Final thoughts on Monte Cassino

Discussion in 'Veteran Accounts' started by Ron Goldstein, Feb 12, 2014.

  1. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Found this:

    Screen Shot 2019-02-26 at 02.27.00.png
    Screen Shot 2019-02-26 at 02.27.11.png Screen Shot 2019-02-26 at 02.27.23.png

    There's quite a lot more in THE ROYAL BOMBAY SAPPERS & MINERS 1939-1947, but we've probably all got our own copies of that.
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2019
    davidbfpo, minden1759 and 4jonboy like this.
  2. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Can either of you wise chaps tell me the difference between Caira & Cairo.? The latter being Monte!

    Regards,
    Stu
     
  3. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Two names for the same village in the hills north of Cassino.

    The name was Caira, but the men called it Cairo and that carried over into diaries and maps.

    Monte Cairo is a bloody great mountain.

    My question: is Wadi Villa 'Villa' where the old barracks were?
     
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2019
  4. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    This might interest some.

    Screenshot 2019-05-24 at 02.41.44.png

    What follows are quite detailed diary entries from this journalist at Cassino, 10/2/44 to 23/2/44.

    Start on Page 59:
    Battle for the Abbey
     
  5. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    James.

    The article says that Cavendish was named after a former CRE. It was not.

    On this site, some years ago, a chap popped up to explain that it was named after the street in Bournemouth where his father lived.

    The article also says that 4 Indian Division was up against 1 Para Div. In Feb 44, they were up against 90 Pz Gren Div.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  6. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Has he not been on a study with you? I say that because i seem to remember a stand that this chap mentioned the street in Bournemouth where his father lived. I could be wrong of course. This does ring a bell.

    R
    Stu.
     
  7. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Written by Royal Engineers.

    Probably assembled from the salvaged scraps of several older articles to save the nice new paper.
     
  8. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    On page 550-551 of The Hollow victory by John Ellis it says this..

    LXXVI Panzer Corps.. 305 Inf Div, (1 Para Div), 334 Inf Div & 26 Panzer Division (Not involved in Cassino Battles at this time.) This is on page 551. OB 2. German Tenth Army January-February 1944. XIV Panzer Corps involved page 550.

    Stu.
     
  9. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    Frank,

    The article is correct about 1 Para Division.

    Fallschirmjäger units arrived in the Cassino area on 5th February - they had started to transfer from the Adriatic front on 31st January. FJR 1 was involved in the counter attacks to retake Point 593 from the Americans from the 8th February. By the time the Indian attack began there were three battalions on the Cassino massif (two from FJR 1 and one from FJR 3). The latter one (III./FJR 3) held Point 593 from soon after the Germans recaptured it from the Americans and were responsible for repelling the Royal Sussex. II./FJR 1 occupied the area around the monastery and were responsible for the defeat of the 7th Indian Brigade attack.

    Regards,
    Gary.
     
  10. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Gary.

    Any idea where 90 Pz Gren Div were? I ask because I met a wonderful chap a few years ago who said he spent most of Feb 44 up on Snakeshead Ridge as a signaller in Wireless Section. He was an early version of electronic eavesdropping - his job was to follow the conversations in 90 Pz Gren Div and work out their command structure.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  11. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    I'm thinking Pt.569 at this time & may well have been else-were. I'm sure Gary will confirm. 90 Pz Gren Div had 155, 200 & 361 Regts each of three battalions. 29 & 90 PG Divs were in Tenth Army Reserve until released to XIV Panzer Corps on18 Jan

    Why has John Ellis stated that 1 Para Div was Not involved in Cassino Battles at this time? I could be missing something here. He does mention - 44,71 & 94 Inf Div.. along with 3,15,29 & 90 PG Div.. Last but not least- 5 Mountain Div.

    Regards
    Stu.
     
    Last edited: May 27, 2019
  12. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    Frank,

    As far as I am aware I./ Panzergrenadier Regiment 361 still occupied Point 575 with I./ and III./ Panzergrenadier Regiment 200 occupying Colle Sant Angelo through to Monte Castellone. III./ Panzergrenadier Regiment 361 was occupying positions around the station. 90 Panzergrenadier Division only relinquished control of the Cassino sector to 1 FJD at the end of February.

    For the Germans it was quite common for individual battalions of other divisions to be assigned as and when required especially on the defensive when things got stretched; from early February the individual battalions of 1 FJD were inserted into the line as they arrived but it was only in March 1 FJD took over command of the sector.

    Regards,
    Gary.
     
  13. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    Hi Stu,

    in Italy 90 Panzergrenadier Division only ever had two regiments - 200 and 361. Panzergrenadier Regiment 155 was never reformed after the division was destroyed in Tunisia.

    Regards,
    Gary.
     
  14. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Hi Gary,

    thanks for the correction. It just shows that even authors can get things wrong.

    Regards,
    Stu.
     
  15. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Gary.

    Now that makes sense. Thanks for sorting that out.

    F
     
  16. Dhruv Ratti

    Dhruv Ratti Member

    Roorkee is a city in the Haridwar district of India, it was the regimental center of K.G.V's Bengal Sappers and Miners, the road was developed by engineers of 4 Field Coy. of K.G.V's Bengal Sappers and Miners. Head Quarters of 4th Indian Division was at Secunderabad where it was formed in September 1939.
     
  17. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Quite interesting.

    The guest is the author of this book:

    91Ool7QFqGL.jpg


     
  18. Cassino1944

    Cassino1944 Member

    I've found the same story telling that the road was "named Cavendish Road after the street in Bournemouth that his father lived in at the time".
    Where did you find this info?
     
  19. Cassino1944

    Cassino1944 Member

    Charley,

    Cairo - Caira
    Yes a village north of cassino is named Caira, but I also think the confusion at the time was also due to the fact that the highest mountain in the Cassino area was Monte Cairo.

    Concerning Wadi Villa, yes it was just to the NE corner of the barraks. See it on the attached map.
    Immagine1.png
     
  20. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Cheers for bumping this thread.
    Sorry for not being able to contribute to ongoing chatter, but nice to be reminded of Ron holding forth.
    "Too bloody right!" indeed...
    'Ample time to consider'.
     

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