'I am living a very queer and hard sort of life here in the prison. We have a barbed wire and sentries outside, often the children from outside gape at us as people do in the zoo. And that is the only contact we have with the world outside. This life is getting on my nerves . . . It is probably the worst experience of war, worse than death at least.'
Post card for war prisoners, received in November 1942 from Second Lieutenant Sharma, Jagdish Chandra, addressed to his brother, Kuldip Chandra.
These haunting lines are from letters by Lieutenant Jagdish Chandra Sharma, 1/6 Rajputana Rifles, addressed to Uma Sharma, my mother and Kuldip Chandra Sharma, his brother from an Italian prisoner of war (PoW) camp during World War II. A captive at Campo PG 63 at Aversa, 15 km north of Naples, it took Lt J. C. Sharma over two years to escape and return home to India. These letters and documents, which are now treasured family heirlooms, are dated between March and June 1943.
Lieutenant J. C. Sharma's father had fought in World War I as a Lieutenant, too. His brother, Second Lieutenant Kuldip Chandra Sharma, also fought in Burma during World War II.
Lieutenant Ram Nath Sharma (my grandfather), commissioned on 8 October, 1917.
His capture and subsequent escape has fascinated me since I was a child. It also led me to study the North African Campaign, the terrain, Italian PoW camps, the war records of World War II and the accounts of the captives.
In the memoirs of Major General A. S. Naravane, titled A Soldier's Life in War and Peace, the book mentions 'Sharma' amongst a group of officers, (which, by the way included some illustrious names), who plotted their escape from the Italian camp. Since no first name was mentioned, I had to dig deeper and found that all the war records of PoWs mention 'Sharma, Jagdish Chandra'. Further, the intricate details mentioned in Maj Gen Naravane's book, about the period between June 1942 and March 1944, during which some officers escaped from Campo PG 91, Avezzano, matched those described in Lt J. C. Sharma's letters and what I had heard.
Also, excerpts from Captain Daljit Singh Kalha's notes (later Lt Gen D. S. Kalha) fuelled me to pen down the memories.
How did Second Lieutenant J. C. Sharma end up in a PoW camp in Italy?
Between April and July 1942, during the North African Campaign, a large number of Indian troops who were part of the Battle of Ghazala and the 'Fall of Tobruk' were captured. Mostly, they were part of the Eight Army, in particular 4 Infantry Division and the 3rd Motorized Brigade. (Incidentally, in 1940, about 200,000 Italian prisoners of war were taken during the capture of Tobruk and most were sent to PoW camps in India in Bangalore, Dehradun, Ramgarh and Bhopal). IEC 784, Second Lieutenant J. C. Sharma, of 1/6 Rajputana Rifles, was part of 11 Infantry Brigade during the commencement of operations in April 1942. He was captured along with several others at Sidi Razegh in Libya on 18 June 1942.
Extracts from Samuel W. Mitchan Jr.'s book Rommel's Lieutenants: The Men Who Served the Desert Fox, France, 1940 outline how these operations were executed (see picture below)
As per an agreement between Germany and Italy, troops captured in Africa were lodged in Italian PoW camps
Second Lieutenant J. C. Sharma's Commanding Officer, Lt Colonel J. R. West, informed his brother through a Demi Official (DO) letter that he was missing and believed to be a PoW. The names of all these camps for military personnel had the designation 'PG', which meant Prigone di Guerra (Prison of War).
DO letter from the Commanding Officer, 1/6 Rajputana Rifles, Lt Col J. R. West, dated 18 July 1942.
Signal from Adjutant General's Branch, dated 15 August 1942, informing about the casualty occurring on 18 June 1942. They were put into open pens for two days without anything to eat and very little water to drink. Those captured in the initial stages of the North African Campaign (April 1942) were used as labour at the ports of Benghazi and Tripoli for unloading ships, etc. As the logistical demands of the Axis forces (Germany, Italy and Japan) escalated, the PoWs in north Africa were shipped to mainland Italy.
Sea route for PoWs taken from Benghazi to Italy
Initially, in Italy, Second Lt J. C. Sharma was taken to Campo PG 75 at Bari. His brother received a post card, Cartolina Postale Per Prigionieri Di Guerra, from Campo 75, the transit camp from where he was later sent to Campo PG 63 at Aversa.
Locations of PoW camps in Italy: Bari was on the East coast and Aversa was on the West coast.
Post card received from Second Lt J. C. Sharma from Campo PG 75, Torre Tresca, Bari.
Inland letters received from Lt Jagdish Chandra Sharma from Campo PG 63, Marinaro Aversa.
What was unique about PG 63, Aversa?
The camp had Indian PoWs. It housed several noteworthy PoWs, from different faiths and ethnicities, some of whom later shaped the history of the subcontinent. Amongst Lieutenant J.C. Sharma's fellow prisoners were (in alphabetical order)
- IEC 76 Daljit Singh Kalha, R.I.A.S.C. later as Lt General was the Director of Supply and Transport of the Indian Army (1966-69).
