During the Second World War, he served as a brigadier with the Royal Horse Artillery and was captured along with General Gambier-Parry by Italian forces at Mechili in Cyrenaica, North Africa in April 1941. He was initially taken to the same barracks as Major-General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, VC in Tripoli[1] after which he was taken by ship to Naples and then on to the Villa Orsini near Sulmona. There he helped in the garden and ‘collected news from Italian newspapers, making a resume of them in English which he managed brilliantly’.[2]
He was transferred in April 1942 to Castello di Vincigliata (PG12), which was a medieval castle near Florence for very high ranking officers. Amongst the captives were Major-General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart VC, Air Marshal Owen Tudor Boyd, Lieutenant General Sir Philip Neame VC, Lieutenant-Colonel John Frederick Boyce Combe, General Sir Richard Nugent O'Connor and Daniel Knox, 6th Earl of Ranfurly, known as 'Dan' Ranfurly. He took on the role of camp librarian, which by the Spring of 1943 numbered nearly one thousand books.[3] He was part of the tunnelling group that worked in shifts for over six months. The escape was successful: six officers escaped of which two managed to make Switzerland – New Zealand Brigadiers James Hargest and Reginald Miles.
He himself was able to escape during the Italian Armistice in September 1943 with the remaining officers and men. They branched off into the mountains, seeking refuge in the Monastery of Camaldoli. "He discovered a retired Dutch diplomat,[4] close by, and he and O’Connor used to listen to the news on their wireless".[5] He joined the Italian partisans known as the Garibaldi Brigade Romagna under the leadership of Libero Riccardo Fedel, who during the winter of 1943/4 helped dozens of allied prisoners to escape. By May 1944 he reached Allied lines in Ancona by fishing boat with Guy Ruggles-Brise (who later, like him, became a High Sheriff of Essex after the war), John Combe, Dan Ranfurly, American diplomat Walter Orebaugh and an American pilot named Jack Reiter.[6] He was flown to Algiers, from where he and Combe were flown back to England.[7]
Later lifeedit
After the war he lived at Threshers in Harlow, serving as High Sheriff of Essex for 1964–65. Later he lived at The Glebe House, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire, and held the office of Justice of the Peace.
He had married Agnes Swire in 1927. They had one daughter.
Playing with Strife, The Autobiography of a Soldier, Lt-Gen. Sir Philip Neame, V.C., K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., George G Harrap & Co. Ltd, 1947, 353 pages, (written whilst a POW, the best narrative of Vincigliata as Campo PG12, contains a scale plan of Castello di Vincigliata, and photographs taken by the author just after the war)
Farewell Campo 12, Brigadier James Hargest, C.B.E., D.S.O. M.C., Michael Joseph Ltd, 1945, 184 pages
Happy Odyssey, Lt-Gen. Sir Carton De Wiart, V.C., K.B.E., C.M.G., D.S.O., Jonathan Cape Ltd, 1950, re-printed by Pen & Sword Books 2007, 287 pages, ISBN1-84415-539-0
edward, joseph, todhunter, brigadier, 1900, 1976, british, soldier, high, sheriff, essex, contents, early, life, second, world, later, life, references, sourcesearly, life, editted, todhunter, born, family, estate, kingsmoor, house, stewards, farm, great, parn. Brigadier Edward Joseph Todhunter TD DL 1900 1976 was a British soldier and High Sheriff of Essex Contents 1 Early life 2 Second World War 3 Later life 4 References 5 SourcesEarly life editTed Todhunter was born on his family s estate of Kingsmoor House and Stewards farm in Great Parndon Essex He attended Rugby School becoming a Cadet in the O T C division In 1922 he was Gazetted as 2nd Lt in the 104th Essex Yeomanry Brigade Royal Field Artillery rising to Lieutenant Colonel Second World War editDuring the Second World War he served as a brigadier with the Royal Horse Artillery and was captured along with General Gambier Parry by Italian forces at Mechili in Cyrenaica North Africa in April 1941 He was initially taken to the same barracks as Major General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart VC in Tripoli 1 after which he was taken by ship to Naples and then on to the Villa Orsini near Sulmona There he helped in the garden and collected news from Italian newspapers making a resume of them in English which he managed brilliantly 2 He was transferred in April 1942 to Castello di Vincigliata PG12 which was a medieval castle near Florence for very high ranking officers Amongst the captives were Major General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart VC Air Marshal Owen Tudor Boyd Lieutenant General Sir Philip Neame VC Lieutenant Colonel John Frederick Boyce Combe General Sir Richard Nugent O Connor and Daniel Knox 6th Earl of Ranfurly known as Dan Ranfurly He took on the role of camp librarian which by the Spring of 1943 numbered nearly one thousand books 3 He was part of the tunnelling group that worked in shifts for over six months The escape was successful six officers escaped of which two managed to make Switzerland New Zealand Brigadiers James Hargest and Reginald Miles He himself was able to escape during the Italian Armistice in September 1943 with the remaining officers and men They branched off into the mountains seeking refuge in the Monastery of Camaldoli He discovered a retired Dutch diplomat 4 close by and he and O Connor used to listen to the news on their wireless 5 He joined the Italian partisans known as the Garibaldi Brigade Romagna under the leadership of Libero Riccardo Fedel who during the winter of 1943 4 helped dozens of allied prisoners to escape By May 1944 he reached Allied lines in Ancona by fishing boat with Guy Ruggles Brise who later like him became a High Sheriff of Essex after the war John Combe Dan Ranfurly American diplomat Walter Orebaugh and an American pilot named Jack Reiter 6 He was flown to Algiers from where he and Combe were flown back to England 7 Later life editAfter the war he lived at Threshers in Harlow serving as High Sheriff of Essex for 1964 65 Later he lived at The Glebe House Great Bedwyn Wiltshire and held the office of Justice of the Peace He had married Agnes Swire in 1927 They had one daughter References edit Carton de Wiart p184 Carton de Wiart p188 Hargest p77 Neame p315 Ranfurly p237 Ranfurly p228 Ranfurly p228 230 Sources editPlaying with Strife The Autobiography of a Soldier Lt Gen Sir Philip Neame V C K B E C B D S O George G Harrap amp Co Ltd 1947 353 pages written whilst a POW the best narrative of Vincigliata as Campo PG12 contains a scale plan of Castello di Vincigliata and photographs taken by the author just after the war Farewell Campo 12 Brigadier James Hargest C B E D S O M C Michael Joseph Ltd 1945 184 pages Happy Odyssey Lt Gen Sir Carton De Wiart V C K B E C M G D S O Jonathan Cape Ltd 1950 re printed by Pen amp Sword Books 2007 287 pages ISBN 1 84415 539 0 MI9 Escape amp Evasion 1939 45 M R D Foot amp J M Langley The Bodley Head 1979 365 pages To War with Whitaker 1994 The wartime diaries of The Countess of Ranfurly 1939 1945 Hermione Ranfurly William Heinemann Ltd London 375 pages ISBN 0 434 00224 0 War in Italy 1943 1945 1994 A Brutal Story Richard Lamb Saint Martin s Press New York 328 pages ISBN 978 0 312 11093 2 The Peerage com 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Edward Joseph Todhunter amp oldid 1186174577, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
