Opicina 1946/47

[BillsSon]

Hello everyone. This is my first post so let me know any advice that may help me with posts in future. I was in Opicina in 1946/47. Given I was born in 1943 I remember so little. My Dad William (Bill or Billy) Andrew was in the 1st Royal Sussex Regt. at the time, he was from Darlington England and had been in the Hampshires (1/4) in Italy & North Africa prior to Trieste. I have a faded photograph of "our bungalow"in Opicina where Dad, Mum and I lived and a photograph of Dad in uniform heading down steps at the Excelsior Hotel, Venice Lido in 1946. Unfortunately both Mum and Dad are deceased and Dad was so adamant that he did not want to talk about his experiences I have little knowledge of him and where he was and what things were like.
Mum did occasionally mention parties at the bungalow, or me talking to an American General in St. Mark's Venice and telling him "my Grandad would shoot all these pigeons if he was here"! (just as well he wasn't!)
I don't expect the miracle that someone might have known him but I would like to hear from those that were in Trieste/Opicina in 1946/47.This would help me understand the times a lot better.
Thank you,
Les

[serlilian]

Hi BillsSon and welcome.
There are some British and American soldiers, writing here, that were in Triest in that period of time and I hope they will be able to help you.
Do you have any other photo to post?
I was born in 1948, in the Free Territory of Triest, and I like to know something more about it.
In June some Britishmen will come back to Triest, with Larry, and I hope to meet them.
Where do you live?

[serlilian]

Oh, sorry. I hadn't seen that you live in Adelaide.

[1382-1918]

Do you know by chance the address of that building in the photograph? It could be useful.

[BillsSon]

Thanks for the responses.
Attached are some more photographs. I only know I was told we lived in the house in Opicina shown in the photograph of my first post. Unfortunately I have no address for the Opicina house.
Additionally we may have stayed in Venice at some time as "we lived in Opacina and Venice. I know we had a maid at Opicina who called my Dad Mister Bill ("Meester" Bill).
I am curious as to why Dad was living in a house (rather than in barracks) and able to have his Wife and young son with him at the time -was this unusual or commonplace?
Were major hotels in Venice such as The Excelsior taken over by British/American?
I have no idea of the scale of the job done by allied troops in and around Trieste or in fact the nature of the work.
So please anyone who can help I would appreciate your input.
Thanks, Les

[Larry]

Billsson, here comes Larry on his white charger to maybe enact a rescue of sorts. I was stationed in Opicina from October 1946 to end January 1947 with the Welch Regiment. But you do surprise me when you say your father had his wife and child with him. I was just a lowly private (Despatch Rider) at the time but as far as I was aware, we were still on active service. You don't say what rank your father held. Was he an officer?
Anyway, what I wanted to say was that there exists a group of ex-soldiers who served in Trieste from 1945 to 1954 and we call it the BETFOR Association. We have a web-site and which I would recommend that you copy there what you have posted here. Address is: the usual 3 ws followed by lower-case betforassociation.org. Once in scroll down the page to the Message Board. You don't have to register. Just give all the details about your folks same as above. We may have someone who was in the same regiment as your father. Should you wish to contact me direct my e-mail is : veccio at sky.com. But once you get onto our web-site there is also a list of all the members showing their regiments, etc you can take a look at. Best of luck. Can't help any further at this time, it's five to midnight and I need my beauty sleep.
Cheers, Larry

[Ron]

Hi Bill's Son

Like Larry, I was stationed in Opicina during the 1946/1947 period and (for my sins) have written a fair bit abour that period on this forum.

I cannot visualise anyone holding a rank lower than that of a senior commisioned officer being allowed to live outside barracks during that period as we were still on a wartime-footing (because of our peace keeping role).

When you have a spare hour or so, read through my previous postings and then, if you have any particular questions,come back to this thread and I will be glad to try and help.

Best regards

Ron

[Franco]

Hello everyone. This is my first post so let me know any advice that may help me with posts in future. I was in Opicina in 1946/47. Given I was born in 1943 I remember so little. My Dad William (Bill or Billy) Andrew was in the 1st Royal Sussex Regt. at the time, he was from Darlington England and had been in the Hampshires (1/4) in Italy & North Africa prior to Trieste. I have a faded photograph of "our bungalow"in Opicina where Dad, Mum and I lived

I think it could be a cottage in "Campo Romano".
It was a group of small cottages (65 square meters), build by the US Army for his troops.

Cottages are still there, and you can see them in this aerial image:

http://maps.live.it/LiveMaps.aspx?t=2&s ... ad=opicina

Near "Campo Romano" there was a baseball diamond (still working: http://maps.live.it/LiveMaps.aspx?t=2&s ... ad=opicina ), build by american troops too (there's a little monument to Green Devils)

[Larry]

:-)Franco, strange you should mention Campo Romano. I have an in-law living up there in Via dei Volpi. She is the daughter of a cousin of my ex-wife. I tried to phone her last night but it was obviously too late at night so hung up after the first ringtone. But I don't remember any houses up there resembling the ones in Billsson's photo above. I'll have to take a trip on the tram to Opicina and have a scout around when I get to Trieste in June. But like Ron says, only high-ranking officers would have been able to have had their families out in Trieste in 1946, but the Campo Romano was not built then.
Larry

