This book tells the story of prisoner of war camp PG 21, at Chieti,
Italy, between August 1942 and September 1943. It was grossly
overcrowded, with little running water, no proper sanitation, and in
winter no heating.
Conditions (food/clothing) for POWs were so bad that they were debated
in the House of Commons.
The prisoners suffered under a violently pro-Fascist regime. The first
Commandant personally beat up one recaptured escaper. A pilot was
murdered by an Italian guard following his escape attempt. Tunnels were
dug, and the prisoners were even prepared to swim through human sewage
to try and get out. Morale in the camp remained remarkably high. Two
England cricket internationals staged a full scale cricket match.
Theater and music also thrived.
After the Italian Armistice, in September 1943, the British Commander
refused to allow the ex-prisoners to leave camp. Germans took over the
camp, and most prisoners were transported to Germany. Some managed to
hide, and more than half of these subsequently escaped. After the war, a
number of the Camp staff were arrested for war crimes.