the Italians captured one small border town, but the Greeks counter attacked and advanced eight miles into Albania.
On 30th October 1940, the newspaper reported Italy’s invasion of Greece: with the headlines: Italy Invades Greece, Duce’s Ultimatum Rejected.
On 30th October 1940 2nd Lieut Francesco Tieri an accountant serving with the 18th Regiment is captured
On 1st November 1940, Gino Volpi 2nd Lieut, a student from Firenze is captured.
On the 3rd November 1940, Gabriele Masulli a mechanic from Portenza is captured in Greece.
On 7th November 1940, Captain Alfredo Moricone from Ascoli Piceno is captured.
Reported 7.11.40
ITALIANS’ SLOW PROGRESS IN GREECE SHATTERS AXIS PRESTIGE
LONDON, Wednesday
Greek artillery is shelling Korca from the heights, six miles to the south of the city… The newly captured heights mentioned in today’s Greek communique- are believed to be south-west of Korca.
Yugoslav reports state that the Greeks captured a bridge on the Bechlista-Korca road above the Devoli River. The Greek advance in this sector was resumed after consolidating the positions beyond Bechlista, and attacks were continued throughout the night. Monastir, a point on Lake Presba, where the Yugoslav and Greek frontiers meet, was again bombed to-day, but there were, no casualties.
1940 ‘ITALIANS’ SLOW PROGRESS IN GREECE’, Glen Innes Examiner (NSW : 1908 – 1954), 7 November, p. 1. , viewed 19 Sep 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article178545565
Antonio Damiani serving with an Alpine division is captured on 10.11.40 as is Luigi Mattei a Doctor, Corrado Celbrin, Ventruino Bacchschi Infantry.
Corporal Giovanni Bassignani with the 42 Fanteria is captured at Tepeleni on 13th November 1940.
Reported 21.11.40
The War in Greece Italians on Defensive
Threatened Supply Line Threatened
LONDON, November 12.
Latest reports of the fighting between the Greek and the Italians disclose that the Greeks have consolidated their positions on the centre front. It is also reported that Italian attacks on the Macedonian front have been repulsed.
The weather is clear on the Greek-Albanian frontier and the battle is still raging on the heights of Coritza. A Greek official statement claims farther successes in the air, Greek bombers being reported to have blown up ammunition dumps. The report also claims the further capture of Italians.
A message from Athens states that the smashing of the Italian Alpine divisions in the Pindus sector is considered an important victory. Italian generals pinned their hopes in the Alpine divisions being able to penetrate the Pindus mountains… The main Italian offensive against the Greek centre has been liquidated one week after the date set by Mussolini for the triumphal entry of Italian troop into Athens. The Italian drive against Salonika from Korca has also been flung back.
Only 8000 Alpine troops out of 12,000 escaped the Greek trap. A relieving infantry column was also routed.
1940 ‘THE WAR IN GREECE’, The Central Queensland Herald (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1930 – 1956), 21 November, p. 15. , viewed 19 Sep 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75441236
Giovanni Brondo was captured in Albania on 26th November 1940. On the 29th November 1940, Raffaele Carrozzo and Giovanni Formasieri were captured. On 30th November 1940, Pietro Lazzarin, Alfredo Bianchi, Pietro Bruscagin, Giuseppe Bellon were captured in Greece while Angelo Fattorello was captured in Albania.
Reported 7.12.40
3 ALBANIAN TOWNS FALL TO GREEKS
ARGYROKASTRON, last of the main bases from which the Italians launched troops for the invasion of Greece, fell to Greek troops yesterday, completing a black week for the Italians. Premeti on the Voyusa River, north of Argyrokastron, fell on Wednesday, night and Santi Quaranta, the seaport base in the south-west was occupied just before Argyrokastron. This straightens the Greek line’ in the southern sector.
In the northern sector the westerly wing of the Greek Army, operating
from Koritza and Pogradetz, has pushed into Albania’s main oil
territory, the valley between the Skumbi and Delvino rivers.
