My late Uncle Herbert William Goodwin was in the 30th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA and served from 1941 until 1946 in North Africa, Italy and Austria. My Uncle left a very detailed diary of his army life during the Second World War and in it he had written a chapter about his service for a short period in the 2nd SAS Regiment in Italy during 1943-1944. In 2019 his diary was published as a book entitled 'Tobruk to Trieste Life of a Bofors Gunner 1941-45' (ISBN: 978-1-911526-33-9). In his diary he wrote that when in Egypt in early 1943 he applied to join the 2nd SAS Regiment, he was eventually accepted and transferred from the 30th LAA Regiment to the 2nd SAS . He then went through several months of a rigorous training course at Kabrit in the Nile Delta and at Sfax on the Tunisian border. Then in December 1943 he was transferred with the 2nd SAS to Bari in Italy and then on to Foggia. My Uncle had also had previous training as an artillery signaller and also on explosives which may have had some bearing on him being chosen for the SAS training. I have investigated for several years my Uncles claim that he was in the 2nd Regiment SAS in Italy during WW2 but have not been able to trace any record of him being in that organization even after extensive searches by SAS Records. Even his own Army Record makes no mention of him being in the SAS. I have often wondered if rather than being in the 2nd SAS Regt he for some reason either hid the fact, or wrote it in his diary incorrectly and that he actually in the 2nd Special Service Brigade in Italy. I believe the 2nd Special Service Brigade was also originally formed in the Middle East in 1943 and later saw service in Italy, then in December 1944 the Brigade was re-named the 2nd Commando Brigade ?. My Uncles diary goes on to describes in some detail an apparent SAS operation in Italy during April/May 1944 where my Uncle and his friend a Sergeant Harry Turner as part of a four man team together with Italian partisans, were sent to destroy a steel railway bridge and tunnel behind the enemy lines to the North of Cassino, which he describes to being located just south of Avezzano (Abruzzo Region) Italy near to the village of Capistrello. The team consisted of the following personnel : Sgt Harry Turner (killed) Sgt Harold Bishop (survived) Cpl Jim Bradshaw (missing) Sgt Herbert William Goodwin (1835151) The other team members Army numbers are not known and my Uncles rank at the time of the operation is not known but believed to be Sergeant. The operation started on April 3rd 1944 when the team was flown in a British Dakota aircraft from an allied airfield near Foggia and dropped near a small village named Monticchio near L'Aquila (presumably). They were then guided by Italian partisans north over the Apennine mountains for 3-4 days to the location of the steel span railway bridge near we believe to the village of Capistrello south of Avezzano. Cpl Jim Bradshaw went missing directly after the initial parachute drop and it is not known if he survived ?. Sgt Harry Turner and one of the partisans (Luigi Giovanni) were killed by random German machine gun fire (from Capistrello below) near the bridge after the operation. After removing his AB64 and ID disc they had to leave Sgt Turners body on the mountainside. The CWGC has however no record of a Sgt Harry Turner either killed or missing in Italy in April/May 1944. The operation was apparently a tactical success with the bridge being blown and Sgt Harold Bishop and Herbert William Goodwin returned south guided by partisans to the allied lines near Cassino. My Uncle states that they then reported on the mission to their superior offices at their Naples HQ. Not long after this my Uncle requested to be returned to his old unit (RTU) the 30th LAA Regt RA (this apparently was possible if the individual requested it). I have been trying for the last few years to find the origins, and any existing reports, of this apparent action that my Uncle describes in some detail, and also the records of if Sergeant Harry Turner's remains were ever located/recovered and where he was eventually buried ?. I have however so far had no success. I have not been able to find any record of such a SAS action in the Avezzano/Capistrello area of Italy in any of a number of books written on the subject. I have also written to several authors on the subject such as Brian Lett and Malcolm Tudor ('SAS in Italy 1943-1945') but they also could find no record of any SAS/Partisan Operations in the vicinity of Capistrello. They initially thought that the operation could possibly have been part of SAS Operations in Italy such as 'Speedwell', 'Maple', 'Thistledown' or 'Driftwood'.?. But they found no proof or records that showed any of these operations took place near Capistrello in April/May 1944. I visited the area, and Capistrello, myself in July 2019 hoping to find possibly a record of a 'field grave' of Sgt Harry Turner or of the operation itself but was not successful. I also visited the Capistrello Railway Station and saw the memorial to the 'Capistrello Massacre' that also took place in 1944. I do not believe however that there is a connection (reprisal) with that terrible incident and the possible SAS Operation in April/May 1944. I have also contacted the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) at Maidenhead, near London but again they can find no record of a Sgt Harry Turner being KIA near Capistrello in April/May 1944. I have also corresponded with the SAS Association in London and Mervyn S Foster SAS /Special Forces Communicator, again with no success as to the origins of the apparent action in April/May 1944 near Capistrello. They also can find no record of the names my Uncle gave as being involved in the operation within the SAS records. Any further help or assistance much appreciated.
Hi, Welcome to the forum. I’m sorry I can’t help re your query but forum member Skip has an interest in Special Forces activities and may be able to give you the benefit of his knowledge. Good Luck. Steve
This does sound a bit boys own. You say you cant find the casualties? CWGC do not have any info? again sorry, the stories re your other one about the Gunners taking a ride on a Liberator do seem a bit far fetched. I will eat my hat if any of this is true many years have past things get a bit more Hollywood Sorry to be so blunt Casualties of WW2 do not get written off.That is not to say there are mistakes The British Tommy had a great return of wit and mischief and many family tales end up as an epic. regards Clive
