POW escapes from ship through hole made by torpedo

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by Antipodean Andy, Sep 2, 2009.

  1. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    From page 114 of Six O'Clock Diamond by Gus Officer. Couldn't find a thread to add this to so here it is. Officer met this chap while at Campo PG 57 at Gruppignano north of Trieste.

    Anyone come across these chaps before or can tie them to a ship? The only date mentioned is 'July'.
     
  2. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

  3. spidge

    spidge Active Member

  4. spidge

    spidge Active Member

    Hi Andy,

    I am advised by a friend of mine that If the survivors were taken back to Tripoli before they went on to Italy, then the ship was probably the Tembien.
    One of his contacts who served with the Welch Regiment escaped in that Manner.

    Cheers
     
  5. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

  6. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    Thanks, Geoff. I think she's a bit too early though - 1942 vs. 1943.

    http://ww2chat.com/forums/war-sea/464-sinking-ss-tembien-allied-pows.html
     
  7. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

    Can I ask a question ? .... when is Melbourne Cup Day ?


    George John ‘Gus’ Officer was born in Warrnambool on 2nd September 1920. After his father died when he was fourteen, he left school and got a job with the Bank of Australasia. When war broke out in 1939, he volunteered for the Air Force and was posted to the Middle East, taking part in the Alamein campaign against Rommel and his Afrika Korps in 1942. After the war he became an accountant, setting up his own practice in Horsham in 1952. He died in Melbourne on his eighty-sixth birthday

    This young man from Warrnambool in Western Victoria joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1941. After training on Tiger Moths and Wirraways in Australia, he was sent to the Middle East where he flew Hurricanes on Operational Training Units. Eventually he was posted to 450 Squadron RAAF ‘the Desert Harassers’ flying Kittyhawks against the Messerschmidt 109s of the Luftwaffe and the Macchi 202s of the Italian Air Force. Shot down on Melbourne Cup Day 1942 by Lieutnant Fritz Geisshardt and narrowly escaping with his life from a burning Kittyhawk by parachute, Gus was captured by the enemy and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner in Italy and Germany until his liberation by the Russians in April 1945.

    Friedrich "Fritz" Geisshardt (22 January 1919 – 5 April 1943)

    "Fritz" Geisshardt was credited with 102 victories in 642 combat missions. He achieved 63 of his victories over the Eastern front. In his total are at least seventeen Spitfires.

    Aces of the Luftwaffe - Friedrich Geisshardt
     
  8. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

  9. spidge

    spidge Active Member

    Hi Annie,


    First Tuesday in November in general however during the war years 1942-1944 it was the first Saturday which would make it November 7th.

    Horse Racing was only allowed on Saturday during 1942-1944.

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
  10. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

  11. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

    ‘Gus’ Officer ..... and the other two guys from your original post !
     
  12. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    Ah, rightio. No, pic taken of 450 Sqn in Italy in 1943. Gus was shot down over the desert in 1942 and the others were lost afterwards.
     
  13. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

    OK ! .... it's just that you said " they had been shot down in July (1943) " I thought there might be a chance they were on the photo .... but we'll never know .... 'cos we don't know what they looked like !! :doh:
     
  14. Antipodean Andy

    Antipodean Andy New Member

    Ah, I'm with you, Annie.

    Yes, they were shot down in 1943 but over the desert and were being transported to Italy when torpedoed. Gus was shot down in Nov 1942 so missed 450 Sqn's move to Italy.
     

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