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Author Topic: Regina Coeli Prison Rome  (Read 74 times)
deccam
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Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Regina Coeli Prison Rome
« on: Monday 26 October 09 19:20 UTC (UK) »
Anybody ever come across any info about who the British held prisoner in the Regina Coeli in Rome towards the end of the war onwards.My dad had been across North Africa and up through Italy,he finished up in Rome and was a guard there for a while.
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kyt
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www.cfww2.com Commonwealth Forces of WW2


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Re: Regina Coeli Prison Rome
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 27 October 09 12:25 UTC (UK) »
From mid 1944 to near the end of the war the prison housed a number of prominent Italian fascist officials who were awaiting trial by the new Italian state for crimes commited under Mussolini, and in the State's eyes, the worst crimes of collaborating with the Germans. For example, one such official was the former head of the Bank of Italy.

From early 1945 the prison became just another prison again, though I think some of the criminals held were former fascists.

Regina Coeli is more notorios during the fascist/Nazi occupation because of its use for interrogations of anti-fascists, communists etc by the Italians and German Gestapo.

K
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ADM199
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Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Re: Regina Coeli Prison Rome
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 27 October 09 15:17 UTC (UK) »
I think you are refering to Gabriel Adler; S.O.E. Agent with the name"John Armstrong". Adler was Hungarian.

There was a Newspaper Article a few months ago that declared a recently released document identified the mans Grave.
I have a copy of that File and I can't see how the man was identified from the Evidence in the File.
A New Zealand Padre who knew the man said the body dressed in British Battledress was of a different build to Armstrong.
Another witness who was in the Prison said he did not leave with those who were moved out by Lorry and later found shot dead on the outskirts of Rome.
So the evidence that Adler was in fact the man in the Grave is nowhere near conclusive.

Brian
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Prisoners of War. North Africa,Italy and Germany
deccam
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Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Re: Regina Coeli Prison Rome
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 27 October 09 15:55 UTC (UK) »
Thanks guys,one of the things that he mentioned over the years,there was a chap from Stoke Newington in London that was held there for spying,he was a Generals driver apparently,possibly Wavell but I'm not sure.I always wondered what happened to him.
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ADM199
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Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Re: Regina Coeli Prison Rome
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 27 October 09 19:51 UTC (UK) »
Sorry mis-understood your question.

It's going to be difficult without a name. Perhaps the War Diary for your Fathers Unit would mention the Guard Duty,and if you were extremely lucky the mans name.
Thats just a starting point though.

Brian
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Prisoners of War. North Africa,Italy and Germany
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