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was able to evade capture and, after dark, endeavoured to return to the beach head. He first encountered a number of
Italians whom he bluffed into thinking him a Vichy Frenchman. On escaping from the Italians, he eventually found a road which he recognised from his map. Whilst following this road he was challenged by some Germans who ordered him to put his hands up. Without warning they rolled a grenade at him along the ground. Just in time, he jumped aside and ran back, followed by more grenades; he escaped by taking cover in the scrub, shortly after this, he found himself in a minefield through which he picked his way for half an hour before reaching a track. Following this track, Flight Lieutenant Snell blundered on a German airfield, very near the battle area, where he was captured. The Germans decided to execute him as a spy. Flight Lieutenant Snell was marched out to a small open space and ordered to kneel down. Realising that he was to be shot in cold blood, he did not obey the order, but sprang away as the Germans fired. He was wounded in several places, his right shoulder being smashed. Despite this, Flight Lieutenant Snell evaded his captors, and hid for a time amongst boulders, before making a last attempt to reach the British lines. Owing to the extreme weakness and pain caused by his wounds, this attempt was not successful. Flight Lieutenant Snell was re-captured at dawn after he had collapsed from exhaustion. He was again threatened with execution for spying on the airfield, but finally managed to prove his identity to the satisfaction of the Germans. He was taken to a field hospital where his wounds received attention. Later, Flight Lieutenant Snell was transferred to
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pilot during the Second World War. He flew in the North
African campaign in 1942 and was shot down during the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943. Initially captured by the Germans he escaped from a firing squad but was recaptured. He again escaped German captivity whilst in Italy and became one of the
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by sea. Here he was in hospital for about 2 months, until the
Germans, who controlled the prisoners, decided to move them by train to Germany. Although not fully recovered from his wounds, Flight Lieutenant Snell determined to escape during the journey and made all possible preparations for this. In
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On 10th July, 1943, this officer's aircraft was shot down during a patrol over the beach head in Sicily, where allied landings were taking place. He was then engaged in attacking a force of
Messerschmidts. The crash landing took place in territory controlled by the enemy, but Flight Lieutenant Snell
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He initially ran into an
Italian patrol and then a German one that fired at him. In his attempt to escape from the Germans he found he had hidden in a minefield. After slowly finding his way out of the minefield he was captured by the Germans near an airfield. Thinking Snell was a spy they intended
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to
Switzerland. They made a long and risky train journey, accompanied by several of their Italian friends, to a small village near the frontier. There they were introduced to two guides who took them over the mountains. After a very long and steep climb, the frontier was reached and crossed. In
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Snell travelled through Africa and met his future wife Jackie in New York in 1964. They travelled together in the United States and Mexico. He worked as an actor in films and theatre, and also as a songwriter and entertainer throughout his life. He recorded the album
397:. For the next week, they travelled south. During this journey, they had several narrow escapes from the Germans and were assisted by a number of Anti-Fascist Italians. With this help, the officers were able to reach
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the
Germany Army took control of the prison camp, and directed that the prisoners be transferred by train to Germany. While other prisoners on the train distracted the guards Snell, along with Major
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where they were sheltered by various friendly
Italians for several months. It was eventually decided that Flight Lieutenant Snell and his companion should attempt to escape over the
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which burnt down. Selling everything left in Ibiza the Snells rebuilt the restaurant into a success. Snell continued to provide entertainment to patrons up until his death.
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Weakened by his wound Snell was recaptured but this time was able to prove he was an Allied pilot. Treated for his wounds he was later transferred to a military hospital in
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jet fighters. The squadron was assigned to
Germany just after hostilities ceased and Snell remained August 1946 until discharged from the RAF a short while later.
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for almost two months. With help from the resistance the pair gradually made it to the Swiss border, and they returned to
Britain in November 1944. Lewis was
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landings. For the rest of 1942 and into early 1943, Snell's squadron provided air interception and ground attack sorties in support of the
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233:. In November 1940 he volunteered for the RAF and was shipped to the United States for pilot training under the "Arnold" Scheme.
