Italian Campaign - 75th Anniversary

Discussion in 'Italy' started by bexley84, May 16, 2019.

  1. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Stu.

    Richard is right. If you recall, after the briefing on the 36 US Inf Div crossing, we go up into a village called Sant Angelo and look back at the Division's approach from the south.

    The memorial, which exactly matches the one in Salerno at Paestum, is in the village square overlooking the Gari river.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  2. Stuart Avery

    Stuart Avery In my wagon & not a muleteer.

    Richard,

    I get your meaning of San Angelo, CHAPTER IV CASSINO: THE RAPIDO RIVER CROSSING. A quote from the the first paragraph has follows..

    "When I saw my regimental commander standing with tears in his eyes as we moved up to start the crossing, I knew something was wrong. I started out commanding a coy of 184 men. (Forty-eight hours later),17 of us were left". Zerk O. Robertson, 'L' Coy, 143 Inf,
    Daily Times Herald, Dallas, Texas, January 20, 1946.

    A strength report sent by Meath during the early afternoon of the 22nd suggested the shattered condition of his rifle companies: 'A', I officer and 35; 'B'. 5 Officers and 33 EM; 'C', 2 officers and 35; 'D', 5 officers and 113 EM; Hqs. Co., 7 officers and 100 E.M. Report of Operartions in Italy--143rd Inf Regt 36 Inf Div Jan 44, 22 Jan.

    On page 121 Total casualties during Jan 44 for the 36 Division numbered (2,255) killed, wounded, missing, and injured. Most of these occurred during the Rapido crossing (Jan 20-22). Non-battle casualties, chiefly sickness, numbered an additional 2,009. Report of Operations in Italy, 36 Inf Division, Jan 44, 27 & 37. The losses suffered by the two RCT'S reflect the following figures: 141st, 1,007
    officers and men KIA, WIA, IIA, MIA. 143rd, 969 officers and KIA, WIA, MIA. Report of Ops in Italy, 141st Inf Regt Jan 44. App "B", 21; Report of Ops in Italy-- 143rd Inf Regt 36 Inf Div Jan 44 (Roster of Casualties, 25).

    Been to the crossing twice in the last couple of years. :oops: on my part.Edit, sorry for being a ...

    Regards
    Stu.
     
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  3. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Just coming back to 75th anniversary dates... this note with respect to the time when 78th Division reached Kesselring's HQ at Monte Soratte about 50 km north of Rome.

    We were up there filming in May.

    My father's CO Lt-Col Horsfall wrote about the day they reached Soratte on 9th June 1944:

    "In the last evening, we found ourselves directed up into the eagle’s lair itself by the dazed, though still cheerful, 78 Division military policemen – San Oreste, the abode and HQ of Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring until forty eight hours previously.

    On arrival, I was greeted by our brigadier, who had gone on with his Tac HQ ahead of the brigade.. The place was a labyrinth – like the Rock of Gibraltar – and its dark tunnelling was filled to capacity with wine and tableware of every description. The Wehrmacht certainly looked after its chiefs. They could now look after us. I gave Desmond Woods and H Company the task of guarding this Aladdin’s cave - Quis custodiet....

    San Oreste had only fallen the previous night and driving up the winding track to the top of this extraordinary feature, the view around us on that lovely summer evening was enchanting. But below and beyond, to the north east and north, there were the same serried explosions – and the rasping scream of machine gun fire as some lunatics on one side or other loosed off hundred round beltfuls; Vickers or spandau, they were as bad as each other and equally futile.

    Here in the valley of the Tiber, our forward troops were contesting the odds with the German outposts. Winking lights and the dancing fire flies of tracer embroidered the misty dusk. Part of another world, they were just not real in this fairyland – nor were the bright glow of flares and the dull thudding of our guns firing.

    What must Albert Kesselring have thought as he sat in this lookout? – And kept his charge for the Fuhrer over these long months. He had done so to the bitter end and his epic defensive battle would be remembered in history. That, at least, he could chalk up, whatever men might say..."


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    Last edited: Jun 9, 2019
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  4. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    On 12th June 1944, my Dad and his friends left the war for a few hours to travel back to Rome to visit the Vatican and meet the Pope.

    My Dad remembered that day:
    "Brigadier Scott asked if the Pope would like to hear some pipe music. The massed brigade band in their saffron kilts and caubeens with the various coloured hackles and regimental badges played ‘Killaloe’ followed by ‘The Sash My Father Wore‘. This was probably the first and perhaps the last time one of the signature tunes of the Orange Order was heard in the Vatican. His Holiness tapped his foot to the beat of the martial music and obviously enjoyed the alien sound. He then blessed our rosaries and other objects and each of us mounted the dais to kneel and kiss his ring. The small Orange detachment remained in place. More pipe music was played and the whole assembly was given the pontifical blessing. The Pope walked out to the sound of pipes and we filed out..."

