Italian generals after 1943 in Poland

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chrish
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Italian generals after 1943 in Poland

#1

Post by chrish » 11 Dec 2003, 21:51

I am looking info on italians generals who was murdered by Germans (alternatively died in nazi POW camp) after italian capitulation in 1943 in Poland. I know 10 names:

Vacano (murdered 31.1.1945)
Balbo Bertone Samuele (murdered 31.1.1945)
Trionfi (murdered 31.1.1945)
Spattaco Carlo (murdered 31.1.1945)
Andrioli (murdered 31.1.1945)
Alberto de Agazzio
Di Griorgio Umberto
Armelini Chiappi
Rodolfo Torresan
Francesco Arena

Does anyone knows what he doing during war (assignment, military career, photos etc)?

Thanks in advance.

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Steen Ammentorp
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#2

Post by Steen Ammentorp » 04 Jul 2005, 20:00

My apologies but I allow myself to bring Chish's interesting question up again in the hope that someone might have information on the subject.

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Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II


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GLADIVM
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#3

Post by GLADIVM » 05 Jul 2005, 08:02

I am researching the same topic and at the moment can post only some fragments of info but hope that soon will be able to get a better picture .

For now what I can is :
(sorry if from now will write in capital letters , is not for lack of respect but do not know other means to highlight my additions )

Vacano (murdered 31.1.1945) THE RIGHT NAME IS VACCANEO ALESSANDRO , BRIGADIERE MURDERED BY THE GERMANS AT SELCHOW ON 28-01-45
Balbo Bertone Samuele (murdered 31.1.1945) BALBO BERTONE EMANUELE BRIGADIERE ALSO KILLED ON 28-01-45 AT SELCHOW
Trionfi (murdered 31.1.1945) TRIONFI ALBERTO BRIGADIERE , SAME FATE AND DATE AS ABOVE
Spattaco Carlo (murdered 31.1.1945) SPATOCCO CARLO GENERALE DI CORPO D'ARMATA SAME FATE AND PLACE AS ABOVE
Andrioli (murdered 31.1.1945) ANDREOLI GIUSEPPE BRIGADIERE SAME FATE AND PLACE AS ABOVE
Alberto de Agazzio ALBERTO DE AGAZIO BRIGADIERE , DIED OF SICKNESS AT SCHOKEN CAMP DURING WINTER 44/45
Di Griorgio Umberto DI GIORGIO UMBERTO GENERALE DI CORPO D'ARMATA DIED OF SICKNESS AT SCOKEN CAMP DURING WINTER 44/45
Armelini Chiappi GENERALE CORPO D'ARMATA DIED OF SICKNESS AT WALLESTEIN HOSPITAL ON 04/11/44
Rodolfo Torresan GENERALE DI DIVISIONE DIED OF SICKNESS AT WALLESTEIN HOSPITAL IN WINTER 44/45
Francesco Arena BRIGADIERE WAS KILLED BY RUSSIANS ( DO NOT KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES ) AT ROSKO BY RUSSIAN IN APRIL 45

TO LIST SHOULD BE ADDED THE FOLLWING GENERALS WHO DIED DURING CAPTIVITY OR SOON AFTER :

- BRIGADIERE UGO FERRERO KILLED BY GERMANS AT SCHLOPPE ON 28-01-45
- BRIGADIERE DAVIDE DUSMET DE SMOURS DIED AT SCHOKKEN CAMP OF SICKNESS IN WINTER 44/45
- GENERALE DI DIVISIONE GUGLIELMO SPICACCI DISAPPEARED AT POSEN IN SPRING 45
- GENERALE DI DIVISIONE CARLO TESSORE DIED AT HOSPITAL LUBLIN IN APRIL-MAY 45 AFTER BEEN RESCUED BY RUSSIAN .

sources are the book Lager 64/Z by Carlo Unia and a magazine article apparead long time in Italy and for all these infos must thank a dear friend who happen to be the grandson of one of the generals inprisoned by the germans .

Yours

GLADIVM

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Steen Ammentorp
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#4

Post by Steen Ammentorp » 05 Jul 2005, 08:22

Thanks Gladivm,

Wonderful information! Just small questions, when you use the rank of brigadiere do you then mean generale di brigata? I am asking knowing that brigadiere was a sergeant rank in the CC.RR and others.

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Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II
Last edited by Steen Ammentorp on 06 Jul 2005, 08:22, edited 1 time in total.

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GLADIVM
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#5

Post by GLADIVM » 06 Jul 2005, 05:06

Yes I mean Generale di Brigata

Yours

GLADIVM

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Steen Ammentorp
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#6

Post by Steen Ammentorp » 06 Jul 2005, 14:58

Thanks again!

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Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

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Steen Ammentorp
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#7

Post by Steen Ammentorp » 18 Jul 2005, 20:07

GLADIVM wrote: - GENERALE DI DIVISIONE GUGLIELMO SPICACCI DISAPPEARED AT POSEN IN SPRING 45
Hi Gladivm,

I thought that you might want to know that I have just received some information on general Gugliemo Spicacci by some of his relatives. Included in the material sent to me was copies of:

1. Gli ufficiali di S.M. caduti in Guerra / by Comando del Corpo di Stato Maggiore. Rome, 1954.

2. I Generali Dell'Esercito Italiano caduti nella seconda Guerra Mondiale / by. Generale Guido Boselli. Rome, 1949. (I am going to get that one!)

