Missing: Believed Killed in Action

Thomas Crack was from a farming family in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and the book begins when he went to New Zealand in 1937 ‘to see what it was like’. When war broke out he joined up there, becoming a Corporal in the 24th Battalion NZ Infantry. Arrived in the Middle East (Tewfik) 9 October 1941. Duties included guarding a camp of Italian PoWs (Suez), and GHQ for Middle East (Cairo). Moved up to El Alamein and soon captured, 22 July 1942. Shipped from Benghazi, and the sister ship was torpedoed. Held in a PoW camp near Udine (Camp PG 57 Gruppignano or PG 107/7 Tor Viscosa?) before moving to a work camp, PG 107/5, Torri di Confine, on the coast north of Venice. He escaped after the Armistice with two others, Ralph and Mac. They were helped by contadini near Torre di Fine before moving inland to near Passarella (Ferazzo family) when Germans flooded the coastal areas in the spring of 1944. They helped with the farming and assisted the local partisans without actually joining them. With aid of dropped radio, Crack transmitted reports to 8th Army at great personal risk from German direction finding units. Many times nearly recaptured. Finally, in April 1945, partisans led a group of 16 ex-POWs and downed American airmen to coast where they were picked up and taken to Allied lines at Rimini. Arrived back in Canada in August 1945. Good descriptions of the contadini life and the escalating dangers as the Allies advanced. His intelligence, decency and initiative shine through.