This part of my website has nothing at all to do with my Dance Teaching,

but is simply a short information for friends of my father Ken de Souza

This year Ken celebrated his 89^th birthday!

He enjoys receiving letters and Emails from his friends in the UK.

If you want to send him an Email then please use my address.

From Bolgnia Airport to Monte Urano involves a trip  through the beautiful region of the Marche beside the Appenines.  A Green Cross Ambulance had been arranged for the transport.  The driver Francesco was the son of Giovani Brugnoni who was a POW in Scotland at the same time that Ken was being hidden by Family Brugnoni

The Green Cross Ambulance reaches its destination where Ken is to spend the night.  As his wheelchair rolls out of the Ambulance his face lights up as he sees a group of people waiting to welcome him.  The Mayor of Monte Urano, The Minister of Culture, Annalese who translated his book, and Francesco’s wife.  Such lovely People!  We had safely arrived :-)

The next day was an early start.  The Ambulance picked us up to drive us to Monte Urano for the Liberation Day Memorial Service.  As we rolled into the church heads turned, veterans remembered, eyes were wet. Following the service people gathered on the square between the Church and the Town Hall, Ken was the centre of attention.  Everyone had a story to tell.  The past had become very real.

A band had assemled just across the square, we waited expectantly to be musically entertained, no such luck they were waiting for us to fall in.   The Mayor ushered Ken to the centre of the square where promptly Partisans gathered to his side and the band took this as their signal and also fell in. 

The standard bearer lifted his standard, the drums rolled the trumpets sounded off and we were away.

The NHS Wheelchair containing Ken rolled off down the cobbled streets of Monte Urano leading the Partisans Parade to lay a wreath at the memorial statue at the bottom of the hill.

We soon learnt the man brandishing a large TV Camera was from Italys national TV station and that Ken was to feature for 10 minutes on the 19.00 hr news that evening. National and Local Reporters were taking snapshots which appeared the next day in many national and regional newspapers.  I guess that makes me the most famous wheelchair pusher in Italy. J

The wreath having been laid, we marched back up the hill stopping in front of the Town Hall again being surrounded by people wanting to shake hands, hug  and kiss Ken.

The Mayor and Minister of Culture ushered Ken into the packed auditorium where he took his place on the top table sandwiched between the Mayor and Professor Nebbia who did the Italian translation. The president of the Liberation Movement, a leading war historian were also represented.  Having had the honour to be able to sit behind my Dad, we shared the view into the packed audience, where we could observe the antiks of the the camera team from Italy´s National TV station, national and local press photographers and reporters ...

We looked into  a sea of faces not just war veterans or members of the Italian Resistance adourning uniforms and flags but a multitude of people, who like myself, belong to the next generation, we were not involved but only "heard" about the war from our parents.

Ken had to make a speech in Italian, due to severe speech difficulties resulting from the Strokes, this was going to be very difficult.  I had offered to deliver a speech on behalf of my Dad which was seen as an ideal solution, apart from the fact that I don´t speak Italian. L  I had 5 days to learn a speech in Italian.  Ken with difficulty still gave a short speech, although difficult to understand the content was very clear as could be seen by those having to dry their eyes.   Thank You means the same in any language.

Speeches were made by the Mayor, The Minister of Culture, Leading historians, Partisans, the Institute which had published the book and a representative of the “Contadini” (from the next Brugnoni generation). 

It was now clear it wasn´t simply a book which Ken had written it was an important contribution and document to Italy´s history especially in the “Marche” region.  As the speeches ended a crowd gathered in front of Ken, some holding copies of his book in Italian or English which they wanted signing, some wanting to shake hands other saying, “do you remember me?”  

Whilst in the region, Ken re visited the POW camp in Fermo where he was imprisoned for a year before escaping by hiding under the weighbridge.  The Camp was then home to 8.000 prisoners mainly Marines & Army and 3 RAFs including Ken and his pilot, "Hal".  Before the war it was used as a flax factory and for a short time after the war as a leather factory.  Nothing much has changed the brickwork is still the same. Ken prefers not to remember the suffering, but instead talks about the beautiful views over the Adriatic and the region Marche.

Ken remained silent, remembering, thinking... then, as over 60 years ago, he wanted to leave.

This picture shows Ken with Prof. Nebbia, on top of the Weighbridge which is now cemented over.

Before leaving we took a trip to the coast, to see the part of the Adriatic coast from where Ken was rescued by the SAS.   There were 2 rescue attempts, the first by the father of Prof. Nebbia (who translated the book), he was to sail down the coast and look for a morse code light signal “R R”.  There was a bad storm making the rescue impossible.  Sometime later a second attempt, Ken lay on the beach flashing the signal, a signal was returned and off Ken & Hal set in a Fishing Boat out to the ship.  The Fishing Boat sank leaving Ken & Hal a long swim in icy cold water in January, they reached the rescue craft before freezing.  Ken remembers  the spot exactly!

Afterwards we visited the Farmhouse of the Family Brugnoni.  Although Stella has passed away, the spirit of the Brugnoni Family lives on.  They are truly wonderful people, all 3 generations were waiting to greet Ken (then known as "Arturo").  They were at the Civic reception and afterwards we met up again up to revisit the old farmhouse in which the last generation lived and where Ken and Hal were hidden for almost a year before being rescued by the SAS. The next generation of the Family live just across the road from the old farmhouse, (now used as stables). Ken couldn´t get upstairs in his wheelchair but from the description it is just as it was.

The Brugnoni Family risked their lives by taking in an escaped POW. As "contadini" (local peasants), they had very little apart from what the could grow, but what they had they willingly shared, knowing that if found out they would be shot without question, (in the same way as a family just down the road). 

The brother of Stella, "Giovani", was being held as a POW in Scotland at the same time Ken was hiding out with the Italians. Following his return to UK, Kens first Job was to go Scotland to see Giovani Brugnoni at the POW Camp.  This picture is of Giovani´s wife and son.

in the 20th Century, will we ever see the return of the "Caring Generation"?  

The Map shows Fermo where Ken was held POW.

Following his escape he was hidden by the Family Brugnoni in Monte Urano.

The SAS organised his get away from Porta San Giorgio

Presentazione di "Fuga dalle Marche. Prigionia ed evasione di un ufficiale di aviazione inglese (1942 - 1944)

San Benedetto del Trono (AP), 22 febbraio 2006