Kriegsgefangenen Ausweis (and unit), Italy?

[Mizal]

Hello forum!

My father has recently passed away, and I happen to recently come across some WWII papers of his father. I am in desperate need of some translation help please. My Opa would not talk about the war, so I do not know much.

I am having trouble understanding what is listed under "Camp" (highlighted). From my research I understand that there were German POWs in Italy until 1947, but I cannot find any camps where he could have been located. He was discharged two months later though.

9. I have done some research, and I believe...
"2./FSCH.GRW.BATL.4"
means "2./Fallschirm.Bataillon.Granatwerfer.4",
meaning "2nd company, Parachute. Mortar, battalion 4"
meaning... ???
The only mention I have of this unit was that they were later part of the 4th Parachute Division? It might explain why his POW Pass is also in Italian? https://www.feldgrau.com/WW2-German-4th ... r-Division

11. "Range-finger". I assume the person who was writing this meant rangefinder?

Thank you to whoever can provide me some assistance.

[GregSingh]

You might want to check reports of US 88th Infantry Division. That unit was responsible for German POW's in Italy during 1945-47.
United States Army Reserve Command (USARC)
I don't think location of Area 16 camp is mentioned on the scan you provided.

[Max]

This is a letter addressed to a POW camp in Leghorn, Italy
Note that Leghorn is actually the English name for the city of Livorno, Italy.
Also note that the letters SEPE appear on this and Mizal's document.
It must be an abbreviation.
Maybe it's a start.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1947-Leipzig-G ... 1909666786

[GregSingh]

SEPE = Surrendered Enemy Personnel Enclosure

But it does not say which one.

[history1]

[...]
9. I have done some research, and I believe...
"2./FSCH.GRW.BATL.4"
means "2./Fallschirm.Bataillon.Granatwerfer.4",
meaning "2nd company, Parachute. Mortar, battalion 4"
meaning... ???

"2./FSCH.GRW.BATL.4" = 2nd company/paratroopers mortar battailon 4
They used eg. such device:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kz_8_cm_GrW_42

The only mention I have of this unit was that they were later part of the 4th Parachute Division? It might explain why his POW Pass is also in Italian? https://www.feldgrau.com/WW2-German-4th ... r-Division

Further infos:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallschir ... t_of_units
http://www.balsi.de/Weltkrieg/Einheiten ... tseite.htm

11. "Range-finger". I assume the person who was writing this meant rangefinder?
[...]

I agree, it´s sure rangefinder.

Maybe you can find also some informations here:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help ... ish-hands/

[Max]

SEPE = Surrendered Enemy Personnel Enclosure

But it does not say which one.

General info on the nature of these camps
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disarmed_Enemy_Forces

Because of the logistical impossibility of feeding millions of surrendered German soldiers at the levels required by the Geneva Convention during the food crisis of 1945, the purpose of the designation, along with the British designation of Surrendered Enemy Personnel (SEP), was to prevent categorization of the prisoners as Prisoners of War (POW) under the 1929 Geneva Convention.