1940 ‘Black Week For Italians’, Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 – 1954), 7 December, p. 1. , viewed 19 Sep 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48366880
Between 9th December 1940 and 23rd February 1941 the following soldiers are captured:
Vinicio Sigon (Nevizze). Luigi Cremaschi, Angelo Crippa (Pogredes), Riccardo Minari, Rodolfo Morelli (Pogradecci), Rocco Dolci, Francesco Lima, Primo Facchielli (Progradecci), Bettino Betti, Vitale Bartalucci (Pogradec), Adriano Bergamini (Goriza), Lodovico, Mario Barollo, Nello Avanzini (Nevizze), Luigi Di-Filippo (Clisuro), Gino Grandi (Chiusure), Gaetano De Mario, Antonio Pignatelli (SPI-Camarate) Donato Di Gregorio (Clisuro), Armando Continenza (Tepelene), Giuseppe Curti, Francesco Bernardini, Ezio Giorni, Alfredo Bellini, Pietro Franco, Gaetano Pavone, Giovan Battista De Gandenzi
Reported 3.3.41
SNOW ON THE BATTLEFIELDS
With mountain battlefields covered by fresh snow and hidden in storm clouds, and with visibility nil, operations in the Telelene area have been seriously hampered.
Ousted-from strongpoint after strongpoint and reeling back under the hammering of Greek artillery and the relentless pressure of tireless Greek infantry, the Italians once again found the weather an ally when they needed it most.
On battlefields a mile above sea-level snow once again lies deep, shrouding unburied dead and covering shell-scarred slopes and ridges with a mantle of dazzling white. Biting winds like blasts from the Arctic howl down ravines, and it is cold-bitterly, terribly cold.
Pack-mules slip on mountain paths treacherous with ice. Soldiers find snowdrifts five feet deep in front of their posts, making movement well-nigh impossible. Artillery observers trying to watch the enemy’s lines from positions carefully selected, can see nothing but a blanket of impenetrable fog.
It has been raining heavily for days. The Drinos and Aoous rivers are running bankers…
ITALIAN MORALE LOW
The Italians badly needed the respite the weather afforded them. Despite a stiffening of reinforcements of Bersaglieri and Blackshirts fresh from Italy they had lost position after position, and there had been convincing evidence that their morale was very low.
I saw a paper which was taken from a dead Italian officer. It was a long general order, exhorting Italian soldiers not to abandon their arms on the battlefield. The order stated: “Guard the arms which have been entrusted to you by the Fatherland. Cherish your cannons, machine-guns, and rifles. Those who abandon them are cowards and traitors. The enemy will use weapons you leave on their field of battle against you and your brothers.”
Considering the quantity of material of all kinds the Italians invariably jettison when defeated, the order was not without point.
The Greeks are using not only hundreds of Italian lorries, but Italian cannons, mortars, machine-guns, hand grenades, and even rifles captured since the war began.
I also saw papers found on a lieutenant colonel who was captured in this sector some days ago, when the Alpine battalion he commanded was smashed in a Greek attack. They included an order to captains of companies stating that it had come to his attention that men were surrendering and abandoning their lines. The colonel ordered the captains to post men with automatic rifles, with orders to fire on any soldier attempting to surrender
or retreat.
Prisoners frequently tell me they have been machine-gunned by their own troops when attempting to surrender. They say that this task is usually given to Blackshirts, who are posted to the rear of the front line.
1941 ‘SNOW ON BATTLEFIELDS.’, The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), 3 March, p. 10. , viewed 19 Sep 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17728649
The shaded section of the map indicates the territory now in Greek hands. Progress of the fighting since the Italians invaded Greece in October is also shown.
1941 ‘HISTORY OF ALBANIAN CAMPAIGN’, Examiner (Launceston, Tas.: 1900 – 1954), 17 March, p. 1. (LATE NEWS EDITION), viewed 19 Sep 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52408671
From the 1st March to the 17th March 1941, the following men have been taken prisoners: Albertin Almerino (Monaster), Calligari Angelo, surgeon Boldrini Walter (Albania Pesdani), Graneri Lazzaro, Gaiassi Eugenio, Fraschini Bruno, Cacciamali Giovanni and Gabrieli Stefano (Telepeni) Tancredi Domenico (Albania Anivinocasit) Benzoni Bartolo, Giuseppe Gentile, Michele Locantore (Greece/Albania)
For a more comprehensive account:
Il Fronte Greco was published in February 1942.
Footprints of Italian Prisoners of War in Australia 