h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello Peter,

I have edited your story 'A Childhood in Nazi-Occupied Italy', and it will appear on the front page of the site on 2 March. You will see that the only changes I have made are a few extra paragraph breaks, and some sub-headings. The story is now locked, which means you can't edit it any more - let me know if there's anything you are not happy with.

To access all your edited stories, click on 'See all stories and questions' (further down this page, under the heading 'My WW2 Stories and Questions') and then choose 'Show edited contributions'.

Do you know of any other stories on the site dealing with civilian life in Italy during the war? As this is of particular interest to you I thought you might be able to point me in the right direction...

Best wishes
Deborah

Hi Deborah

Sorry for having added to your work load, but a few of my original dates were wrong.

As to stories relating to civilian life in Italy, the second half of this contribution A2001141 by DJNicholls is relevant.

Kind regards,

Peter

Thanks Peter!

I have looked at the story again and it seemed to me that most of the changes you mention in A3507617 were made in the original article A1993403.

I have added one paragraph:
(I now know that this German armoured division I saw heading south by rail was probably the 'Herman Göring' Division, formed in Brittany from paratroop regiments and on the move to the Naples area at that time.)

Let me know if there is anything else you would like to change.

I really enjoyed reading your story, I thought it was very well written and evocative - and very interesting to read about your wartime experiences as you have been such an active member of the site for so long.

Best wishes,
Deborah

Many thanks, once again Deborah. All the changes I mention in A3507617 are indeed in A1993403, I incorporated the changes myself a few days ago and submitted a contemporary photo. The original text is no longer there.

Regarding the paragraph you have added "(I now know that this German armoured division I saw heading south by rail was probably the 'Herman Göring' Division, formed in Brittany from paratroop regiments and on the move to the Naples area at that time)"

More properly it should read:

"(The armoured division I saw heading south was probably the newly reformed and renamed Panzer-Division 'Herman Göring) from the few survivors of the Division 'Herman Göring' in Tunis and scattered elements from France, Holland, and Germany. The new armoured division was worked up in Brittany, France, and then transferred by rail to the Naples area.)"

A few other points.

Could the initial sub-heading be also in bold: An Account of my life in Italy 1940 – 1946

... leaving out:
Battle of San Martino By Peter Ghiringhelli

Could the quotation be put in italics?

'The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there'
'The Go-Between' LP Hartley

..and could the the following paragraph, at the beginning, in parenthesis be now removed:

(I initially wrote this story relying entirely on my memory of events some sixty years previously. I got some of the dates wrong, the Battle of San Martino, for example, was in November 1943, not 1944).

Many thanks, Deborah ,

Peter

All done

Will appear on the front page on 2 March.

Thank you Deborah. I really must be more careful I just noticed that there is a surplus closing parenthesis ')' in the second line of:

"(The armoured division I saw heading south was probably the newly reformed and renamed Panzer-Division 'Herman Göring) from the few survivors of the Division 'Herman Göring' in Tunis and scattered elements from France, Holland, and Germany. The new armoured division was worked up in Brittany, France, and then transferred by rail to the Naples area.)"

... after Göring.

Just in case you copied and pasted, trusting me. I didn't do it on purpose, honest!

Peter

It's OK, I have a sharp eye and spotted it

Deborah

A and to you.

Peter