- Major P.P. Kumaramangalam, DSO, 2nd Field Regiment, later the Chief of the Army Staff, Indian Army (1966-69).
- IC 200 Capt Mohammad Yahya Khan, 4/10 Baluch Regiment, later the Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan Army and President of Pakistan (1966-71).
- IC 205 Capt S.A. Naravane, 2nd Field Regiment, later Director (present-day Director General) Artillery, Indian Army.
- IC 240 Capt Shamsher Singh, Engineers, later Brigadier.
- IC 405 Lt Tikka Khan, 2nd Field Regiment, later Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan Army (1972-76).
- IC 354 2 Lt Yakub Khan, S.M, 18 Cavalry, later Lt General and Commander Eastern Command during 1971, later the Foreign Minister of Pakistan.
- IC 344 Major Ajit Singh, R.I.A.S.C, later Lt General.
- IEC 900 2 Lt Singh Kanwar Abhey, 18 Cavalry, later Lt General.
- EC 52 Lt Jimmy F. Vakil, R.I.A.S.C.
List of PoWs at Campo PG 63, Aversa, Lt Jagdish Chandra Sharma, marked in blue.
Kumaramangalam ('Kay' to his family and friends) was appointed the Camp Senior Officer with Yahya Khan as his Camp Adjutant and Tikka Khan as the Camp Quartermaster. Jimmy Vakil was in charge of the cookhouse and dining room.
Interestingly, the Internet has a picture that depicts a poignant moment. It features P.P. Kumaramangalam and Yahya Khan shaking hands in New Delhi, two decades after WW II and after India was partitioned. Once fighting for the same side, former Camp Senior Officer and Camp Adjutant met again in 1966, when Kumaramangalam was the Chief of the Indian Army and Yahya Khan was designated to take over as Chief of the Pakistan Army.
What was life like in Campo PG 63, Aversa?
No doubt, life in the camp was harsh. The men lacked winter clothing, food was scarce and rationed and medical facilities were less than basic, but there was great camaraderie among the inmates.
Before long, food portions became smaller and less nutritious. Several prisoners fell sick. Fortunately, in the second half of 1942, the camp authorities permitted receipt of food parcels. While the Red Cross parcels that streamed in contributed greatly to the prisoners' survival, the letters from home helped sustain their morale.
Under the Geneva Convention, a prisoner's country of origin debited a quarter of his pay (called 'enemy cut') and transferred it to the Red Cross, which passed it on to the detaining country where it was converted into local currency. A portion was retained for camp administration. What was ultimately left was paid out in coupons valid only inside the camp.
Campo PG 91, Coupon 100 lire.
The inmates of PG 63 found ways to stay occupied, be it with escape-planning, classes, theatre or sports.
When was the first escape attempted?
In June 1943, an attempt to escape was made by digging a tunnel from inside the ration store to outside the perimeter fence with utmost planning and execution. However, it failed. The next month in July, the Allied forces (the US, UK and erstwhile Soviet Union) landed in Sicily. Air raids were frequently launched on Naples. In fact, on the night of 19 July, there was heavy bombardment around the camp, causing great commotion.
When did Campo PG 91, Avezzano, come into the picture?
Lt J. C. Sharma remained in Campo PG 63 till June 1943, after which he and many other Indian PoWs were shifted to Campo PG 91 at Avezzano (pronounced Avet-zano), 80 km south-east of Rome. This was an old and dilapidated camp with dormitory-type accommodation and a triple-wire fence that was only four feet high.
Locations of Campo PG 63, Aversa and Campo PG 91, Avezzano.
Sketch of Campo PG 91, Avezzano.
This camp was for 'other ranks' and their group was the first lot of officers sent there. By September 1943, the Allied forces had made greater inroads into Italy. In fact, just three weeks later, the Italians surrendered. The Germans reacted swiftly to disarm the Italian Army and take over the PoW camps. A small window of two-three days appeared, between which Italian-conscripted soldiers, abandoned the camps and Germans appeared at the gates.
How was escape orchestrated from Campo PG 91, Avezzano?
Two Italians made it possible for a number of Indian PoWs to escape and they need special mention. They were Dr Boccaletti, the Italian doctor in the camp and Fabriani Domenico, a wood craftsman from Luco dei Marsi, a town about 10 km away from the camp.
Yahya, Kay, Yaqub and Abhey escaped together. They moved between the coast and the spurs of the Apennines, taking cover in forests. Kay slipped and fractured his ankle on a dark night. He pleaded with Yaqub and Abhey to leave him there, but they refused to abandon him. They were recaptured by the Germans in January 1944. Kay was interned in Stalag Luft III, run by the Luftwaffe. Such was their solidarity.
