Home » Themes » Conflict » World War Two
Italian Prisoners of WarPrint Page 
The monument commemorates Italian Prisoners of War (POW's) who died in P.O.W. camps.
The Italian Prisoners of War took no part in the Cowra breakout and willingly worked in the area.
During World War Two at Britain's request, Australia agreed to take 18,000 Italian prisoners of war and the Cowra Camp (one of 28 in Australia) featured prominently by housing 2,000 of these at any one time. The overall numbers that went through Cowra may never be known but it is estimated at 4,000.
The Italians arrived in 1943 and onward and were housed in compounds A and C with approximately 1000 in each. It soon became apparent that many of these Italians were easy going and just wanted to work hard and see their time out. A number of them were trusted individuals who were able to drive vehicles and work on farms or do labouring work away from the camp. Many were allocated and stayed on surrounding farms.
Location
| Address: | Sakura Avenue & Evans Street, Cowra, 2794 |
|---|---|
| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -33.811636 Long: 148.703872 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | WW2 |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 03-September-1939 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 15-August-1945 |
Dedication
Lest We Forget
1940 1945
Dedicato Ai Soldati Italiani
Deceduti nei Campi Di Prigionia & ai caduti di tutte le guerre & di tutte le nazioni
Land donated by Cowra Shire Council
Plaque :
This monument has been erected by the Italian community in Australia to the memory of the Italian Prisoners of War who died in P.O.W. camps and to those of all nations who have fallen in times of war
Lest We Forget
