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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 363

'Dispatch Rider Posed As Italian - Gave Nazis Slip'

(The Manchester Evening News 15 October 1943, refers)

A superb 'Escaper's' M.M. group of seven awarded to Private J. Chatham, 2nd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, a dispatch rider who went 'in the bag' at the Battle of the Knightsbridge Box in June 1942

Held in the same camp as S.A.S legend "Gentleman Jim" Almonds, Chatham's escape appeared on the same list of recommendations as Almonds' Second Award Bar

Chatham's journey through Italy saw him briefly re-captured while trying to board a ship, again escaping and he managed to obtain passes by pretending to be Italian

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (4123232 Pte. J. Chatham. Ches R.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, light contact marks, very fine (7)

M.M. London Gazette 27 April 1944, the original recommendation states:

'Both captured in Jun 1942 near Knightsbridge. Subsequently imprisoned at Capua and then Campo 70 (Monturano). After the Armistice P/W were forbidden by the Senior British Officer to attempt escape, and armed British picquets were posted to support the Italian guards. Gill and Chatham, however, escaped by getting over the outer wall and knocking out a sentry obtained civilian clothes, and made their way to Termoli. Here they were caught by Germans when boarding a ship, and locked up in a house. They escaped from here through a window at night, boarded the boat again, and so reached Istonio. They walked to Manfredonia but found they could not leave the town without passes. They went to German H.Q. and speaking Italian asked for passes to Bari, which they received. They met British troops near Andria on 23 Sep 43.'

Jack Chatham was a native of Manchester and enlisted in the Cheshire Regiment, serving with the 2nd Battalion during the Second World War. They saw action at the Battle of the Knightsbridge Box starting on 10 June 1942, part of the Battle of the Gazala. Unfortunately, the Battle went poorly for the British and the Cheshire Regiment - serving with the 50th Division - were cut off, forcing them to break through an encircling cordon of Italian troops.

During the chaos of the breakthrough Chatham, serving as a dispatch rider, was taken prisoner of war - listed as going in the bag on 16 June. Alongside him at the time was Private J. E. Gill who, along with many others, were taken with Chatham to Capua, after which they were transferred to Campo 70 at Monturano.

Not long later another P.O.W. arrived at the camp, Sergeant (later Major) John "Gentleman Jim" Almonds, who had been captured at Benghazi on 14 September. He attempted to escape very quickly, with several companions; he distracted the Italian guards with coffee, remained longer than was allowed in the Red Cross hut and when darkness fell emerged to disable the sentry. The escape was successful however when several members of the group fell sick they had no choice but to give themselves up.

In the meantime the Allied advance gained pace, Sicily fell and Italy was invaded, this in turn triggered the Italian Armistice on 3 September 1943. As Campo 70 was an Italian camp this caused some confusion and eventually the Italian Guards deserted.

It was at this moment that a number of prisoners including Chatham and Gill decided to escape, they managed to get out of the camp but this was just the start of their adventures, a report on Gill's escape in The Cheshire Observer provides further detail:

'They made their way down the East side of the peninsula and, to escape detection at one point took advantage of an Italian's offer to buy a rowing boat, and managed to do 50 miles by water in about 10 hours. At one stage of the journey the two men were recaptured by the Germans. They were put in a small room for the night and were told they would be dealt with in the morning. When morning came, there seemed to be no sentry about so they hopped out of the window and were on their way again!'

This is added to from Private Chatham's perspective in the Manchester Evening News on 15 October 1943 which states:

'He had nerve enough to "wangle" a pass to go South out if the Nazis who stopped him and his friend when they were posing as Italians, and to travel about 150 miles on foot before they "wangled" a fishing boat to finish the last 50 miles to join their comrades.'

Sold together with copied research.

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Estimate
£1,600 to £2,000

Starting price
£1200