ISRPt. Statements submitted to the 1944-1947 Allied Screening Commission

ISRPt. Statements submitted to the 1944-1947 Allied Screening Commission

Fondo Risaliti

The 1944-1947 Allied Screening Commission was tasked to track down Italian civilians who helped escapers and evaders. Helpers were given a certificate of thankfulness signed by Field Marshall H R Alexander, supreme Allied commander in the Mediterranean theatre, and - in some circumstances - cash. Helpers had to fill out a form in which they had to state their personal details, the names of Allied servicemen they helped and details on the nature of the help provided.

In 1947, noting that only a fraction of potential beneficiaries had come forward, the Pistoia branch of ANPI (National Association of Italian Partisans) published a communiqué on local newspapers. The statement urged helpers to claim their reward and get the recognition they deserve. Most respondents enclosed Alexander’s certificate or mentioned the addresses from which repatriated servicemen wrote letters of thankfulness.

Normally, each statement contains the helper(s) personal information, the names of the Allied servicemen accompanied in some case by their service numbers, the nature of the support provided (food, shelter, clothing, medical attention, etc.) and the relevant timespan. Sometimes the statement is signed by more than one person, usually all members of the same household; there are case in which the same individual lodged multiple claims. All items concern British and Americans personnel with the notable exception of a Soviet solider for Ukraine. John F Kerrigan appears in thirteen documents having been helped for about a year by many families. Some personnel actively joined local Resistance units as combatants.
All documents are part of the Risaliti collection, now held at the Istituto Storico della Resistenza e dell’età contemporanea in provincia di Pistoia (ISRPt).

Cataloguer’s note: The claims use the word ‘Inglese’ (English) as to denote nationality. Readers should be advised that in Italian the adjective is frequently used as a loose synonym of ‘British’ or 'English-speaking person'.