Number one gives the date of death as 10th of January 1945. Number two say January 1945. Neither gives the circumstances of his death though number two claims that he was murdered. In another copy, I am unsure of the publication but it is given as Il Borghese, 17th December 1959 (a journal?), is claiming that he died during a transfer to Bergen-Belsen:
Qui mori, o fu "soppresso" durrante una marcia di tranferimento, da Bergen-Belsen in altro campo


No date though!

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Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

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GLADIVM
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#8

Post by GLADIVM » 19 Jul 2005, 08:02

" Il Borghese " was a magazine quite popular till the 70's . it had a strong right wing leaning and was famous for its castigating of bad habits of the Christian Democrats and their allies .

I also have a few more infos about the generals >

On 21 Juanuary 45 , the germans evacuated Shockken camp , in one of those infamous marches , in order to avoid the generals to be " liberated " by the advancing Red Army .
They left behind 27 generals , too sick to be moved . These high officers were liberated by the russians on 26 January when they reached the camp .

All the other generals were compelled to leave the camp on foot and accompained by their german escort started a long trip which will eventually bring them to Lukenwalde , some 60 km south of Berlin .
The column Geloso from the name of the Italian most senior officer arrived , crossing some desolate polish landscape , at Selchow on 26 Jan 45 and during the night started again their journey .
A group of 17 generals decided not to continue the march , knowing the russians to be nearby and remained in hiding till the column left the village . They hoped to be safe and that had just to wait the arrival of the polish partisans or russian forces ., but unfortunately a group of retrating SS was informed of their presence in the village and compelled them to join in the reatreat and during the march towards german lines killed five of the generals , no general tried to run away or opposed resistance so the killing was done just out of cruelty .

The group was composed by

- Gen Corpo d'Armata Spatocco , the first one to be killed by the SS in the early hours of 28 Jan 45
- Gen di Divisione De Blasio , ex Commander of 3rd Clere Division in Russia , will survive the march
- Gen di Divisione Tabellini , will survive the march
- Gen di Divisione Sorrentino Amedeo , on 8th sept was Commander of Novara Territorial Defence , will survive the march
- Gen di Divisione Franceschini , will survive the march
- Gen di Divisione Tessore Francesco , Commander of Artillery XXXV Corps in Bolzano , had a frozen foot during the march and was left at medical post in Stargard , he was
later moved to Lublin by the russians but did not recover and died there .
- Generale di Brigata Cerruti Guido , had frozen feet during the march and left at german medical post , later moved to Neubrandeburg where both legs were amputated , on 28 April liberated by russians and returned to Italy in Sept 45 by air
- Gen di Brigata Balbo Bertone di Breme Emanuele , President of Firenze Military Tribunal , Killed by SS at Selchow on 26/01/45
- Gen di brigata Vaccaneo Alessandro , Commander of Motorized vehicles of XI Army in Greece Athens , Killed by SS at Selchow on 26/01
- Gen di Brigata Ferrero Ugo , Commander of NCO Training Centre at Sassuolo , killed by SS at Schoppe on 28/01 , his body was never recovered
- Gen di Brigata Ferrannini Mario , President of War Tribunal XI Army , Greece , Athens , will survive the march
- Gen di Brigata Pejrolo Eugenio , Chief of Staff of Infantry Division Cuneo at Samos in the Aegean , will survive
- Gen di Brigata Andreoli Giuseppe , Commander Division Celere IV Army , killed by SS at Selchow on 28/01
- Gen di Brigata Fattori Mario , on 8th sept at disposal of Florence Military Terriorial defence , will survive
- Gen di Brigata Trionfi Albert , killed by SS at Selchow on 28/01
- Gen di Brigata Amato Attilio , commander of Infantry Division Messina in Yugoslavia at Dubrovnik , lost one foot frozen during the march and was evacuated at Neubrandenburg together with Gen Cerrutti , will return to Italy by air in Sept 45.
- Colonel of Engineers Pagliano acting Brigadier ( that was why he was held together with the generals ) at Schokken was the unoffical camp doctor , will survive .

Besides the generals at Selchow also disappeared for ever two other italian soldiers of lower rank , Sergeant Renato Zaghini and Private Giulio Andolfato were last seen on 26/01/45 when together with some german escorts went out looking for supplies , their fate was never established .

Also can add some infos about other two generals who were IMI :
- Gen di Brigata Dusmet De Smours Davide , C.O. of the forces in the city of Dubrovnik , died of sickness at Schokken on 21/11/43
- Gen di Divisione Tessore Carlo , C.O. Engineers of XXXV corps at Bolzano , left by the germans at Schokken , being too sick to be moved and liberated by russians on 26/01 .



Yours

GLADIVM

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Steen Ammentorp
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#9

Post by Steen Ammentorp » 21 Jul 2005, 20:14

Thank you very much for this update.

Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

mikeofposen
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Re:

#10

Post by mikeofposen » 08 May 2009, 11:13

GLADIVM wrote: Francesco Arena BRIGADIERE WAS KILLED BY RUSSIANS ( DO NOT KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES ) AT ROSKO BY RUSSIAN IN APRIL 45 GLADIVM
I found a report of a man who kept hidden Francesco Arena, and when the Russians came they drew him out of the house and shot him dead. Then, they took all his documents and went away.
Francesco Arena was buried at the catholic cementary at Rosko

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