In the North Italian village of Carpane on 27 September 1944 the Germans executed 16 Allied soldiers captured fighting with Italian partisans in that area.
Among them were Private W.J. Kinnear (Transvaal Scottish) and Gunner R. S. Kinnear (South African Artillery) who escaped with other South Africans from a nearby POW camp and joined up with local partisans to carry on fighting the Germans.
They became such a thorn in the flesh of the Germans that a special operation was mounted in the Monte Grappa region to capture them. They were eventually captured and murdered by the Germans.
Every year on this day since the end of the war the villagers of Carpane have held a memorial service at this spot by the side of the road where they were killed.
It is very moving that these Italian villagers have been so faithful for so long in keeping alive the memory of these who were really strangers in their midst. For many years the identity of the 16 was not known and the monument was simply inscribed to "16 unknown".
It was only in 2008 that their identity was uncovered by Sonia Residori, an Italian academic researcher.
My name is Sonia Residori. I am an Italian researcher of 'Istituto storico per lo studio della resistenza e l'età contemporanea "Ettore Gallo"' of Vicenza, Italy. I study the war crimes committed in Italy by Germans and Fascists during the 2nd World War. I have published recently: "Il massacro del Grappa". The military operation lasted two days on the 20 and 21 September 1944, when 200 people were slaughtered; partisans, civilians and allied soldiers. Afterwards the Nazis had taken every recognition document from the allied soldiers killed and tried to destroy their bodies. Since their names were unknown, in their memory a tombstone was placed with the inscription "18 unknown". Now, however, through research at the National Archives (UK) I have learned the names of 12 South African soldiers, 2 English soldiers and 1 Indian soldier killed at Carpanè (Bassano del Grappa). The Mayor of Carpanè wants to carve their names on a memorial tombstone and I would like to publish a study on the war crime. Please can you tell me if someone is able to give me information on the murdered allied POWs? The men were killed on 27th September 1944 and are now buried in Padua War Cemetery.
Among them were Private W.J. Kinnear (Transvaal Scottish) and Gunner R. S. Kinnear (South African Artillery) who escaped with other South Africans from a nearby POW camp and joined up with local partisans to carry on fighting the Germans.
They became such a thorn in the flesh of the Germans that a special operation was mounted in the Monte Grappa region to capture them. They were eventually captured and murdered by the Germans.
Every year on this day since the end of the war the villagers of Carpane have held a memorial service at this spot by the side of the road where they were killed.
It is very moving that these Italian villagers have been so faithful for so long in keeping alive the memory of these who were really strangers in their midst. For many years the identity of the 16 was not known and the monument was simply inscribed to "16 unknown".
It was only in 2008 that their identity was uncovered by Sonia Residori, an Italian academic researcher.
My name is Sonia Residori. I am an Italian researcher of 'Istituto storico per lo studio della resistenza e l'età contemporanea "Ettore Gallo"' of Vicenza, Italy. I study the war crimes committed in Italy by Germans and Fascists during the 2nd World War. I have published recently: "Il massacro del Grappa". The military operation lasted two days on the 20 and 21 September 1944, when 200 people were slaughtered; partisans, civilians and allied soldiers. Afterwards the Nazis had taken every recognition document from the allied soldiers killed and tried to destroy their bodies. Since their names were unknown, in their memory a tombstone was placed with the inscription "18 unknown". Now, however, through research at the National Archives (UK) I have learned the names of 12 South African soldiers, 2 English soldiers and 1 Indian soldier killed at Carpanè (Bassano del Grappa). The Mayor of Carpanè wants to carve their names on a memorial tombstone and I would like to publish a study on the war crime. Please can you tell me if someone is able to give me information on the murdered allied POWs? The men were killed on 27th September 1944 and are now buried in Padua War Cemetery.
In the North Italian village of Carpane on 27 September 1944 the Germans executed 16 Allied soldiers captured fighting with Italian partisans in that area.
Among them were Private W.J. Kinnear (Transvaal Scottish) and Gunner R. S. Kinnear (South African Artillery) who escaped with other South Africans from a nearby POW camp and joined up with local partisans to carry on fighting the Germans.
They became such a thorn in the flesh of the Germans that a special operation was mounted in the Monte Grappa region to capture them. They were eventually captured and murdered by the Germans.
Every year on this day since the end of the war the villagers of Carpane have held a memorial service at this spot by the side of the road where they were killed.
It is very moving that these Italian villagers have been so faithful for so long in keeping alive the memory of these who were really strangers in their midst. For many years the identity of the 16 was not known and the monument was simply inscribed to "16 unknown".
It was only in 2008 that their identity was uncovered by Sonia Residori, an Italian academic researcher.
My name is Sonia Residori. I am an Italian researcher of 'Istituto storico per lo studio della resistenza e l'età contemporanea "Ettore Gallo"' of Vicenza, Italy. I study the war crimes committed in Italy by Germans and Fascists during the 2nd World War. I have published recently: "Il massacro del Grappa". The military operation lasted two days on the 20 and 21 September 1944, when 200 people were slaughtered; partisans, civilians and allied soldiers. Afterwards the Nazis had taken every recognition document from the allied soldiers killed and tried to destroy their bodies. Since their names were unknown, in their memory a tombstone was placed with the inscription "18 unknown". Now, however, through research at the National Archives (UK) I have learned the names of 12 South African soldiers, 2 English soldiers and 1 Indian soldier killed at Carpanè (Bassano del Grappa). The Mayor of Carpanè wants to carve their names on a memorial tombstone and I would like to publish a study on the war crime. Please can you tell me if someone is able to give me information on the murdered allied POWs? The men were killed on 27th September 1944 and are now buried in Padua War Cemetery.
Among them were Private W.J. Kinnear (Transvaal Scottish) and Gunner R. S. Kinnear (South African Artillery) who escaped with other South Africans from a nearby POW camp and joined up with local partisans to carry on fighting the Germans.
They became such a thorn in the flesh of the Germans that a special operation was mounted in the Monte Grappa region to capture them. They were eventually captured and murdered by the Germans.
Every year on this day since the end of the war the villagers of Carpane have held a memorial service at this spot by the side of the road where they were killed.
It is very moving that these Italian villagers have been so faithful for so long in keeping alive the memory of these who were really strangers in their midst. For many years the identity of the 16 was not known and the monument was simply inscribed to "16 unknown".
It was only in 2008 that their identity was uncovered by Sonia Residori, an Italian academic researcher.
My name is Sonia Residori. I am an Italian researcher of 'Istituto storico per lo studio della resistenza e l'età contemporanea "Ettore Gallo"' of Vicenza, Italy. I study the war crimes committed in Italy by Germans and Fascists during the 2nd World War. I have published recently: "Il massacro del Grappa". The military operation lasted two days on the 20 and 21 September 1944, when 200 people were slaughtered; partisans, civilians and allied soldiers. Afterwards the Nazis had taken every recognition document from the allied soldiers killed and tried to destroy their bodies. Since their names were unknown, in their memory a tombstone was placed with the inscription "18 unknown". Now, however, through research at the National Archives (UK) I have learned the names of 12 South African soldiers, 2 English soldiers and 1 Indian soldier killed at Carpanè (Bassano del Grappa). The Mayor of Carpanè wants to carve their names on a memorial tombstone and I would like to publish a study on the war crime. Please can you tell me if someone is able to give me information on the murdered allied POWs? The men were killed on 27th September 1944 and are now buried in Padua War Cemetery.
Inscription
S.A.E.C.
Age 38
In proud and loving memory of my loving husband and our dad
Gravesite Details
190705
Sponsored by Ancestry
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