The following extract is taken from  Giuseppe Bacciagaluppi's final report on the activites of the 'Service'

 

Number of transfers to Switzerland

As regards transfer activity, which was the main purpose of the Service, the documentation held can be considered quite complete. The main documentation consists of the forms ( formulari pl. singular formulario) filled in and signed by the escapers, delivered by them to the guides when crossing the border, and returned by them to the Service agents against payment of the price for the passage:  for all these escapers there is the presumption of transfer but there is no sure proof of the actual crossing of the border: in particular, those who were captured before reaching their goal can be included among them.

An alphabetical roster has been compiled for all identified British escapers resulting from both the forms and these documents. Finally, a certain number of preserved documents are indecipherable: to take into account these and those that have been lost or that have not been compiled (especially in the period September-October '43), the numerical data of the unidentified transferred escapers can be estimated as follows: British 66 (5%), Slavs 41 (15%), other Allies 33 (15%); total 140 (8%).

 

Of these forms, having eliminated the incomplete, the indecipherable and those of dubious authenticity, there remain 1020, of which 754 are of British escapers, 151 of Slavs and 115 of other Allies, concerning almost exclusively the period October '43 - April '44: in the previous period (mid-September to mid-October) they were not in use, while those of the following period (May '44 - March '45) have been lost.

In addition to the forms, which constitute reliable proof of the transfer to Switzerland,  other original documents (letters, declarations, names and autographed addresses) have been preserved, which, integrated with the data obtained from the reports received from the Service's associates, made it possible to identify the following number of escapers helped to cross into Switzerland:

470 British
119 Slavs
96 other Allies

(total 685).

The Voldomino List

In October 1943 before the Formulari were used, a list was made of those who had been helped to cross the Swiss border.

Here is a transcription of part of it:

 

It is interesting to read that the reward for assisting the three officers was double that of assisting the ordinary ranks, and that 'A' Force agent 'Leo' (Bruno Leoni) had supplied the names of five prisoners to the 'Service'.  The origin of the officers was Piacenza -  POW camp PG 29 at Veano. Whilst the funds were supplied in part by the 'Service' the fact that the first group of eight who crossed into Switzerland on 3 October paid for themselves should be noted.

Some Examples of Formulari

 

In the above example  Lance Corporal Harold Armitage has filled in a standard form.  It will  be noted  that the date and signature have been added in later, as was the recommended procedure.

The guide, 'Enzo', has signed the back of the form and his zone of operation - IV - the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo, the Upper Lake Como area and the Valtellina.  

 Guide Umberto Bruni,  has also signed this  handwritten form, written on a page torn from a notebook and filled in by  Sapper Abe Fix, a South African Jewish escaper,  in a different hand. The form contains all the information to be found on the pre-stamped version except the declaration,  and in addition it gives the name of the starting point,  showing that Sapper Fix  started out from the Cremia Border Centre (see The Routes page). 

Private Richard Bell's form, shown on the left,  is written entirely in his own hand, and the declaration appears on the front instead of on the revers side.

On the right  is a slip of paper taken from an exercise book giving only the name, number and unit of the two escapers, Private J.W.W.. Clarke (South Wales Borderers) and provate T. Hewitt (2 Cameron Highlanders). 

Sometimes the  identification of the escaper is rendered difficullt by the handwriting. Recorded as Kotae by Bacciagaluppi, the Escape and Evasion report and the POW register WO 392/21 gives the correct spelling of New Zealander Corporal Henry Katae's surname.

Duplicates

As can be seen on the list on the following page some escapers were recorded as having crossed into Switzerland on more than one formulario on different dates. 

In contrast, Lt. David C.G. Lewis, The Buffs,  has no less than four Formulari in his name for the same date. On the back is the signature of 'Enzo'. The fact that they were duplicates was realised by Bacciagaluppi:

False formulari

My examination of the Formulari has revealed the following  suspicious entries:

 

FALSIFIED DATES: the date of the Formulario does not coincide with the date of interview in Switzerland

                                                                                                     

113877 Bdr Brebner J.H.N., S.A.A,  Formulario: no & date  B4518/ 29 12 43, interviewed Switzerland: 23 11 43

104532 Bdr Van Vreden L.P., S.A.A., Formulario: no & date B4519, 12 12 43*

4349003 Pte Lee Norman,  Gn.How., Formulario: no & date   B4520/29 12 43,  interviewed Switzerland: 10 01 43

7908683 Tpr Livesey William, R.T.R, Formulario: no & date B4521/29 12 43,  interviewed Switzerland: 22 09 43

106055 Gnr Ruck W.O., S.A.A.,  Formulario: no & date, B4524/ 30 12 43, interviewed Switzerland: 14 11 43

6828 Tpr Matthews Frank,  U.D.F., Formulario: no & date, B4526/30 12 43, interviewed Switzerland: 23 11 43

236539 Bdr Duncan J. S., S.A.A.,   Formulario: no & date, B4527/ 30 12 43, interviewed Switzerland: 23 10 43

16224 Tpr Haylett Charles,  U.D.F.,   Formulario: no & date,  B4528/ 30 12 43, interviewd in Switzerland: 27 11 43

143868 Gnr Smit L.J. S.African S.A.A. Formulario: no & date: B1885/23 02 44,  interviewed Switzerland: 31 12 43

* alias Desmond Budel

FALSE NAMES/NUMBERS

No service number found: Pte Alexander Derrick, U.D.F., Formulario: no & date: B4566/13 01 44 FALSE

No service  number found: Cpl George Thomas George,  S.A.E.C.,  Formulario: no & date: B4569/ 14 01 44 FALSE

6021684, Berlan Wassan,  Essex  Formulario: no & date: T/B2030/02 02 44, Service number and name not found

612139 NF Renow W., Essex, Formulario: no & date: T/B2031/06 02 44, Service number and name not found

6773 Sig Rutech Oryndoc , S.A.C.S.,  Formulario: no & date:T/B2033/06 02 44, Service number and name not found

419432 Bain Illegible ,  Worc. T/B2034 service number and name not found

 

It can be seen that the original dates on the above forms have been scrubbed out and altered. Their Escape and Evasion reports show that South African Bombardiers Brebner and Duncan  crossed into Switzerland on the 23rd November 1943. 

Above  is an example of of a false return.  The person named cannot be traced in any documentation, and the regimental number of the Essex Regiment does not contain the correct number of digits - there should be seven, not six. However, unlike the formulari of  Corporal Thomas  George and Private Derrick Alexander  it was not recognised as such by Bacciagaluppi.

Signaller Rautenbach's formulario wlud seem to be in order. However, he  was recaptured and sent to Stalag  357 located at Thorn (Torun), Poland. 

It can be deduced that he had handed over his form to his guide ( 'Enzo') before reaching the border, as would also have been the case with the other recaptured escapers (see next page)