That reminds me of a scene in Spike Milligan's war memoirs, I think it was Mussolini - His Part in My Downfall, I wonder if you have read it?
Spike was in a hospital camp for psychiatric patients in Italy in 1944 when Vesuvius erupted. He describes how, sat in a comfortable vantage point with several bottles of his favourite wine, he watched the eruption and enjoyed the surreal scene as assorted loonies from the camp ran around screaming with their pants on their heads. Hilarious.
Oops, make that Sicily.