PG 12 - Vincigliata

Sheet by: Costantino Di Sante

General data

Town: Firenze

Province: Firenze

Region: Toscana

Location/Address: Castello di Vincigliata - Firenze

Type of camp: Prisoner of War camp

Number: 12

Italian military mail service number: 3200

Intended to: officers

Local jurisdiction: Difesa Territoriale di Firenze

Railroad station: Firenze

Accommodation: military quarters

Capacity: 36

Operating: from 09/1941 to 09/1943

Commanding Officer: Major Ugo Bacci (September 1941 – March 1943); Major Vittorio Vivarelli (April – June 1943); Major Adolfo Giachi (July – September 1943)

Brief chronology:
September 1941: the camp, intended for high-ranking British officers, was established.
30 March 1943: Six PoWs escaped using a tunnel.
9 September 1943: the prisoners left the camp and took refuge in Camaldoli monastery (Arezzo).

Allied prisoners in the Firenze camp

Date Generals Officers NCOs Troops TOT
1.3.1942 8 6 3 10 27
1.4.1942 12 4 4 10 30
31.5.1942 12 3 3 11 29
1.6.1942 12 2 3 11 28
1.7.1942 12 2 3 11 28
1.8.1942 12 2 3 11 28
1.9.1942 12 3 3 11 29
31.10.1942 12 3 2 11 28
30.11.1942 12 3 3 11 29
31.12.1942 12 3 3 11 29
31.1.1943 12 3 3 11 29
28.2.1943 12 3 3 11 29
31.3.1943 12 2 3 11 28
30.4.1943 10 2 1 9 22
31.5.1943 10 2 1 9 22
30.6.1943 10 1 1 9 21
31.8.1943 9 1 1 13 24

Camp’s overview

During the summer of 1941, the Italian Chief of Staff ordered the establishment of PoW camps intended for «officers on duty, Army generals, and generali di corpo d’armata [roughly equivalent to a lieutenant general or brigadier general]». As the camps were intended for such high-ranking officers, it was decided to use buildings that were easy to restructure to provide comfortable living conditions. For these reasons, Villa La Nassa in the district of Candeli in Bagno a Ripoli (Florence) was picked for the Serbian generals, while Vincigliata castle was chosen for the British. Since the two camps were only 10 km apart, they shared the same command, probably housed in Villa La Nassa. It is most likely because of this that Vincigliata is often listed in the official documents as Candeli. Both were opened in September 1941 and were identified as PG 12.
The first PoWs transferred to Vincigliata were the British generals previously held in Villa Orsini at Sulmona (L’Aquila). The Italians explained the transfer as necessary to provide more spacious accommodation for the generals and their adjutants. However, some officers complained about their new accommodation, claiming they enjoyed more personal freedom in Villa Orsini. Despite this, their treatment was more than acceptable. They could leave the castle with an escort and often went to eat in a trattoria not far from the camp. To kill time, they played sports, managed a chicken coop, cultivated a vegetable garden, and practised craftsmanship. They also studied Italian, managed their library, and taught their adjutants.
Some things changed after 30 March 1943, when a group of senior officers escaped. Although some PoWs had attempted to escape during the previous months, in this case, the Italians decided to apply some restrictive measures: walks outside the camp were reduced to three a week, all the tools for gardening and bricolage, and geographical maps were confiscated, and the escapees’ adjutants were transferred.
The Italian authorities were surprised to discover that the escapees had used a tunnel to get out, meaning that the escape had been planned for several months. Two of the six escapees, Brigadier John Frederick Boyce Combe and Air Marshal Owen Tudor Boyd, were recaptured the next day. General Richard O’ Connor and Carton de Wiart Nugent were recaptured on 5 April. Instead, the remaining two escapees, Brigadier James Hargest and Reginald Miles managed to cross the Swiss border.
As a response to the escape, surveillance was increased and the camp’s commander, Major Ugo Bacci, was replaced by Major Vittorio Vivarelli.
On 9 September, thanks to the help of the Italian general who commanded the garrison of Florence, the PoWs held in Vincigliata were transferred to Camaldoli monastery in Arezzo province. Among them were General Philip Neame, formerly the highest-ranking officer in the Mediterranean; Sir Richard O’Connor, formerly head of the 8th Army, and Air Marshall Owen Tudor Boyd, formerly commander of the Mediterranean Air Force. Later, thanks to the help provided by the local civilians and partisans, they reached Forlì province and managed to get on a boat that brought them to liberated Italy. From there, they went to the United Kingdom.
Today, Vincigliata castle is a convention hall.

Archival sources

Bibliography

Online resources

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