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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 87

A successful Escaper's campaign group of four Signaller N. F. Gresty, Royal Corps of Signals, whose regiment fought to the last round during operations on the Gazala Line and found himself imprisoned in Italy, managing to escape to Switzerland in October 1943

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Efficiency Medal, Territorial, G.VI.R. (2576624 Pte. N. F. Gresty. R.A.P.C.), good very fine (4)

Norma Frederick Gresty was serving with the Royal Corps of Signals, attached to Field Regiment which he does not name on his escapees questionnaire. Taken prisoner of war on 15 December 1941 in North Africa he states of his capture:

'The Field Reg. to which I was attached fought for 4 days against the Germans until running out of ammunition. We were then surrounded and taken prisoner.'

Held initially at Benghazi he was sent to Tripoli on 24 December and from thence to Camp 66 in Italy. Moving on to Camp 59 on 29 January 1942 Gresty was to spend much of the rest of the war there only being moved again to Camp 146 in May 1943 to undertake farm work. His questionnaire again goes into detail on the manner of his escape stating:

'After the Armistice we were released by the Italians and hid around the farm on which we had worked, for 3 weeks we were fed by the people of Vairano. Early in October we met a civilian who offered to take us to Switzerland.'

He goes on to outline the escape itself stating:

'The organisation guide met us at Vairano and we walked to Vidigolfo when we were picked up by a Fiat van and taken to Milan. At 1700 hours we left Milan by train for Como where we hid in the house of a man from the Argentine, who was Managing Director of Kodaks in Italy. We stayed the night here and were then guided over the mountains to the Swiss Frontier at Chiasso. The Journey was accomplished in 2 days.'

Touchingly Gresty was careful to name the four Italian civilians who did the most to feed and house him during his escape although sadly he was not able to provide surnames for them. Upon his return a newspaper article was written describing his journey, it states:

'Signalman Norman F. Grestsy of Horton Road, Rusholme, has escaped from the Italian prison camp where he was interned and reached Switzerland. He is 22 and had been a prisoner for nearly three years.'

Sold together with copied research and an original postcard of 'Modder' the 3rd Battalion, Grenadiers Pet Dog in 1900.

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Estimate
£200 to £240

Starting price
£160