Major Michael (Mick) Wagner of the Welch Regiment was captured with his two companions, John Maides and Bill Bulmer, on the front between Benghazi and Agebadia, Libya, on 30 January 1942. He was 24 years old. After long imprisonment in PG 32, Padula (Salerno), he was transferred, in July 1943, to PG 19, Bologna, where he remained until the Armistice:

The Germans quickly took control of the camp at dawn on 9 September and, probably informed by the Italian officers about the chance of a mass breakout, encircled it with troops and vehicles, making escape impossible. Mick, John and Bill, with Peter Laider and Alistair Capes, discussed what to do:

The Germans did not waste time before evacuating the prisoners. The five men decided to use a small trapdoor in the ceiling of the wash house to hide in the crawl space. The plan worked, and they witnessed the progressive evacuation of the camp. They remained hidden for two days and then decided to attempt an escape, cutting the barbed wire, even though German patrols were still present.

They were in luck and managed to disappear in the night, finding refuge with the Medici family, who lived nearby and clothed and fed them. They did not have a compass or a map, but nevertheless, they left intending to reach the Republic of San Marino, where they hoped the Allies’ advance could overrun them. Along the way, the group split to avoid being spotted: Mick, John, and Bill formed one group, Peter and Alistair the other.

Mick’s journey through the Emilian farmland continued without obstacles, also thanks to the local farmers, who provided lodging and food: « We were in great spirits as we walked on through the vineyards mainly because we now realised that could hope for help from the country people.» After coming close to the town of Rimini, they reached San Marino:

Mick and his comrades remained with this family for 12 days, helping with the work in the fields. However, their pleasant interlude was cut short when they learnt that the Germans had occupied San Marino. Thus, the three resumed their march, hoping to reach the South before winter.

Near Cagli (Pesaro), they took a train which brought them to Sassoferato (Ancona). From there, they passed near Fabriano and reached the village of Collamato (Ancona), where they entered in contact with “Gigi” Cadorna, former lieutenant of the Italian Army, a native of Calabria and leader of the partisan band “tiger”, which had its operative zone in the San Cataldo area, near Esanatoglia (Macerata). This was a mixed band comprised of five Italians, a dozen Yugoslavians who had escaped from a civilian internment camp, and a South African, Bob Turner. The band had established its base in the sanctuary of San Cataldo, which dominated the valley from its position atop a cliff. There were also other partisan formations in the area, such as the group dell’Eremita, which had his base in Esanatoglia.

As October was coming to its end, Mick and his companions realised that Winter was coming: crossing the Gran Sasso mountains on their way towards the Allied lines would be incredibly dangerous. So, they decided to pass the winter in the area. The local population housed them, and they lived between San Cataldo, Esanatoglia, and Collamato until March 1944.

Mick recalls that he and his comrades were not thrilled by the prospect of taking part in partisan warfare, as their primary objective was crossing the frontline and going back home. They took part in sabotage activities, such as cutting telephone and electrical lines and slowing down German transports. However, they refused to engage the enemy directly, a type of action that, on the contrary, was sought after by the Yugoslavians. These two different ways of living as partisans soon caused frictions and misunderstandings, and Cadorna had to mediate often, but seldom with success.

Mick and his companions vehemently complained after the killing of two German soldiers, on 24 February 1944 ^[1], in Esanatoglia, carried by some Yugoslavians, as they feared the German reprisal. The Yugoslavian, in response, locked them in a room in the sanctuary for a few days. It was only thanks to Cadorna’s intervention that they regained their freedom. The band, however, was now divided. The three abandoned the area in secret, resuming their march.

Mick’s group decided to head towards Fabriano, where they hoped they would meet another escaped British officer, David Williams, who had informed them in the previous months of the presence of a clandestine organisation bent on the evacuation of PoWs. Indeed, David provided them with instructions and an address where they would find help. Terefore, they started marching again, this time towards Ancona.

The instructions they received told them to head to Grottazzolina (Fermo). From there, following the coastline, they would be evacuated by the sea at the end of April. «It was the best news we had in a long time, and our morale soared». However, this euphoria was short-lived. As the evacuation date approached, the weather worsened, making the trip by boat impossible. Their departure was thus delayed by one month—a bitter disappointment. The three lodged separately: Mick in an old mill, Bill and John hosted in a farmhouse.

Around 22 May 1944, the good news arrived: the mission in charge of bringing them home had departed. With a boat, the three reached Tremoli and, from there, Naples, where they faceed interrogation.

During the following years, Mick, Bill and John came back often to Italy, to thank and greet those who helped them. They discovered, with sorrow, that their fears were correct: in Esanatoglia a plaque now remembers the men of the village killed in a reprisal after they had left.^[2]