Gerald Hough
When I settled down to writing Desert Raids with the SAS it never occurred to me the extent of the journey I was embarking on. After eight years I am still experiencing new things. In Pretoro, a village seemingly glued to the side of a mountain in eastern Italy, in September this year, Verino Perseo and his sister Maria watched the presentation of a plaque to the village to honour them, their family, and the villagers from a generation that put others before themselves, regardless of the acute danger of doing so.
Verino and Maria were young children in 1943, respectively thirteen and eleven. They had three older siblings and a mother who was a widow. Despite the risk of losing their home, livelihood and possibly lives, the family opened their door to two escapees from Camp 21 in Chieti (Abruzzo). When it became too dangerous to harbour them in their home, these two kids would carry food and wine to a cave below the village, passing under the gaze and interest of the Germans occupying the village.
It wasn’t just this family. Others in the village took in escapees and some lost their homes as a result, destroyed by a vengeful Hun. When many of the villagers moved into caves high in the Majella to avoid being shipped out to camps in the north, they took the PoW’s with them, even though food was scarce. Eventually, the grip of winter forced most of the PoWs to surrender to the Germans, either by being flushed out or unable to continue to evade capture as they began to starve.
My father Anthony Hough did manage to escape, having trekked across the snow-clad mountains of the Majella. We as a family owe much to the villagers. On Sunday 7th September 2025, fifteen of my family attended a ceremony in the village to honour the villagers’ bravery during the war. It was the culmination of a eight-year project and we were delighted to do so while Verino and Maria are still alive. The ceremony was well attended by members of the Italian military and the Carabinieri, as well as by many of the villagers.
Desert Raids with the SAS is an account of my father’s time in North Africa, serving with the Rifle Brigade and 1 SAS. Whilst the early part of the book does cover well-trodden ground, the second part is unique in describing his time in Pretoro, being sheltered from the watchful eyes of the Germans. It also covers the strength and determination of these mountain people who had no time for the fascists, and chose to live in the mountains in deepest winter rather than succumb to German dictate.
Italian text:
Questa targa è un ringraziamento sincero e sentito agli abitanti di Pretoro per la loro generosità, umanità e coraggio nell’aiutare i prigionieri di guerra inglesi fuggiti durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale.
In particolare il Tenente Anthony Hough e il Tenente Peter Gunn che furono ospitati dalla famiglia Perseo per gran parte del loro tempo a Pretoro, sotto la guida di Gino Francioni, che viveva nella casa ora chiamata “Casa Mila”.
Alla fine di Dicembre del 1943, mentre Peter Gunn veniva nuovamente catturato dai Tedeschi, Anthony Hough riuscì a fuggire, attraversando le linee Tedesche a sud di Pennapiedimonte.
Questa targa è donata dalla famiglia Hough nel settembre 2025 come testimonianza di rispetto, gratitudine e affetto per la popolazione di Pretoro.
English text:
This plaque is a sincere and heartfelt thank you to the inhabitants of Pretoro for their generosity, humanity, and courage in helping English prisoners of war who escaped during World War II.
In particular, Lieutenant Anthony Hough and Lieutenant Peter Gunn who were hosted by the Perseo family for most of their time in Pretoro, under the guidance of Gino Francioni, who lived in the house now called “Casa Mila”.
At the end of December 1943, whilst Peter Gunn was recaptured by the Germans, Anthony Hough managed to escape, crossing the German lines south of Pennapiedimonte.
This plaque is donated by the Hough family in September 2025 as a testament of respect, gratitude, and affection for the people of Pretoro.