Battle of Ortona

I am doing some researches to find out the exact place of death of Capitain Dr Charles Krakauer, Canadian Captain (MD), of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (secondary regiment: Hastings and price Edward Regiment, R.C.I.C.), who was killed in action in the town of San leonardo at 8.30 on 22nd December 1943. I will go to Ortona to find out more about this but can any one give me further information or possibly advise me about sources available?
Any useful information will be much appreciated.

Thanks
Danila

 

Captain Charles Krakauer, a Jewish Captian in the White Regiment, was a physician who served as his unit's medical officer. He attended the wounded at the front lines, and served with Farley Mowatt, who wrote about him in one of this books. He was killed in the battle of Ortona on December 22, 1943.

Prior to going overseas, he also served out west in Saskatchewan, where the local townsfolk were so enamored of him that they actually named a nearby lake after him...Lake Krakauer!

Another point of interest is that he was not obligated to join the service because he was a physician who could have gone onto specialty training. However, he felt strongly that he could not sit idly by while others were putting their lives in jeopardy, and so he volunteered to join the armed forces.


The Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment
The Regiment was made famous in Farley Mowat's historical book, The Regiment. Captain Mowat served as a platoon commander and later as an intelligence officer for the regiment. Farley, put pen to paper, and the finish product, was the world acclaimed book, The Regiment. Since then, the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment has been the subject of many books.

SOURCE The Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment - Home Page



SOURCE : MORO RIVER CANADIAN VIRTUAL WAR CEMETERY of ORTONA by 1°IIS M. Bartolo - PACHINO. 12

 

Hi Danila - I will be back at the National Archives in London in about 10 days and can look at the unit war diary if you wish?

 

This might help.

HyperWar: From Pachino to Ortona: The Canadian Campaign in Sicily ...

 

Hi

THANK YOU for the information and YES Paul if you have the chance to see the unit war diary would be great.

Thank you once again for your help

Ciao
Danila

 

Sorry it has taken a while to post this. Here are the War Diary pages.

 

...

 

Hi Paul,

thank you so much for the information. If I find anything interesting about the Captain Krakauer I will let you know. I hope the weather conditions are better now in UK and If you ever need anything from Cassino just let me know

Thank you once again
Danila

 

Glad it was of interest.

 

Just one thing Paul. If you can help.

I can't print it right now as my printer doesn't work. So from what I understood we was killed by a shell. In English R.A.P. stand for Rear area Protected? and also they give number of reference...M.R. (I suppose Moro River) and also a number...do you think is a reference of the exact point (grid reference) where they were located...Where can I get a map, a war map with a grid reference to locate the exact point?
Thanks Danila

 

R.A.P. is Regimental Aid Post. I will see if I have any maps to tie this to an exact area.

 

Thanks Paul

 

Does anyone know the format to translate the grid ref's on here?

The "Coordinates Translator"

 

R.A.P stands for Regimental aid post.And if I had not missed half the right hand page of Pauls text first reading I would not now be looking silly!

 

Danila -
Since you are based in Cassino itself - your local Museum should have an old map or maps of the area around Ortona etc - it's not that too faraway as I recall - the other source would be "The Canadians in Italy 1943-45" by Lt. Col Nicholson which is the Official History of the Canadians in that campaign, and is a fine record of all their activities from landing in Sicily on July 10th 1943 until they went off to Belgium in February of 1945.
Cheers

 

Danila

Will do some further research for you regarding Capt.Krakuer and come back to this thread if & when I have any further info.

Best Regards

Ron

 

Map Refs translated from the War Diary. Hope this works.

http://www.mapquest.com/mq/1-K0algTOmulaynRpuFWiE Map Ref 320124 (A Company by 12-30 on 19-12-43)
http://www.mapquest.com/mq/8-p4zlXvnYLN6r Map Ref 318123 (D Company by 12-30 on 19-12-43)
http://www.mapquest.com/mq/3-k37F4017xUOL Map Ref 315132 (Location of Bn HQ on 22-12-43)
http://www.mapquest.com/mq/8-uoVI Map Ref 315141 (Bn S.L. laid down at bend in road)
http://www.mapquest.com/mq/10-aMuB8sxKciOIhrxX Map Ref 313154 (Objective of C Coy)

Cheers - Rob

 

Does anyone know the format to translate the grid ref's on here?

The "Coordinates Translator"

I thought I showed you how. I'm still taking maps when we go to Dunkirk.

 

I know how to do it (Tomorrow is the last day of reserch for Dunkirk Trip :p). I just couldn't figure out the code to enter before the grid ref. on the Italian Maps.

A

 

Only joshing you. I had to play around with it for a while until I got the right area.

Why the last day for Dunkirk research. Let me know the final itinerary for what we are doing.