Here is an extract from Maj Gen Naravane's A Soldier's life in War and Peace (from chapters 17, 18 and 19):
'Dr Boccaletti, the Italian who had been the camp doctor, was sympathetically inclined towards the Indians. He promised to help by finding persons to give shelter and food to the prisoners till the Allies overran our area. Dr Boccaletti's friends would also help prisoners find guides to get them through the German lines along smugglers' routes. Soon, our plan was made. Shamsher Singh, Sharma, Saker and I had arranged to bribe a German sentry to let us escape in exchange for one wrist watch for the two of us. Sharma, who had a working knowledge of German, had fixed the deal. The four of us met at the hut nearest to the wire after sunset and waited till it became dark. Shamsher approached the fence, cut the lower strands and tied them back. He crept through the wire. Sharma went next and handed over the first watch to the German sentry. Next was Saker's turn, and I was the last to make my way through. I then crept through the wire, handed over the second watch to the sentry and proceeded creeping on my stomach and knees.'
After Naravane was a considerable distance away from the camp, heading in a southerly direction on a track going up a ridge, and having walked for over two hours, he fell asleep. In the morning, when he reached a church, he found Shamsher. As they had covered their faces to avoid being recognized, they exchanged their code word, Vispa, softly and regrouped. Sharma and Saker, meanwhile, were hiding in a haystack close by.
The next few days were spent in a casetta (a small hut) on the hillside overlooking Luco. Several Italian partisans carried baskets containing goodies the padrones brought for them. After a week, they moved further south of the ridge to I Frati and took cover on a ledge with an overhanging rock. Dr Boccaletti arranged for some peasants to bring them food. Water was accessible through a spring at a distance away.
By the end of September 1943, the rains set in. The original group, which now included two more, Vakil and Fabriani, continued to use the fields and rocks to stay concealed.
Among the locals who risked their lives by helping them were: Guiseppe Iuvale, Ascenso Dijambrado, Guiseppe Massaro, Vespina (luvale's sister-in-law) and Onofrio. They guided the soldiers batches of twos and threes to a cave about half a mile from Ricardo. For the next few days, they hid there with drops of water dripping from the top. By now, the daily routine of bringing food up for the six of them was becoming bothersome to the Italians as well.
When did Lt Sharma manage to escape?
In early October 1943, as the German activity in the vicinity of Luco reduced considerably, it was decided that the soldiers could return to the safety of the houses in the village. As recollected in Maj Gen Naravane's book:
'We were divided into three groups. It was quite common in Italy for the men to go arm-in-arm with a girl for an evening stroll. Accordingly, Sharma, Shamsher and Jimmy Vakil escorted Ida to Ascenso's house, Kalyan and Peter went with Lena to Guiseppe Massaro's house and Naravane and Saker escorted Vespina to Guiseppe Luvale's house. Life in the village was easier than living in the hills. Towards the end of November, the Germans suddenly decided to restart the search of the houses, looking for PoWs. Sharma, Shamsher and Jimmy Vakil were very nearly caught. The Italians caught by the Germans for assisting Allied PoWs were treated with extreme cruelty, if not put to death.'
Meanwhile, a British prisoner had also joined in. To establish his identity, Sharma and Saker undertook the unpleasant task of questioning him. Sharma, who knew German, said his accent and pronunciation did not reveal any traces of a German background and so he was added to the group'.
They were seven officers now. The next four weeks were spent in the hills, constantly changing locations to avoid being detected. They later decided to split into smaller groups so as to be less conspicuous.
By December 1943, after about three months since the escape from Campo 91 at Avessano, it started to snow. It was decided that they would again move to Luco village. By the second week of January 1944, they were back in the village. The grouping was surprisingly changed by the padrone. This time, they were not allowed any exercise or movement outside. There was no outside information coming in. Occasionally, they had to scuttle to the snow-covered hills on signs of danger. Meanwhile, the Italians were running out of food and German presence had increased. January and February passed. January and February passed.
In March 1944, they were up in the hills by day and spent the nights in different casettas, which were not well camouflaged. One night, the Germans were there, During the melee that followed, some (including Sharma) escaped, while a few (including Naravane) were captured once again. Lt J. C. Sharma, however, got away.
What happened after he returned to India?
Lt Sharma managed to get away in 1944. He reached India in the next few months. He came home to the heartwarming news of his brother, Kuldip Chandra Sharma, having been commissioned in the Army in June 1943, serving in Burma in World War II, and in keeping with the family tradition. In fact one of his letters to his brother had said:
'I suggest you join my Regiment. I will be glad if you get in there. I sincerely hope and wish that I may be free very soon and see some more fighting. When you join your Regiment, do try and learn some other languages. I know you would be able to do it very easily, they are helpful'.
Much later, in 1947, he was posted as AQ, Delhi Area. He commanded two battalions of Gorkha Rifles and retired from the Assam Rifles Headquarters at Shillong.
Colonel J. C. Sharma
