CAMP EBOLI
I think there is not enough information available about the
period regarding the Yugoslav military-civilian camp located in the small,
historical town of Eboli in southern Italy. Probably close to 30,000 people
were living there and that camp became a town under the olive trees.
In October of 1945 all of the Yugoslav monarchists, the
Chetniks of Vojvoda Djujic and Jevdjevic, the Serbian Volunteers, Slovenian
Domobranci and some Croats who escaped in May 1945 and were then in different
camps in northern Italy were transferred to Eboli. The camp was a large complex
of tents and big huts, made of corrugated metal, and there life became more
normal. The camp was run by Serbs and the presence of the British was
negligent, so to speak .The families were in a separate part and there were
quite a large number of children.
The hospital of the Serbian Volunteers which then enlarged
with the doctors and medical help from the Chetniks, got a new name: Chetnik
Hospital. The hospital got a number of metal huts and for that time and
circumstances, it was well equipped and even had a decent operating room. The
nurses, or, as we called them, ‘sisters’, were the same as were in the
Volunteers Hospital, with additions of sisters from the Chetniks and Slovenian
Domobraci. For TB patients there was a Sanatorium. In January of 1947 the
hospital was transferred to a much nicer place, in a resort town, Mercatello,
near Salerno. There was a chapel, where the writer of this was married in
February of 1947.
Rapidly life improved dramatically. In a few of the really big metal huts there
was a Church where many marriages took place, and where funerals were
performed. A really important part of
improving the quality of life was organizing a theater. The actors were
talented men and girls, members of the Volunteers, who once a week gave
performances, usually some comedy, written by the well known writer Branislav
Nusic, or something similar.
No less important was organizing a High School and
Commercial Academy, for those, who being in the Army did not finish their
schooling. , For seminarian students a Theological-seminary was offered in the
camp and there were enough High School professors and many priests qualified to
teach in the High School and seminary. The Seminary got the name
Manasija and the Very Reverend Dr. Rada Paunovic became the Director of the
school. Close to 50 priests were
professors. Anglican Bishop Dr. X. Bakston, who came to visit the Seminary was
so impressed that he made it possible for a number of the students to get
scholarships in England, France and Switzerland. After finishing some came to the USA, some
stayed in England and became parish priests, and a few did very well and were
later known for their good service. We should not forget that a course for
choir singing was also offered in one of
the largest metal huts which as I said
became a Church. The cemetery was
in a nearby town, Batipaglia, where about 50 were buried. Much later, the
remains were taken to a place in Bari on the Adriatic coast. Ratibor Djurdjevic, who became a member of
YMCA while studying in England succeeded
in obtaining help from that
organization, but more important, he and Major Momcilo Djordjevic, after long
and difficult work, did publish a Serb- English dictionary.
Volunteers were able to publish a series of books, with the
name “Under the Olive Trees – Ispod Maslina”,
where the work of the young writers were published. A number of
publications like magazines, some comical and some more serious were printed.
Aside from schooling,
numerous courses for different trades and surveyors offered the chance for many
to get educations and be ready for the new life.
A few soccer teams competed to see who is best, and the
rivalries were enormous!
A picture of the camp is included, but keep in mind that
this is not picture of the whole camp.
Visible also is the smoke, and this came from the kitchens preparing the
meals. Included is a very nice picture of all of the priests, who were either
from Dinara Division or the Serb Volunteers. As far as I know, none of them is
still with us!
Camp was closed in May of 1947, and everybody including the
hospital, were sent to Germany, where after some time they all became Displaced
persons (DP’s), and put in DP Camps.
Stevan Pirocanac
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If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra, please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com
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I was born in Eboli 3/31/47 Chetnk son
ReplyDeleteMy mother in law was born in Eboli on March 9th, 1947. The family was relocated to Germany shortly after.
ReplyDelete