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company with an American officer, he jumped from the train while it was passing through a junction, afterwards discovered to be
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Switzerland, Flight Lieutenant Snell was interned until October, 1944, when, the American advance reached the Swiss border.
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to execute him. Snell made another run for it and managed to again escape but was wounded in the right shoulder.
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505:"Recommendations for Honours and Awards (Army)—Image details—Lewis, Peter John; Mentions in Despatches"
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23 July 1946 – Flight Lieutenant Anthony Noel Snell (119146), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
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where they ran a charter service on a catamaran they had sailed there. In 1970 he moved to the
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After the capitulation of Axis forces in May 1943, 242 Squadron was reassigned to
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very few men to be awarded the DSO exclusively for escaping from the enemy.
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whilst in New York. Returning to the UK in 1966, Snell and Jackie moved to
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near the small village of Fabrico, who helped them hide in a safe house in
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fighters. His Spitfire was hit and he crash landed in enemy territory.
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Snell returned to Britain during the summer of 1942 and joined
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Snell spent time in hospital recuperating and later joined
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309:. After a six-day walk they encountered members of the
208:(19 March 1922 – 4 August 2013), was a British
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662:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
642:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
574:(Supplement). 27 February 1945. p. 1187.
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357:to run an unsuccessful boat charter company.
321:on 1 January 1945, and Snell was awarded the
617:. No. 36542. 26 July 1946. p. 3834
682:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II
426:"Obituary – Flight Lieutenant Tony Snell"
594:(Supplement). 23 July 1946. p. 384.
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360:His wife had opened a restaurant called
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697:British Virgin Islands businesspeople
687:People educated at Cheltenham College
667:British World War II prisoners of war
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375:Distinguished Service Order citation
367:He wrote an account of his life in
299:Italy surrendered in September 1943
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606:"Supplement to the London Gazette"
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479:"Major Peter Lewis – Telegraph"
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16:British RAF pilot (1922–2013)
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311:Italian resistance movement
190:Distinguished Service Order
25:Tony Snell (disambiguation)
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454:"Arnold Scheme 1941-1943"
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355:British Virgin Islands
173:North African Campaign
90:British Virgin Islands
542:The National Archives
513:The National Archives
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289:Escape from captivity
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347:An Englishman Abroad
330:No. 504 Squadron RAF
279:Messerschmitt Bf 109
257:as it drove towards
243:No. 242 Squadron RAF
160:No. 504 Squadron RAF
156:No. 242 Squadron RAF
483:The Daily Telegraph
456:. arnold-scheme.org
431:The Daily Telegraph
369:Spitfire Troubadour
614:The London Gazette
591:The London Gazette
571:The London Gazette
255:British First Army
231:Cheltenham College
221:Snell was born in
201:Anthony Noel Snell
36:Anthony Noel Snell
551:978-1-905615-06-3
485:. 12 January 2009
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619:. Retrieved
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166:Battles/wars
85:(2013-08-04)
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652:2013 deaths
647:1922 births
586:"No. 37666"
566:"No. 36961"
48:Nickname(s)
636:Categories
518:20 January
489:18 January
413:References
96:Allegiance
62:1922-03-19
621:11 August
460:11 August
438:11 August
303:Per Lewis
247:Spitfires
536:(2007).
340:Post war
297:. After
112:Service/
386:Catania
332:flying
245:flying
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399:Modena
395:Mantua
315:Modena
307:Mantua
265:Sicily
186:Awards
147:119146
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114:branch
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609:(PDF)
390:Lucca
351:Ibiza
295:Lucca
271:Malta
259:Tunis
623:2013
546:ISBN
520:2009
491:2009
462:2013
440:2013
403:Alps
227:Kent
152:Unit
132:Rank
80:Died
73:Kent
56:Born
51:Tony
210:RAF
205:DSO
41:DSO
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