The SAS raid on the Italian Concentration Camp at Pisticci in 1943

[galcock]

In 1943 my father took part in the raid to free the inmates from the Italian concentration camp at Pisticci. He never told me this himself but I have deduced it from the facts I have seen in the SAS War diary. I feel sure father would have participated as he was Captain Gustons senior NCO as part of C squadron 2SAS for the Taranto landings. In the Diary it says Captain Gunston and Major Carey Elwes took a group of 2SAS up towards Pisticci in jeeps to guard a railway bridge. The French SAS took a train up from the coast towards this camp and freed it.

Father talked of killing a German soldier around the time of this raid. This man had been looting on a farm that my father had been sent to check out by Major Elwes

But when you read Roy Farran's account in his book the 'Winged Dagger' written in 1948 you see on page 178 his slightly different version. He says he freed the camp the day before the French SAS went up. He disarmed the guards and gave their weapons to some Polish ex-Legioneers who were being detained there. So the French SAS must have had an easy time of it when they arrived. Interestingly one of these Poles, Josef Lyczak joined 2SAS and accompanied my father on Operation Pistol. His family today live in the Kirkcaldy area. The War Diary speaks of Major Elwes sending off a three man patrol from the bridge - this was my father and two men. Father was a SSM in rank at this time. No railway run up to the camp as it is located at Camporotondo, which is south-east of Pisticci and the railway misses the camp by about half a mile. but I am pleased my father had a roll in freeing these inmates. You can find accounts of the SAS officer Peter Jackson 'up at the crossroads south east of Pisticci on Paradata.

 

[Timefall]

Your findings are truly intriguing especially regarding the discrepancies in accounts. It might be worth exploring if there are additional records from _war diaries that could confirm deta ils about the operation. I t's fascinating how different perspectives can influence our understanding of this action

 

[galcock]

Timefall. I have had a copy of a War Diary page given to me by a Mr Oakes whose father was in 2SAS. I spent two to three hours with him looking at the new War Diary. The page I have outlines events leading up to the Pisticci raid from the day they landed at Taranto. farran went off in his jeeps and my father, under Captain Gunston were on foot patrols towards Bari to the airport, which was too strongly defended. Following this they returned to the Dock area for the night. It was shortly after this that a plan was hatched to reach the Pisticci camp. Roy Farran says (page 178) in Winged Dagger that he freed the camp and armed some of the inmates. Farran says there was nothing dreadful about the camp. It was not a death camp. He saw this before the train was sent up. The other thing is that if you look at google maps of the area today you can see that no railway line leads to the internment camp. It ran by it by about a mile distance. Nor does the line run into Pisticci. It runs to a stop-over place called Pisticci Scalo, which is a taxi or bus ride away from the town today. So unless in 1943 a railway spur line existed to the camp no French SAS party went directly by train into the camp itself. I can see no hint on Google Maps of a spur line having been there laid yo the camp at Campotorondo. I spoke with Farran on the telephone from Edmonton Canada in 1990, but I did not ask about these things as I did not know of them then. I was supposed to go over to his home north of Calgary but the visit did not take place. So I agree the jury is out on Pisticci - but my father's oral story fits in with the SAS War Diary account where it says Major Elwes sent out from the bridge area a three-man patrol. I feel sure this fits in with my fathers oral story for southern Italy as in 1945 he was in Tuscany but then was only doing base work packing up containers for missions as attested by Charlie Radford. It is going to be hard to nail this Pisticci thing down but between Farran's comments in his book Winged Dagger and the War Diary version perhaps there lies the truth.

 

[galcock]

Timefall. I have had a copy of a War Diary page given to me by a Mr Oakes whose father was in 2SAS. I spent two to three hours with him looking at the new War Diary. The page I have outlines events leading up to the Pisticci raid from the day they landed at Taranto. farran went off in his jeeps and my father, under Captain Gunston were on foot patrols towards Bari to the airport, which was too strongly defended. Following this they returned to the Dock area for the night. It was shortly after this that a plan was hatched to reach the Pisticci camp. Roy Farran says (page 178) in Winged Dagger that he freed the camp and armed some of the inmates. Farran says there was nothing dreadful about the camp. It was not a death camp. He saw this before the train was sent up. The other thing is that if you look at google maps of the area today you can see that no railway line leads to the internment camp. It ran by it by about a mile distance. Nor does the line run into Pisticci. It runs to a stop-over place called Pisticci Scalo, which is a taxi or bus ride away from the town today. So unless in 1943 a railway spur line existed to the camp no French SAS party went directly by train into the camp itself. I can see no hint on Google Maps of a spur line having been there laid yo the camp at Campotorondo. I spoke with Farran on the telephone from Edmonton Canada in 1990, but I did not ask about these things as I did not know of them then. I was supposed to go over to his home north of Calgary but the visit did not take place. So I agree the jury is out on Pisticci - but my father's oral story fits in with the SAS War Diary account where it says Major Elwes sent out from the bridge area a three-man patrol. I feel sure this fits in with my fathers oral story for southern Italy as in 1945 he was in Tuscany but then was only doing base work packing up containers for missions as attested by Charlie Radford. It is going to be hard to nail this Pisticci thing down but between Farran's comments in his book Winged Dagger and the War Diary version perhaps there lies the truth.

Today, 18/08/2024 I had an email reply to my email that i sent to the mayor's office of Pisticci - they confirm that no railway ran next to or right into the camp itself - But it did stop at a SCALO stop - you can see this on google maps. From the Scalo stop people were transported to the camp in some way or on foot I imagine.

Here is their actual reply:-
Good morning, no, in Caporotondo, later called the confinement colony of Bosco Salice - Agricultural Center, there was no railway line. The trains stopped in Bernalda and the carters were there. If you need anything else, please contact me.
Dr. Adele Esposito - responsible for cultural services and libraries.

 

[galcock]

What all this importantly confirms for me is that my father's oral story of having to shoot a looting German soldier is in the Pisticci area as Cary Elwes is identified in the war diary as having sent out a small three-man patrol - and who would be likely to command such a patrol - your SSM I think - SSM John Alcock who was one of Captain Gunstans men.