Home By Christmas
Ian English MC*** recalls the Fontanellato escapers of PG49 and the Italian families who saved them after the 1943 armistice.
- Author
- Ian English MC***
- Publisher
- Self-published
- Price
- £12.95
- Published
- 2017
Home By Christmas by Ian English MC***
First published in 1997, Home By Christmas recounts the adventures of escapers from PG49 Fontanellato following the Italian armistice of 8 September 1943. Ian English focuses on the vital role played by the contadini—the mountain people who gathered in Allied POWs, provided shelter, food and clothing, tended wounds and often led them safely over ridges to the next village or, eventually, to Allied lines.
English’s own escape route covered more than 500 miles south to Casoli and the advancing Allies. Others headed to the Alps, the Italian coasts or towards Switzerland. Many endured brutal winters in the mountains, relying on the bravery of local families who risked everything to help.
A decorated veteran of the 8th Durham Light Infantry, English earned the Military Cross at Gazala, a Bar at El Alamein and a second Bar in Normandy—an exceptionally rare distinction. He later became a founding member of ELMS, the Army POW Escaping Club and the Monte San Martino Trust.
Long sought after, this second edition is ideal for anyone interested in POW life and escape routes in Italy, written by someone who lived the story. Contact ELMS member Christine English at [email protected] to obtain a copy (£12.95).