Mt. Kenya.

This is coolbert:

The strange case of the missing Italian POW's [prisoners of war ] from the era of the Second World War.

Three Italian POW incarcerated in a British camp during WW2 having FIRST escaped to engage in a MOUNTAINEERING expedition  and SECOND then voluntarily returning to incarceration, a successful ascent of Mt. Kenya having been accomplished!!

"Detained at P.O.W. Camp 354 near Nanyuki, Kenya, Felice Benuzzi from Trieste, together with two fellow-prisoners Dr. Giovanni Balletto . . . and Vincenzo Barsotti . . . escaped in January 1943 and climbed Mt Kenya with improvised equipment and meagre rations, two of them reaching a point on the north face of the Petit Gendarme, at about 5000 meters, high up the NW ridge."

Felice Benuzzi alone having reached the summit of Mt. Kenya!!

"After an eventful 18-day period on the mountain (24 January – 10 February), and to the astonishment of the British camp commandant, the three adventurers broke back into Camp 354. As reward for their exploit, they each received 28 days in solitary confinement, commuted to 7 days by the camp commandant in acknowledgement of their 'sporting effort'".

IT DOESN'T GET A WHOLE MORE STRANGE, DOES IT?

The idea for this blog entry thanks to the exhibit at the Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA!

coolbert.