[gene odom]

BillsSon -
Check out these two addresses. The first one is the email address of John Bowman who is the webmaster of the second site. The second site is a group of former American soldiers who served in Trieste in 1947 to 1954. Post this same request for information with John and on the group site.
Gene Odom, Opicina, February 1947 - June 1950. U.S. Army

ciaogianni@comcast.net

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Trieste/

[BillsSon]

I am so pleased at the way you have all responded, thank you so much, very grateful that you have found time to help.
Larry and Ron's comments stating it was unlikely that anyone less than a senior officer would have been unlikely to be able to live outside the barracks and to have his Wife and child make sense. However everyone in the family were adamant that we did live in a house in Villa Opicina in 1946/47 whilst Dad was in the British Army. He reached the rank of L/Corporal but was a Private at the time of 0picina. It is a mystery!
After Opicina he returned to England "under Python" and was released at "Harwich on 25/8/1947 on completion of six years colour service".
Mum and I must have returned around the same time as my sister was born in England on 23/8/1947.
Thanks to Gene and Franco for the links I will follow them and also contact the BETFOR site. Anymore information and ideas are very welcome.
Thanks everyone!

[serlilian]

You're welcome BillsSon.
Let us know if you find anything new.
Bye

[nanaia]

Hi Billson! I read only now your posts: I know where the house you lived in is. It is in the part of Opicina called "Villa Carsia": there lived, in those days, many people serving in the Allied armies and the structure of the buildings clearly proves they were occupied by families (pretty large flats).
"Your" house, on the contrary, is a single house, now nearly completed destroyed: I have never understood why it was abandoned. The other houses, in fact, were rented to local people when soldiers left. That one wasn't: a real pity. When I first came to Opicina, in 1978, it was still recoverable, I think. One of these days I'll take some photos and put here for you: careful! I'm a terrible photographer
Bye!

[BillsSon]

Hi Nanaia,
So good to hear from you, I had nearly given up! Thank you so much. Any photograph you can take would be so appreciated. How many people live in Opicina now? Is there a difference between Villa Opicina and Opicina?
Look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks again.
Cheers?

[1382-1918]

Hi Nanaia,
So good to hear from you, I had nearly given up! Thank you so much. Any photograph you can take would be so appreciated. How many people live in Opicina now? Is there a difference between Villa Opicina and Opicina?
Look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks again.
Cheers?

No difference, Villa Opicina was the name invented by the Kingdom of Italy as it came in our area after WWI, in order to give an italian sound to the name of the village of Opcina, which is slovenian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Opicina

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opicina

A photograph of the bilingual plate, right before entering the village.

[babatriestina]

No difference, Villa Opicina was the name invented by the Kingdom of Italy as it came in our area after WWI, in order to give an italian sound to the name of the village of Opcina, which is slovenian.

Opicina is only a sort of translitteration for Italian-speaking of Opčina, which in Slovene, if I'm right, means "municipality"; the Kingdom of Italy invented a more Italian-sounding Poggioreale del Carso

[1382-1918]

Opicina is only a sort of translitteration for Italian-speaking of Opčina, which in Slovene, if I'm right, means "municipality"; the Kingdom of Italy invented a more Italian-sounding Poggioreale del Carso

That's true for Opicina, and you're right, it means "municipality", but "Villa Opicina" was part of the 1923 law which intended to italianize names. Poggioreale del Carso came into force only later, unfortunately I can't remember when, but I guess it was in the early 30s.

[Franco]

That's true for Opicina, and you're right, it means "municipality", but "Villa Opicina" was part of the 1923 law which intended to italianize names.

Are you sure?!?
I knew "villa Opicina" last since 1966... and in military maps of the '50 Opicina is "poggioreale del Carso"...

[1382-1918]

That's true for Opicina, and you're right, it means "municipality", but "Villa Opicina" was part of the 1923 law which intended to italianize names.

Are you sure?!?
I knew "villa Opicina" last since 1966... and in military maps of the '50 Opicina is "poggioreale del Carso"...

Yes, I am, you are just confirming what I said!

In 1923 Opicina became "Villa Opicina" with R.D. (Royal Decree of the Kingodm of Italy) n.800 dated 29th March 1923. A few years later (I don't know exactly when) it turned into "Poggioreale del Carso", and it changed back to "Villa Opicina" in 1966.

One of these days I'll take some photos and put here for you: careful!

I would like to see of how that house looks today, what's the address?

[/quote]

[nanaia]

Hi Billsson and everyone! Here I am at last: today I finally took the photos I promised. As I told you, the quality is...poor, but at least you get what you wished
The house (its remains..... ) are in Villa Carsia, which is part of Opicina, just a little away from the centre of it. In this area lived the majority of the Allied Military Forces and the house where Bill's family lived is the only "cottage" (I can't find a better word, sorry).
I tried to find the better views, but - as you can see - there's a lot of vegetation sheltering the house; moreover, it is part of a military area, so I could go no nearer than I did.
The multi flat buildings, after the soldiers went away, were given to Italian refugees who left Istria and Dalmazia after the end of World War II, not accepting the Yugoslavian government. In recent years, the same people had the opportunity to buy the flats they were given at a reasonable price.
I hope you will find pleasant memories in this photos.
Yours sincerely