Hello and looking for a Douglas Boston crash site

[Gianni]

Se non devo portare la macchina in officina posso venire io, in una ventina di minuti sono a Tresigallo

[Manu]

Io ci sono!!! Grazie al cielo sono in ferie!!!

[Manu]

Io diretto Ferrara Tresigallo...

[Fabio]

Tresigallo non è grandissima. La piazza a forma di anello sarebbe un ottimo punto di incontro.

[Manu]

Ok allora rimaniamo per le 9...
ma se hai bisogno tu come fai a contattarci??

[Gianni]

Io arrivo da est, quindi vado dritto a Tresigallo ....... particolare di Tresigallo è la piazza a forma di D risalente al ventennio e altri edifici dall'architettura riconducibile allo stesso periodo 

[Gianni]

Direi bengala, è la soluzione più sobria, ma di mattina potrebbe essere un problema vederlo ......... e a Tresigallo è una tradizione sparare bengala.

[Manu]

Andare a Tresi è come fare un salto nel tempo...
Usiamo un metodo aeronautico..ogni X minuti ti diamo un colpo di telefono...

[Gianni]

Confermo la mia presenza domani, ore 09:00 P.zza Repubblica a Tresigallo 

[Fabio]

Questa sera mi contatterà uno storico di Tresigallo sperando di ricevere altre info riguardo il paese durante la ww2.
Purtroppo domani non riesco a venire con voi, mannaggia.
Buona caccia.

[siliconwombat]

I hope the cold was not too bad! Thank you for pounding the streets of tresigallo, such a shame that it was not nearby but it makes the chase somehow more exciting!
I wish I could join you in the ground, there must be some fascinating memories shared with you!

[siliconwombat]

Hi all, just an update on my end. I'm heading to the national archives at Kew in London next week to have a look at some documents which might just suggest some possible locations or at least more details.
I don't have a massive list to look at so if there's any records someone would like looked at and/or copies of let me know and I'd be happy to help!

Ill be looking at the POW interrogation questionnaires for the crew and hope to also view the target files for Tresigallo. In some way I'm hoping there will be before and after shots showing a downed aircraft but I guess thats really hoping lol!

[siliconwombat]

Well that was fairly successful trip. No definite on crash site but some bits that may help.

The target files for tressigallo show no mention of a power station only a sugar refinery. I wonder if it was referred to as a power station due to its appearance.

The crew post crash all headed north. Spelling of place names and locations are quite vague but as far as I've calculated so far 1 was captured to the south east of CAPITELLO along Via San. Giacomo. He was helped by a family along there who had three daughters, elma a widow, Eva and one of unknown name. He was handed over to the Germans by a fascist masquerading as a partisan. He was called Sergio or "the man with the cape".
2 more including my granddad were captured in or near Cavanella D'Adige.
I think this suggests that they crashed to the north east of Tresigallo perhaps in the area of Jolanda do Savoia. Perhaps there are older people in the areas they were captured who remember the events and know where they had crashed.

For interest the two captured at Cavanella D'Adige were briefly held in the Doges palace in Venezia before heading north to Germany. They all ended the war in Stalag Luft VIIa in Moosburg, Bavaria.

[lanco67]

Hi, notices you found are precious. There is one “Capitello/Via S.Giacomo” immediately north of river Po, near “Bellombra”. Is north east of Tresigallo, and in the same direction there is Cavanella D’Adige. German reports said a 114° Sqn Boston crashed near Chioggia 25 february 45. It’s really possible that is “your”plane. I think the research must start near Cavanella.

[siliconwombat]

Hello

First edition of the book is nearly done ready formy fathers birthday party on sunday. But still new information arises and pieces of the puzzle fit together.

Having looked at the liberation POW questionnaires again I find I read a piece wrong!
The farm where a member of the crew found help was written as San Gatania. Through google I found a place that may fit far btter than my guess of San Giacomo and that is the farm San Gaetano, slightly east of Rosolino. It is currently a restaurant and I have emailed through their website in the faint hope it is the right place and the same family are still the owners.

http://www.sangaetanorosolina.it/

I also understand that as a site of a crash landing there may be nothing material to find. Just to be able to stand at the site and give thanks for the crews survival and to remember the many who were not so lucky, would be a wonderful thing.

Thankyou for all your efforts and the information that you have shared. It means a lot to me! Thankyou again