FREED PRISONERS FIGHTING ON

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 8, 5 October 1943, Page 5

FREED PRISONERS FIGHTING ON

Successful Battle In North Italy GUERRILLAS ACTIVE

LONDON, October 3. Algiers radio stated that British planes have dropped food and arms for Italian patriots and British and American prisoners of war who are resisting the Germans in northern Italy. Bologna, Verona and Venice are the chief centres of Italian resistance. According to Swiss • reports, more than 1000 escaped British prisoners of war fought ■ a battle with German troops 90 miles south of Florence, and won. The British are'believed to be well armed and under competent leadership. Thy are living off the land, helped by sympathetic Italians. Renter’s Algiers correspondent says that armed bands of Italian guerrillas are actively pursuing the Germans in the area round Naples. German prisoners who have 'been brought in confess that they were in terror of roving guerrillas. Naples is reported to be calm, and already rations of bread have been issued. Industries are at a standstill owing to lack of power. The city itself is virtually deserted, but about 600,000 of the normal papulation of 1,000.000 are living in outlying districts. They have no coal for cooking, tout are finding plenty of wood in the railway yards, where wagons have been smashed by the Allied air raids. The reconstruction of Naples is progressing, says Algiers radio. British and American engineers, with Italian volunteers, have almost completed repairs to the water system. Huge convoys of trucks loaded with medical supplies and food are streaming into the city. Amgot officials, who entered Naples immediately after the army, have reorganized the food, gas and electricity supplies.