Bari, Italy: 2nd December 1943

The 2nd December sees the anniversary of an air raid on the Port of Bari, Italy, in which a convoy of some 19 ships which had entered an already congested harbour became an easy target for the German Air Force. Sixteen ships and 38,000 tons of cargo were destroyed with an estimated 1,000 casualties, many of whom were the victims of mustard gas poisoning, released from one of the ships sunk during the raid.

Podcast from the BBC

Listen to an eyewitness account of the Bari Raid given by Peter Bickmore to the BBC and recorded as part of their Witness series for broadcast on the BBC World Service.

Read more about the Bari Raid