World War 2 Mystery Map

[PaulRemic]

Hello!

I am trying to piece together my grandfather's journey from Yugoslavia to the UK following the end of WW2. He was somehwere in Italy and worked for the RAF for a few years after the war had ended, but we are not sure what happened during the war.

Going through old papers and documents we have come across this map which I am hoping someone can shed some light on;



If anyone knows anything about this map then it would help us add some details to our somewhat patchy family history!

The map is titled EUROPA POLITICA and was made in Rome. I am not sure what the lines on the map denote. Extensive google searches have not been successful. It's a real mystery! Please help!

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAbhH5

[Megan Roberts]

I can't help you with the map, but as you are in Bolton, how about a trip to the Imperial War Museaum North in Trafford to see if they can?

https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-north

[Mitch in Notts]

On the first image - Sahara Desert I am uncertain of anything.
On the second image the yellow dashed lines are international boundaries with Kuwait on the right, and the shape in the middle being the 'Iraq Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone' that existed until it was split in 1975 between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

The political map of Europe is interesting and I would date to 1945/6 but before the Eastern borders were settled. Ruthenia was given by Czechoslovakia to the USSR on the 29th June 1945, so after that date. The boundaries of Poland appear undefined. The red lines are railway lines.

Hope that helps.

[Pam Downes]

Hello Paul,

Welcome to British-Genealogy.

Just so we get the right end of the stick, was your grandfather a Yugoslav national who came to England after the war had ended?

I don't know about the roads on the continent, but looking at England, I reckon the red lines represent the major roads. Looks like the A1 to Edinburgh, A2 to Dover, A4 to Cardiff, A6/A7 to Glasgow, all from London.

ADDED:
I've now seen Mitch's post (he inconsiderately posted while I was typing ) so I might be wrong with my suggestion about the red lines.

[Mitch in Notts]

ADDED:
I've now seen Mitch's post (he inconsiderately posted while I was typing ) so I might be wrong with my suggestion about the red lines.

Haha, they could be roads, but a map of 1945ish, some of the routeing indicates these be train lines especially in the Balkans, USSR etc.The West Coast mainline passes just to the north of Birmingham, the A6 Leicester, Derby, Peak District, Manchester, so personally, don't think that red line is quite right for a road....

[PaulRemic]

I can't help you with the map, but as you are in Bolton, how about a trip to the Imperial War Museaum North in Trafford to see if they can?

https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-north

Thank you for this suggestion - like you say we are just down the road and have visited here many times but didn't realise this was part of their service. I will investigate further!

[PaulRemic]

"Red lines are railway lines" - this in itself is very interesting! Thank you for the observations

[PaulRemic]

Hi Pam, thank you for the warm welcome. I'll be honest I didn't think I would get so many replies so quickly - what an active forum this is!

My grandfather was Yugoslav who *we think* was captured by the Germans or Italians and held captive in a PoW camp in Italy. We also believe he escaped and managed to find his way to the allies in Italy, where he then worked for the RAF (I have requested the RAF military records which should arrive any day now). In 1947 he moved to the UK where he settled and where our family now lives.

We have so many questions but he was notoriously silent on what happened (as I believe many people were) and he died quite a while ago. So I am doing what I can to build a picture and understand the story behind how our family came to be!

Any other suggestions on websites or resources are more than welcome. I am no historian!

[PaulRemic]

Hello Paul,

Welcome to British-Genealogy.

Just so we get the right end of the stick, was your grandfather a Yugoslav national who came to England after the war had ended?

I don't know about the roads on the continent, but looking at England, I reckon the red lines represent the major roads. Looks like the A1 to Edinburgh, A2 to Dover, A4 to Cardiff, A6/A7 to Glasgow, all from London.

ADDED:
I've now seen Mitch's post (he inconsiderately posted while I was typing ) so I might be wrong with my suggestion about the red lines.

Thanks Pam - I think I added a new post instead of replying to this one doh!

Details and backstory about my grandfather are below somewhere :-)