Cesare Dati – Prisoner of War

Cesare Dati a young Italian man was only eighteen when he was conscripted into the Italian army. After a brief period of training he very quickly found himself in Tunisia (North Africa) in a war he felt no affinity to. He was in the transport core driving heavy trucks and on one particular day found himself under heavy air attack from the British. The platoon took cover in a ditch which saved some of them, but most died there that day. With most of their equipment and provisions gone they ware unable to continue far or with purpose. With some relief the found themselves captured by the British and looked forward to their war ending. They were transported (under the control of the Moroccan army) back to Britain. Their journey was arduous, crammed into a tiny space with little food or water arriving with much relief in Scotland some weeks later.

Here conditions were to change dramatically and Cesare recalls with much gratitude the treatment he received from the British throughout his stay in Britain. He was soon sent to the camp in Stoney Middleton. Men were needed to provide labour for the quarries without their pre war employees who were all engaged in the fight against the Germans. Life was good in Stoney Middleton and he and his comrades made not only good use of there time but made many friends as well

Cesare returns to Stoney Middleton on a regular basis to visit his old friends.

Part 1

Part 2