I have just finished reading "And We Shall Shock Them" by Fraser, its an overview of the British Army in WW2. It refers to the mutiny by troops awaiting return to their units, then being called upon to replace the loses at Anzio, this has no background or references can anyone recommend further reading on this incident
Oldman- General Fraser was not given to error so I would assume that you are referring to the Salerno Mutiny which in fact did happen when some 2000 reinforcements for Xth Corps just after the landings on September 9th '44 were sent from the replacement camps of Tripoli - instead of the similar camps in Bone which were the true replacements for the Xth Corps The reinforcements from Tripoli were - in the main - ex wounded and sick from 8th Army - specifically XXX corps including 51st - 50th divsions who objected to serving in the US 5th Army - some 200 mutinied and were arrested and sent to Philipville for courts martial - where three alleged "ring leaders" were sentenced to death. Fortunately Gen Adams the Adjutant General was in Algeria and had the sentences commuted to life in a British prison - claiming that he had never seen such a travesty of Army Justice. The alleged "cuprit" was a Major General Millar who was an administarive chief on Gen Alexanders staff of whom Monty had no regard for his competence ! A sorry tale of sheer incompetence and all involved busy covering their exhaust pipes......the other 180 were sent on to units in Italy - BUT their records followed them and life was made very difficult with suicides and desertions. The book by Saul David - "The Mutiny at Salerno" has the full story and one can only weep at this travesty... Cheers
