Tpr. Frank DeAngeli
British Army 56th Recce Regiment, 5 Sqd. Reconnaissance Corps
from:28 Glenister Park Rd., Streatham Vale, London
My father Frank DeAngeli began the war as a student at Battersea Grammar School and later joined the Pioneer Corps. As he was born in Rome he was considered an enemy alien (he had never lived in Italy and spoke no Italian). In the Pioneer Corps he met and worked with many wonderful aliens, mostly Germans who had fled Germany. According to my father, all were eager to join a fighting unit and do their part. Later in the war they were given their chance and my father was able to enlist in the Reconnaissance service in 1944, I think, he said he joined after Monte Cassino and passed it on the way to join his group.
When he met up with his group, a Lieutenant Edwards said to him "are you related to Rico De Angeli?" and my father said "that is my brother Rico!" and he took my father into his troop. My father served under Lieutenant Edwards, who he described as a true hero. Lieutenant Edwards received a Silver Star and a Military Cross which according to my father was very much deserved.
My father's service was in the Gothic Line part of the fight and the main struggle centered around the heavily fortified River Senio. The river was mined, the banks were mined, the hill above the banks were dotted with armed turrets and a tunnel ran along the River for resupply and communications. He drove a Bren Carrier.
The 56 Recce was the first Allied Unit to enter Austria after surrender. My father said his job on the first night was to guard white Russians who had fought with the Germans against the Communist Soviet Army. They were about to be repatriated to the Soviet Union where they would certainly be killed so they were considered to be unpredictable as they had nothing to lose. My father said he was assigned a German solider as a partner.
I found a small German dictionary with my father's name and a wartime date in it. I asked my father about it and he said there was a young lady he wanted to communicate with. Of course, the soldiers were discouraged from making friends with the civilian population.
At the end of the War, my father and other young Recces, were pulled into other units and my Dad was moved to the 12th Royal Lancers. Sent first to Egypt and then to Palestine, where they were assigned the job of keeping the peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
