Gravina, Campo 65, southern Italy

At the beginning of the winter month (2023 op. D.D.) the president of ZZB NOB Slovenia Marijan Križman and member of the board Janez Alič together with the TV Koper Capodistria news team visited the town of Gravina near Bari in southern Italy. There are indeed remnants of the camp Campo 65, which was a camp for British and other allied prisoners of war until September 8, 1943, and after Italy's surrender, it became a gathering point for Yugoslav partisans from November 1943 onwards.

Remnants of Campo 65 are located between the towns of Altamura and Gravina, a camp that was planned for 12,000 people, but measured 30 hectares. On the enclosed abandoned area, only a few buildings, the command post, guard posts are still visible, especially two built buildings, in which even after 80 years the inscriptions are preserved and undamaged, proving the presence of partisans:

Live allies USSR – ANGLIA – AMERIKA

Death to fascism, freedom for the people

On the wall, painted with crayons, a map of Yugoslavia and Italy, in the sea the inscription «Buči buči morje adrijansko, bilo si in boš slovansko»

On the wall, painted with crayons, a map of Eastern Europe from Moscow to Budapest

On the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Partisan Brigades, Miloš Batistuta, journalist for TV Koper Capodistria from Tolmina, prepared a documentary film. The Partisan Brigades were composed of coastal fighters from Bovc to Ilirska Bistrica, who were forcibly taken by Italian authorities and placed in the so-called Bataglioni special throughout Italy, as well as fighters who were recruited into units of the Italian army political prisoners, internees in concentration camps, etc.

In the years 1943 and 1944, five Partisan Brigades were thus formed, the 1st Tank Brigade, the 1st and 2nd Squadrons of NOVJ and some artillery and special units, which were sent into battle against the occupiers in Yugoslavia. Altogether, the mentioned units consisted of approximately 18,000 fighters, Slovenes, Croats, Serbs and Montenegrins.

Source: https://www.zzb-nob.si/izpostavljeno/gravina-juzna-italija/

film Partisans campo 65 - Forgotten

Keyword: partisans123