Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Second World War on The Wartime Memories Project Website

Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Second World War on The Wartime Memories Project Website



Additions will be checked before being published on the website and where possible will be forwarded to the person who submitted the original entries. Your contact details will not be forwarded, but they can send a reply via this messaging system.


216548

Pte. Alfred King

British Army 2nd Btn. Wiltshire Regiment

Alfred King fought with 2 Wiltshire Regiment at Cassino as part of 5 British Infantry Division, where they were involved in the crossing of the Garigliano. After being captured Alfred was most likely taken to a transit camp at Frosinone, south of Rome. From here he was loaded onto a POW train bound for Germany on 26th January 1944, and it was on this journey that the Allerona tragedy took place.On 28th January 1944 at the Orvieto North railway bridge at Allerona, Italy, a train full of Allied prisoners, most of whom had come from Camp P.G. 54, Fara in Sabina, north of Rome, was hit by friendly fire from the American 320th Bombardment Group. U.S. Army member Richard Morris was on the train and wrote that the journey was stopped on the bridge over the river, and that the German guards fled as soon as the bombs struck. The prisoners were left locked inside the carriages. Many, including Alfred King, managed to escape through holes in the boxcars caused by the bombing, and jumped into the river below. It was a great tragedy of the war resulting in the deaths of hundreds of men.

Alfred escaped the wreck, but was then captured in Garigliano and sent to Stalag 344 in Lamsdorf, Poland.



Please type your message:     

We recommend you copy the text about this item and keep a copy on your own computer before pressing submit.
Your Name:            
Email Address:       @

**Please type the first part our your email in the first box (eg. john.smith) the @ sign is added automaticallly, please type the second part in the second box (eg. gmail.com). Do not enter your full email in each box or add an @ sign or random spaces.**

Please type in the code shown here: CAPTCHA Image   

If you are unable to read the code please click here.

If you have received an error message for incorrect code, please click to refresh the code before resending. This should overcome the error message.