GEORGE NEWS - During the first part of the Second World War (1939 to 1945), Germany, Italy and Japan fought against the allied forces of the United Kingdom and its colonies, Western European countries and later Russia and the USA.
The battle for North Africa was severe and included the involvement of well-known leaders, including Gen JC Smuts, General-major E Rommel, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, General Sir Archibald Wavell, Lieutenant General Montgomery, Marshal Graziani, Marshal Balbo and others.
The conquest of Bardia and Tobruk in January 1941 resulted in the Allies having thousands of prisoners of war (POWs) to guard, feed and administer.
Many men and women were needed for the war effort. This created labour shortages in their home countries. In some parts of the world where women had greater mobility, the void was partly filled by females.
South Africa was far removed from the main theatres of war and it was decided that POWs would come to South Africa. A POW camp was built at Zonderwater, Cullinan under the command of Colonel Hendrik Prinsloo. Several satellite camps were to follow.
Zonderwater would become the biggest POW camp built by the Allies. It housed some 100 000 Italian POWs who produced a camp magazine, and ran language schools and a primary school where more than 9 000 POWs were taught to read and write.
There was an extensive library and literature awards were given. There were 17 active theatres, much musical activity and handicrafts were taught. Sports was important for the young men and there were 16 football fields.
There were running tracks with spectator stands, 80 areas for playing bowls, six tennis courts, 16 fencing fields, places for boxing and Graeco-Roman wrestling rings. Basketball and volleyball fields were created.
The Geneva Conventions and protocols make provision for voluntary work by POWs. Those who wanted to work, entered into employment contracts with private citizens or institutions. They were to be well housed, have a balanced diet and receive one shilling per day.
One of the Italian POWs who came to South Africa was Sergeant Major Duilio de Francheschi, who kept a diary. According to him, the British military told them that they would be sent to a terrible island full of snakes. When they were loaded into a ship under terrible conditions and were dreadfully treated by African guards, they believed that they were on their way to Snake Island.
To their surprise, when they were brought up from the toilet-less holds after a sea journey, they saw lights and a city. Upon enquiry, they learned that they had arrived in Durban: a city with showers, toilets and clean drinking water. But best of all was the fact that they were given spaghetti and wine! De Francheschi wrote: "The South Africans were too wonderful to us. They treated us like human beings".
In November 1942, 50 Italian POWs under the command of Lieutenant PF Victor arrived in George to build a POW camp near Blanco. This camp would house the workers on the Outeniqua Pass and others working in the area.
Their contribution to the pass was limited. By the time peace came and they had left, only about 10% of it had been completed. At least two POWs were medical doctors, Dr Antonio Giacomo, later a urologist in Milan, and Dr Alarro of Florence. They worked in the George hospital.
Raffale D'Amato, a former Italian gunner, returned to George after the war and established himself as a jeweller.
The people of George had mixed feelings about the POWs. Some Italians appear to have been sought-after guests at dinner tables. In general they left a legacy of creativity, musicality, craftsmanship and cheerful forbearance.
Many of them impressed the people of George with their knowledge and skills and many endeared themselves to the families they came in touch with. There was some romance and some descendants were left behind.
One case is recorded of a young South African lady who would not take "no" for an answer when she applied for a visa for her Italian love to stay in South Africa and get married. Upon receiving her 30th letter of request, a visa was issued.
After the fall of Mussolini on 25 July 1943 and Italy's siding with the Allies, there was disagreement among the Italians. It made the prevention of conflict within the camps complex. It is widely believed that the success of the whole POW project in South Africa can be attributed to the competence, diplomacy and people skills of Colonel HF Prinsloo.
The changing of sides by Italy brought a new dimension to Italian/South African relations. Italian camp guards at POW camps in Italy left the camps unguarded and South African and other POWs walked away. They had to provide for themselves and were hunted by the German military.
The Italian population took them in, hid them, fed them and sheltered them at great risk to their own lives. (Uys Krige described this kindness in a book, Môrester oor die Abruzzi. He also wrote a short story titled The charcoal burners.) Italian Sergeant Major Fracheschi was suspected of having a radio in a British POW camp in North Africa.
He wrote in his diary: "Five of us were charged with having a radio, although there was no proof. The British tied our hands behind our backs and told us that we would be sentenced to death. But the commandant of the camp had just received news that his son had escaped from a prison camp in Italy and was being looked after by an Italian family, and this softened his heart, and instead of having us shot he sent us to a punishment camp."
In 1997, only a short stretch of the original dry wall built in the Outeniqua Pass by the Italians was still intact. The Simon van der Stel Foundation memorialised their contribution by erecting a blue plaque at a viewing point on the pass and a small stone cairn at the dry wall.
It was renovated by the foundation in 2011. In 2023 it became necessary to renovate the stone cairn again.
On 13 July 2023, local businessman, descendant of an Italian POW and member of the George community Deon McAdam and his son Cameron renovated the cairn again and replaced the cellulite cover for the Simon van der Stel Foundation: Southern Cape.
War is a terrible thing and always will be. In the case of the Italian POWs at George, much goodwill has grown from the terrible conflict that was World War II.
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