An Extraordinary Italian Imprisonment

This WWII history reveals the shocking conditions and brutal treatment endured by Allied soldiers at a notorious Italian POW camp.

Between August 1942 and September 1943, Camp PG21 in Chieti, Italy, was grossly overcrowded, with little running water, no proper sanitation, and no winter heating. Conditions for POWs were so bad that they were debated in the House of Commons.

Tunnels were dug, and the prisoners were even prepared to swim through human sewage to try and get out. But those who attempted escape were violently punished or killed. Even still, morale in the camp remained remarkably high. Two England cricket internationals staged a full-scale cricket match. Theater and music also thrived.

After the 1943 Italian Armistice, the British Commander refused to allow the ex-prisoners to leave camp. Germans took over the camp, and most prisoners were transported to Germany. Some managed to hide, and more than half of these subsequently escaped. After the war, a number of the Camp staff were arrested for war crimes.