PG 47 - Modena

Sheet by: Isabella Insolvibile

General data

Town: Modena

Province: Modena

Region: Emilia-Romagna

Location/Address: viale Giorgio Amendola - Modena

Type of camp: Prisoner of War camp

Number: 47

Italian military mail service number: 3200

Intended to: officers

Local jurisdiction: Difesa Territoriale Bologna

Railroad station: Modena

Accommodation: military quarters

Capacity: 1000

Operating: from 10/1942 to 08/09/1943

Commanding Officer: Col. Giulio Giorgetti (10.1942-1.1943); Col. Angelo Tiberi (2.1943-5.1943), Col. Luigi Curti (6.1943)

Brief chronology:
October 1942: the prisoners arrived at the camp.
January 1943: the prisoners sent a complaint to the Protecting Power.
March 1943: South African captain Jeffrey Morphew escaped and reached Switzerland.
12 September 1943: the camp was occupied by the Germans who captured the majority of the prisoners.

Allied prisoners in the Modena camp

Date Generals Officers NCOs Troops TOT
31.10.1942   746 48 141 935
30.11.1942   935   194 1129
31.12.1942   937   199 1136
31.1.1943   938 2 241 1181
28.2.1943   1008 2 249 1259
31.3.1943   997 2 249 1248
30.4.1943   1001 2 237 1240
31.5.1943   1001 2 237 1240
30.6.1943   1067 3 248 1318
31.7.1943   1074 275 1349
31.8.1943   1084 28 255 1367
 

Camp’s overview

The camp was established in October 1942, in a barracks located, at the time, at the periphery of the city. It was intended for officers and their adjutants, housed in a building recently constructed. The PoWs arrived either from transit camps or from PG 38 Pioppi-Villa Ascensione, which was closed during that period. Theoretically, PG 47 was a good camp, equipped with modern comforts including warm showers, heated and fully-fitted rooms, a well-supplied military shop, a well-equipped nursery and kitchen, sufficient outhouses, and space to practise sports, study or even play. Indeed, the prisoners organised many study courses, since many of them were professors. There were, apparently, no issues with the plumbing system and there was enough water even for a fire protection system. The relations with the Italian guards were fairly good, even though the sources mention some difficulties with the local Fascists who, it seems, did not approve of the PoWs’ presence in the area.
There were present, however, all the issues common to imprisonment in Italy: lack of supplies (especially clothing), delay in the mail and pay services, increasingly expensive food, and the fluctuating presence of heating. In January 1943, the prisoners sent a detailed letter of complaint to the Protecting Power in which, after listing the issues with the transit camp (PG 75 Bari Torre Tresca), they described Modena as well:

As far as this Camp is concerned there was no heating until 12th January, although the Italian Quarters were heated from before the 20th December. The lighting is not adequate, the power provided being far too weak and with the exception of the few lights that have 60 Watt globes, reading can only be done by straining the eyes. Further the fittings are not the same as for Italian Officers. The only privilege we enjoy is very bare officers’ furniture, nothing like the Italian officers have, and 80 o/100 of the officers live in other Ranks’ quarters. […] With the sole exception of the Basic Ration, which is reasonable every other article which an officer buys is very highly priced. Indeed prices charged for all articles would indicate that the exchange rate of the Lira is very much higher than the figure of 72 the £ sterling, which it is supposed to be. […] Finally we wish to complain against this action of the Italian Government when their own pay matters are in such an unsatisfactory condition. Back pay due to officers of this Camp now amounts to over L. 1.000.000. This matter has already been submitted to you, but as a typical example of many cases we give the account of Lieut.-Col. Page […] which shows how bad the position is. He was captured at Tobruk on 21st June and after going through Tobruk, Derna and Barce Camps arrived at Bari (P.G. 75) on the 6th July, where he stayed until 6th September, when he was transferred to Aversa P.G. 63. Since arriving at Aversa he has been paid in full each month but his account prior to that is as set out here under:

Pay due for June, 10 days-Lire 467-Cash advances receiv.-Lire 350
Pay due for July, 31 days-Lire 1.400-Messing at Bari 25 days-Lire 250
Pay due for Aug., 31 days-Lire 1.400- Messing at Bari 31 days-Lire 310
Pay due for Sept., 5 days-Lire 233- Messing at Bari 5 days-Lire 50
[TOTAL] Lire 3.500 Lire 960

Balance due to him L. 2540
With this state of affairs existing, the Italian authorities now demand that he pays L. 8.60 a day, or an amount of L. 1,582.40 for the period 1st July to 31st December.


Since the beginning of 1943, some PoWs attempted to escape, but all were recaptured, except one. According to Absalom, in fact, it was from Modena that one of the six successful escapes from Italy took place (out of a total of 602 attempts). The South African Captain Jeffrey Morphew managed to escape from the camp in March 1943, dressed as a carabiniere and reached the Swiss border, where he cut the metallic fence with a pair of nail clippers to regain his freedom. Another escape, by Senior British Officer Lt. Col. John Page and two captains instead lasted for two weeks before they were recaptured, put in detention, and later transferred to Gavi.
After the Armistice, the Modena camp was occupied by the Germans and evacuated by 12 September 1943. Only a few prisoners managed to escape before the Germans’ arrival.
No egregious violations of the Geneva conventions or war crimes happened in PG 47 during the war. What happened to the camp after the war is unknown.

Archival sources

Bibliography

Online resources

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