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ESThlt;YankSicily.MM4boutind for at the/•*—ere the lumberItalynNAPLES—One of the most bi16, 1943. yzarre escape stories hi the books has been told here by a 23-vear-lt;_ClWhiteold P-38 pilot, Lt. James W. PadNevillegett, Portland, Ore.stensonIt was on Sept 2 that Padgetttirchardtook off from a Tunisian airfieldng, Sgt.for a mission over Naples. HeJtangled with ME-109’s in a doge Starsfight, and w’os jubiliant when heAsent one of the MEs down ine mainflames—his first victory. But then%his gas tank was punctured and_he parachuted into the sea off Naples. His injuries were slight He was soon picked up by an Italian patrol boat and taken prisoner.xrrow-Then he was transferred to ancircum-other place. After the armistice,to trialthe Italians treated him almost,•St.-norablebut not quite, as an ally. On SeptDement10 the Germans demanded thestealingsurrender of the place. The Italian commander refused. The nextneces-day German tanks rumbled in andding ofmore than 100 Germans came bea Jeep strange ut thathind them. The commander surrendered.Padgett and seven other prisonTehought it someers—two British sergeants and fiveB-17 crew members—persuaded theWASielayed.vehicleItalians to fit them out with coarsewhite cotton sack suits, and blackdiers, tlvehicleshoes. The eight went along withrepatritumper.the Stations: They marchedeampathrough long rows of Germans andviewerspassed three sentry posts withouttal thej__jincident.treatmethe onlBus To Naplesin the was thlt;pTh«y took a bus to Naples andThey tured 1then split up. Padgett traveledwith an Italian medical officer,who took him to a friend’s apartcels f rcment. He stayed there overnight,situatiobut the next day the Italians werePvt. 1cussionafraid he would be found, so theyfrom Cof thetook him to another hideout.a leg ilay in“Then they did a funny thing,”most fire twothe pilot related. ’’I’m sure theyguardsd bothwere anti-Fascists. Yet they turnRussianplayered me over to the Itaian police.Germanick upI guess you can’t blame them. Thethe feeIso likeGermans were taking hostagesthe Biin «hewhen they found Italians hadtake ovcar.helped prisoners, and all familiesLATERwho hid escaped prisoners werein hisbeing shot. I was caught. I was putitiQS oninto a station wagon and we startlt;es for n dawned off. They were all Italian police, except their commander, whofdseballwas a German. Yet they dumpedentiantme out into a tunnel, and threw aWe onEditor.biscuit after me! I guess theylovedidn’t want to be bothered withThe soime.”As youPadgett got some civilians toiychange his white pants tor dark.Driving.’re thethen he wandered around NaplesTo theen overBut he couldn't leave. The Nazisrs comehad all the roads blocked. Twomano com-Italians started to trail him. OneYou’ve,e havecame up to him, and asked point-A saluiIt con-blank who he was. By this timeFor thlt;e wenthe could speak and understand agn, butlittle Italian He admitted he wasyet. Aan American. They lxth had pa|theirspers showing they were Fascists,1om theyet they gave him money, and gotIf a Uis fairhim a dark coat and cap. Theywishtook him along to three air raidAnd IiEMENshelters until they found one whereI’d ha\he would be safe.And I'lt;MAided By Deserters”1 stayed there three days,” hecontinued, and each day they17brought me a sandwich and a bottle of water. Five Italian deserters).in the shelter helped me with food.NOMollytoo. Two Jerry searching partieseivserecame down there, but each UmeC o. Vthe Italians warned me, and I hidare.” ”The third day I went out tor somethereair. and was met by some Fascists.who accused me of being a Germanspy! Hut one of them believed meA vote18and took me to his house He wasseena Fascist, I know that definitely.Dove sand 1 Unnk the reason he helpedliuiualtee.me was to make money ”the lt;After the third day,” PadgettSono isaid, ”lhc Fascist returned and setjSono ifire to the hay in the bam. I'mthesure lie thought I was inside But I wasn’t The fanner, an anti-Fascist, feared for my safety antiAI dithe i Nellu 1)that same day removed me to anV'icinoother home near Naples 1 reallyC i son C *e un Potetc. me? llaiinoA).had it easy for a while I ate thetx'st food, chicken and Monk, readAmerican books and slept In a softbed.”Havlt;He had no idea the AmericansMitrajwere in Naples until two days afterC'annothey come in.Quant—St. PAIX S. GREENman
Newspaper Details
Sicily Stars and Stripes
Palermo, Sicily, IT
Tue, Nov 16, 1943
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Michael L.
MO, USA 11 Dec 2023
Other Publications Near Palermo, Sicily
Sicily Stars and Stripes
