Phil Cooke
Chairman from 2024
Philip (Phil) Cooke is Professor of Italian History and Culture at the University of Strathclyde. He was born in Windlesham (Surrey) on 25th April 1965, exactly 20 years after the Liberation of Italy. He grew up in Staines where his father was an independent travel agent. He took a degree in Italian and Russian Studies at the University of Edinburgh, followed by a PhD on the Italian writer and partisan Beppe Fenoglio. He was co-editor of the journal Modern Italy from 2010-2015 and Chair of the Association for the Study of Modern Italy (ASMI) from 2019-2025. For his services to Italian Culture he was in 2006 made a Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy. He likes to watch and play sport (now limited to cycling and basketball) and cooking.
Hon. Letitia Blake
Secretary
Daughter of historian Lord Blake who escaped from Sulmona and reached Allied Lines after nine weeks. Her many duties include selecting students for the Trust’s programme which grants four-week English language study bursaries at colleges in London and Oxford. Letitia visits Italy frequently and speaks Italian. She is a co-translator of Antigone nella Valle del Tenna by Filippo Ieranò, published by the Trust as A People’s Courage.
John Simkins
Trustee
John began a second term as Trustee in 2022 after serving as Administrator for 10 years. A retired journalist, he is an Italian speaker and frequent visitor to Italy. He is the son of Anthony Simkins, a PoW at Sulmona, Montalbo and Fontanellato, and in Germany. John recruits students for the student bursary programme and is the translator of the story of the escape from Fontanellato, L’Orizzonte del Campo, by Marco Minardi, published in the UK as Bugle Call to Freedom.
Anne Bewicke-Copley
Trustee
The niece of a Fontanellato PoW, Anne is a retired lawyer and divides her time between homes in Oxford and the Marche. She researches PoW history and was guest speaker at the annual luncheon in 2014 and again in 2021 when she spoke on her particular interest…read more about Anne Copley.
David Kettle
Student coordinator/Administrator
David took over the role of Student Coordinator in 2019 and Administrator from John Simkins in 2022. He is responsible for the day to day running of the Trust and its communications and social media.
His background is in theatre as a performer, director and producer in the West End (London) . His love for Italy was born through his work in theatre and opera houses throughout Italy.
Omar Bucchioni
Trustee
Omar is the Italian-born nephew of Major General Dany Bucchioni OBE, King’s Medal, a partisan leader and the organiser of a successful escape route for ex-PoWs from northern Tuscany through the Gothic Line to Allied territory. Omar joined the Trust as a student in 2003 and qualified as a barrister in 2006. Since then, he has been practising law both in London and internationally.
From 2005 to 2012, Omar served as Trail Manager for a number of MSMT Freedom Trails in northern Tuscany, including the 20th anniversary Freedom Trail in 2009, the last attended by the founder J. Keith Killby. Omar became a trustee in 2013 and a British citizen in 2016. Since 2017, he has been serving as a governor of Kensington Wade, an award-winning, immersive bilingual nursery and prep school in West London.
Julia MacKenzie
Trustee
A fascination with the walks down Italy undertaken by PoWs led Julia to the work of the Trust. In 2017, she undertook her own 250-mile trek from Tuscany to Rome. Julia’s career was as a senior editor in art publishing and she currently works as a freelance London Blue Badge tourist guide. She is the compiler of the Trust’s comprehensive bibliography on books relating to PoWs in Italy. She became a trustee in 2019.
Justin De Meo
Trustee
With an Italian father, he was brought up in Italy and the UK. He is a frequent visitor to Italy from his home in Wiltshire. He retired after a career in business, specialising in the acquisition and development of residential buildings. Justin succeeded Nicholas Gent as Treasurer and held the role for seven years before handing over to Christopher Woodhead in 2021. He is an Italian speaker.
Tom Carver
Trustee
Tom Carver is the son of Richard Carver, who was imprisoned at PG49 in Fontanellato. Tom subsequently wrote “Where The Hell Have You Been?”, a best-selling account of Richard’s escape, his trek down Italy, and his eventual reunion with Field Marshal Montgomery, his stepfather, on the banks of the Sangro. Tom is a former BBC Washington and Africa correspondent, and currently working as a communications strategist in Washington DC. He has been a board member since 2025.
Christopher Woodhead
Treasurer
Grandson of Lt. Col. H. G. de Burgh, Senior British Officer at PG49 Fontanellato. Christopher worked in publishing including periods at Pan Macmillan, Harper Collins and a university press in Buckingham. He runs a literary festival. Christopher became a trustee in 2019 and treasurer in 2021.
