Brian Gordon Lett Q C

Italy's Outstanding Courage Brian Gordon Lett Q C

This book tells the story of the heroism of the many thousands of Italians in World War Two who helped Allied escaped prisoners of war and evaders, on the run in German and Fascist occupied Italy. More than four hundred Italians were listed to receive awards from the British for their courage - variously described by senior Allied officers as outstanding, magnificent, superb and indomitable courage. The author tells the story of this courage, and includes details of all those who won medals. These varied from the George Medal to the King's Medal which had been specially created for acts of heroism by foreigners. However, eventually, at the end of 1947/early 1948, a government decision was taken that no medals should be awarded by the British to Italian nationals, and none of these courageous Italians received the medals that they had won. The author examines the reasons why that decision was taken. In most cases, the medal winners and their families did not even know that their courage had been recognised. This is a hitherto untold story of the secret civilian army who help Allied escapers. After the war, it was proved to the satisfaction of the Allies that a minimum of 62,000 Italian families helped to save the lives of escapers. Hundreds of Italians were executed by the Germans and Fascists because of the help that they had given. Many more were tortured, and condemned to German concentration camps such as Mauthausen.