Find the Scot we sheltered in WW2
ITALIAN REACHES OUT TO POW FAMILY Charity help farmer’s son appeal to relatives of soldier 72 years on
AN ITALIAN family are trying to find relatives of an escaped Scottish POW they sheltered during World War II.
Modesto Damiani was 11 years old when his father, also Modesto, hid 16 Allied soldiers who had escaped from prison camps in 1944.
Among those to be shielded in the village of Lucignana, in the mountains of Tuscany, was James Devaney, who gave his address as 134 Broadholm Street, Possilpark, Glasgow.
Modesto snr passed on the story of how he was betrayed by locals, who alerted Nazi soldiers to the presence of James and his comrades.
The brave Italian only just managed to warn them in time, pulling on his coat over his nightclothes as he dashed out in the
The bonds forged all those years ago are still very much alive ANDREW ADAMS
early morning to tell them to make their escape.
The younger Modesto, who worked in the UK with his dad after the war, recently contacted the Monte San Martino Trust, a British charity set up to honour Italian farmers who sheltered Allied soldiers.
Andrew Adams of the Trust said: “The bonds forged all those years ago are still very much alive. The Damiani family are keen to make contact with relatives of the soldiers.”
Relatives of James, whose service number was 2987472, can call the Record on 0141 309 3251, email us at reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk or contact info@msmtrust.org.uk.