meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Witness History

World War Two’s Rome escape line

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.41.6K Ratings

🗓️ 9 June 2025

⏱️ 11 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Between September 1943 and June 1944 in World War Two, the Italian capital Rome was occupied by German soldiers.

Italy had surrendered and thousands of Allied prisoners of war had escaped from internment camps in the country.

An Irish priest, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, who was working for the neutral state of Vatican City set in the heart of Rome, did everything he could to help the escaped prisoners evade capture by the Nazis.

Tim O’Callaghan has been speaking to his nephew – also named Hugh O’Flaherty about his uncle's life.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Hugh O'Flaherty. Credit: The O'Flaherty family)

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Before this BBC podcast kicks off, I'd like to tell you about some others you might enjoy.

0:05.0

My name's Will Wilkin and I Commission Music Podcast for the BBC.

0:08.7

It's a really cool job, but every day we get to tell the incredible stories behind songs, moments and movements.

0:14.8

Stories of struggle and success, rises and falls, the funny, the ridiculous.

0:19.1

And the BBC's position, at the heart of British music

0:21.7

means we can tell those stories like no one else.

0:24.4

We were, are and always will be right there at the centre of the narrative.

0:28.5

So whether you want an insightful take on music right now

0:31.3

or a nostalgic deep dive into some of the most famous and infamous moments in music,

0:36.1

check out the music podcasts on BBC Sounds.

0:43.5

Hello, you're listening to the Witness History podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Tim O'Callaghan,

0:49.4

one of the Witness History team. We're a daily podcast which brings you moments from history,

0:55.2

as told by the people who were there. There are new episodes released every weekday and were just nine minutes long.

1:00.5

So if you enjoy what you hear, please subscribe to us wherever you get your BBC podcasts

1:05.1

and turn on your push notifications so you never miss an episode.

1:12.4

We're going back to the Second World War and the Italian capital Rome when it was

1:17.7

occupied by Nazi forces between September 1943 and June 1944. During that time, an organisation

1:26.1

was formed to help escaped Allied prisoners of war

1:29.2

and Roman Jews who were being hunted by the Gestapo, the Nazi's brutal secret police.

1:35.4

It became known as the Rome escape line.

1:38.8

One of the most extraordinary characters to come out of the last war,

1:42.3

fully aware that torture and death would follow if he was caught.

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 16 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.