[Errol Martyn]

Many thanks Alex and Rswank.

According to his service record, on 27 Jul 44 a New Zealand Army officer in Italy got drunk and into a fight with a soldier. He then returned to his tent but next morning was missing from camp, having left behind all his identity documents in his tent.

A broadcast over German radio saying that he was a PoW was the first positive information as to his whereabouts.

On his repatriation form (dated 11 May 45) he gave his place of capture as ‘San Cacciano, Italy’ and place of interrogation as ‘Civil Prison, Pistoia – 28 July ‘44’. He had not been injured ro wounded and offered no information as to the circumstances leading to his capture.


Apparently he was held at Pistoia for the next fortnight, his next recorded location being Stalag VIIA at Moosburg from 14 Aug 44.

A history of his old school quotes from an obituary that ‘while reconnoitring a possible bivouac area for his unit south of Florence he was intercepted by a German patrol and made a prisoner of war.’ The author of the history, however, then goes on to give an unattributed different version of events: ‘. . . he visited a nearby American Air Force mess. It turned out to be a longer drink than he had intended. He accepted an invitation to go on a bombing mission over Germany, the plane on which he was a passenger was shot down over Berlin [sic] and he was taken prisoner.. . .’

There is no mention on his service record nor on his repatriation form about an American bomber. So it seems to be that this was just a tall tale conveyed to the author long afterwards. As it was the officer narrowly missed being court martialed. Following an interview with the officer by Maj Gen Kippenberger in London the matter was dropped on the latter’s recommendation.


Gents, your info helps eliminates any possiblity of the officer being shot down in USAAF bomber.


Cheers,
Errol