Angelo Beia

Fonte: “I luoghi del ricordo” (web)

Angelo, a miller, and his wife, Annetta, sheltered two escaped prisoners in their home, treating them like their own sons. On 2 December 1943, while he was working in the fields with Angelo, Albert Tebbs was captured by a unit of the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana (GNR) from Vigevano, assisted by some Germans. At the end of the search, three English soldiers were recaptured, one of them was wounded. As testified by Annetta:

Having brought the prisoners to the town-hall the raiders left for Mortara, carrying in a motor car a third prisoner, who had been wounded during the raid. In the meanwhile my husband, not at all resigned to what had happened, attempted with the help of some bold spirited citizens to free the prisoners, and above all that one, who already for such a long time he had called son and he by whom he was called father [Albert Edward Tebbs].

Angelo was successful in his attempt, and Albert returned to his home. However, the family was aware of the impending danger and the escapees, understandably, left to hide in a nearby village.

As they had anticipated, the enemy launched a manhunt after the escape of the prisoners from the town hall. The Fascists and the Germans forced some men to confess who organised the escape under pain of death, and thus learned about Angelo. They then reached his home, where his wife told them he was not there. In reality, he was hiding on the second floor with his daughter. Unconvinced, the enemy broke into the house and encountered Angelo on the stairs. Without warning, they opened fire, wounding him. Arrested and taken to the Mortara hospital, he died soon afterwards.

After these events, local authorities took steps to punish the community. Some women were arrested, a curfew was enforced, certain shops were closed, and a fine equivalent to double the town tax was imposed on each inhabitant. 

Afterwards, in her statement to the Allied Commission, Annetta underlined how her husband’s sacrifice was instrumental in saving Albert, who, however, had disappeared, and she had no news about him. «We would be grateful to you if you could give us the assurance that he is alive and in good health».

Today, a street in the village of Rosasco is named after Angelo Beia.