General Hans Leyers / Graziani / Daddario

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Fallen
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General Hans Leyers / Graziani / Daddario

#1

Post by Fallen » 11 May 2017, 03:17

I'm trying pin down more info about Emilio Daddario (OSS) involvement with the "rendition" (perhaps poor Italian translation) or taking into captivity of Hans Leyers, after he dealt with Marshal Graziani:
From a few sources
"Later in the afternoon of April 27, 1945, the US agent [presumably Daddario] took it easy, first to retrieve marshall Graziani arresosi in Cernobbio, then accepting in Como the rendition of German general Hans Leyers and his men."
Waiting to see if Richard Daddario will respond as to what his dad may have retained about this in records or can point me in the right direction to gather more particular information about General Leyers, whom I understand from other sources was in captivity from May ’45 to April ’47 (at Caserta, I think). I’ve a report written by Leyers from summer 1945 (requested by chief historian at EUCOM/Caserta, and testimony from Nuernberg/Nuremberg after Leyers was released and he went back to Düsseldorf, ultimately testified for defense for one of the Krupps trial defendants (Erich Müller). I presume he was working for Deutsche Fiat by then.

At any rate, if you have anything (I've noted a couple posts here re: Leyers), I’d greatly appreciate it!
Last edited by Dieter Zinke on 11 May 2017, 11:40, edited 1 time in total.

Fallen
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Re: General Hans Leyers / Graziani / Daddario

#2

Post by Fallen » 13 May 2017, 08:26

Meanwhile, suppose I'll reach out on Italy end to Milan office at my firm and see if anyone has any useful contacts, e.g. at the German Historical Institute in Rome or, say Filippo Focardi or the like. Anyone I knew at defense v. central intel agency is long gone (or all but estranged), and slogging through even digital archives is taking rather a harsh toll on my eyes. :)

Any assist would be appreciated.


JAMESDOUGL
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Re: General Hans Leyers / Graziani / Daddario

#3

Post by JAMESDOUGL » 02 Jul 2019, 23:45

General Leyers surrendered to a 5 man CIC Team ( Counter Intelligence ) led by SGT. Ralph Musengo of the 91st Inf. Div. This CIC group was formerly with the 3rd I.D. but because of their Italian speaking capability stayed in Italy once 3rd I.D. pulled out of Italy.

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Re: General Hans Leyers / Graziani / Daddario

#4

Post by Fallen » 03 Jul 2019, 01:26

If you have more info or specific documentation, please let me know. Needless to say, I'm interested.

All I can recall off top of my head is that the Deutsche Dienstelle folks have Leyers listed as in captivity as of 28 April. I know Emilio Daddario (OSS) wrote in his report about meeting up with Leyers on the 27th [?] at the Como athletic stadium, but because he had to take Graziani to Milan, he left behind Larry Bigelow until more forces could arrive to effect what was at least tacit surrender (or if not that at least an informal parole offered by Leyers that he and others would stay put at the stadium). Daddario's report mentions a Bigelow report, and apparently the CLNAI prepared another ... but I haven't gotten a hold of them yet.

I'm waiting on the University of Cologne to finish a report on Leyers' wartime activities, but anything I can get eyeballs on meanwhile would be a bonus.

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Re: General Hans Leyers / Graziani / Daddario

#5

Post by Fallen » 03 Jul 2019, 21:53

To clarify, I don't see it as a matter of OSS or anyone else "captur[ing]" Leyers as such.

What I find interesting, JamesD, is that part of your father's story - mentioned in a Henry Mancini biography - is how he once stayed at a villa in Ventimiglia owned by Enrico Wild “whom Ralph had helped to locate and rejoin his wife Magda Brard [technically not Enrico's wife as far as I know].” Do you have any information on how he came to be acquainted with Wild? This is interesting only because Leyers became friends with Enrico and Magda (they lived at Como at villa Roccabruna, and Leyers requisitioned villa Rosaco as a residence). In a biography of Magda by Roberto Festorazzi, it was Magda who offered to take and hold onto Leyers' baggage/personal property and his dog if he couldn't make other arrangements.

JAMESDOUGL
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Re: General Hans Leyers / Graziani / Daddario

#6

Post by JAMESDOUGL » 03 Aug 2019, 21:54

Sir, I looked through Ralph's photo album of Italy 1943-1945. We have various photos of Italy and Mussolini's family throughout the war, as well as various axis medals and General Leyers' uniform which is still in the family, but no mention of the Italians you named. Dad did publish articles and stories about his WW II service in the local Italian newspaper La Gazetta. I do not recall his mentioning of these people. As a CIC agent he had contact with many partisan leaders as well as fascists prior to the end of the war.

Fallen
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Re: General Hans Leyers / Graziani / Daddario

#7

Post by Fallen » 09 Aug 2019, 15:17

You don't mention whether knowledge was limited to oral history and what you recall from what you were told (the where, when, etc.) or why he'd wind up with one of Leyers' uniforms. (I think on the connection to Wild and Brard mentioned above and it might be Brard brought his stuff with her own when moving and Musengo got one that way.)

Guess we'll just have to wait for the university report. (I was going to take leave to visit NARA at one point, but that fell by the wayside. I can also ask someone in Italy to look into the CLNAI report.)

Should you ever want email address of Leyers' eldest granddaughter about whether they'd like the uniform back, just send me a message.

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genstab
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Re: General Hans Leyers / Graziani / Daddario

#8

Post by genstab » 12 Aug 2019, 13:03

So we have another Clevelander on the Forum. That makes three of us now. Welcome,James.
Best,
Bill in Cleveland

Fallen
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Re: General Hans Leyers / Graziani / Daddario

#9

Post by Fallen » 18 Jul 2021, 01:33

Fallen wrote:
03 Jul 2019, 01:26
If you have more info or specific documentation, please let me know. Needless to say, I'm interested.

All I can recall off top of my head is that the Deutsche Dienstelle folks have Leyers listed as in captivity as of 28 April. I know Emilio Daddario (OSS) wrote in his report about meeting up with Leyers on the 27th [?] at the Como athletic stadium, but because he had to take Graziani to Milan, he left behind Larry Bigelow until more forces could arrive to effect what was at least tacit surrender (or if not that at least an informal parole offered by Leyers that he and others would stay put at the stadium). Daddario's report mentions a Bigelow report, and apparently the CLNAI prepared another ... but I haven't gotten a hold of them yet.

I'm waiting on the University of Cologne to finish a report on Leyers' wartime activities, but anything I can get eyeballs on meanwhile would be a bonus.
It occurs to me to post here something that I obtained from Roberto Festorazzi when finally able to get in touch with him about references about Leyers in a biography of Madga Brard (a former lover of Mussolini'z). It's a letter from Leyers dated 29 April 1945 (after in effect surrendering) about who would take his personal effects and his dog. (I chose to scratch out his signature (just "Leyers") because I'd prefer it not be available for future misuse by Mark Sullivan, the author who elected to miscast and defame Leyers in a novel he claimed is "90% true" but is the opposite.)
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