    Brigadier Scott also recorded the events of the morning:
    "After this, the Pipes and Drums beat Retreat on the steps of St Peter’s. This was a great success especially among the innumerable Irish priests, who always frequent Rome. They went mad with excitement, shouting for their favourite tunes. I had to lay on one or two of these to keep them quiet. Of them all, I think ‘The Boys of Wexford’ was the most popular. They were great chaps, these Irish priests. Many of them had done splendid work looking after our prisoners of war and doing many an act of gallantry and kindness on their behalf. One day, I hope, the full story of the good they did will be published.

    It is matter of great concern to all of us from who come from Ireland that when the war is over, it will only be remembered against her that Eire was neutral. What we hope is that all the magnificent deeds wrought by the sons of Eire in this war, against the barbarians of Germany and her Allies, may be remembered to her credit. It is sometimes overlooked that the services of every Irishman from any part of Ireland are given of their own free will for the good of the cause, be they fighting men or those or those priests, who helped the English prisoners in Rome...."

    A good write up in the Irish Times.

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    Last edited: Jun 12, 2019
  5. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Piper Albert "Jeff" Jeffrey also recorded the events of the day:

    "The 2 LIR’s visit to the Pope in June 1944 is well documented but nothing has been written of the Band’s performance. On arriving we did the usual trick of counter-marching on arrival at any church, so as to be facing the following marchers who then wheeled and marched into the church. The band would then stop playing and look around for a pub or cafe, being sure to be back in time for the end of the service. In this case we surveyed St Peter’s Square, but there was no place of refreshment to be seen, so we stood about smoking.

    In a while a priest emerged from the Vatican and said that we should go inside. We told him that we were not of the faithful, but merely the musical accompaniment. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, “come along in.” Not wishing to be rude, we followed him into the audience chamber.


    [​IMG]

    The Massed Bands of the Irish Brigade 2nd Bn. LIR pipers are from left to right: Ronnie Briar, Jeff Jeffrey (behind the leading piper Paddy Brennan of the Royal Irish Fusiliers) with Sammy Turner glimpsed behind the two of them.

    It transpired that the Pope (Pius XII) had expressed a wish to hear the pipes, but the heathen pipers were outside. So the priest was sent to fetch us.

    ‘The Wearing of the Green’ seemed to be suitable for the occasion, so we played that. His Holiness seemed to enjoy it and we were all given a rosary and a photo of the Pope to take away with us. The photo never survived the vicissitudes of war, but the rosary I gave to a very pretty peasant girl at Tavernelle near Lake Trasimene. It didn’t do me any good – her father warned me off.

    When we came out into the sunlight, we were accosted by some Irish priests who, being Irish citizens and therefore neutral, had been living in Rome during the German occupation. It seems that they were desperate for a cup of tea. They had not been able to get any and, like drug addicts, were feeling the pangs of withdrawal. A truck was dispatched back to camp and it brought back a chest full of tea. The young priests were loud in their gratitude and invited us to visit their seminary. So we piled into the truck – and squaddies, priests and tea chest set off through the streets of Rome.

    On arrival, the tea was carried reverently into the kitchen and a brew was soon on the go, with the priests sniffing the aroma like Bisto Kids. It was heartwarming to watch them drink the first cup they’d had in months. “Aaaaah!” they said. Having satisfied their craving, they showed their gratitude in a practical way. Tea may have been scarce, but communion wine was plentiful, and they produced it in abundance. I remember little of that afternoon, except a haze of alcohol and good company. They talked about the rigours of the occupation and we brought them up to date on the war so far. Eventually, amid many expressions of goodwill on both sides, they went back to God and we went back to camp."
     
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  6. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    On 21st June 1944, my father and his comrades faced another D Day...the attack on Sanfatucchio, continuing the 78th Division's assault on the Trasimene Line just to the west of the lake. The London Irish Rifles were supported that day by a squadron of 11th Canadian Armoured Regiment:

    Lt-Col Horsfall of 2nd Bn London Irish Rifles recalled the events of the day:

    “Our task was to break through at Sanfatucchio and strike as far north as possible. Little did we guess. We thought we were in for another show like the Ripi advance. It turned out to be far worse that the Gustav Line.

    The stage was set on Wednesday 21st June and we set off at 0215. The final orders were given out from the brickworks at La Chiusa, while the battalion debussed about a mile south of Macchie on Highway 71. At the former place, we met Colonel Mackenzie of the Lancashire Fusiliers, who put us in the picture and it was there that we began to realise just what we were in for.

    Our fellow conspirators included, besides Douglas McIndoe and his B Squadron, some of Ronnie Denton’s sappers, a troop of M10 SP guns, Freddie Cullen and his Vickers’ guns, Shillelagh and his mortars and of course, Paul Lunn-Rockcliffe, Allen and Bob Carey with all the artillery within reach. Finally, we had Butters and his 17 pounders of 254 A/Tk Regiment.

    The kick off for the battle was most unsatisfactory as all possible lines of advance were overlooked by the Bosche in the town, who had a view rather like looking down on a billiard table. Furthermore, a proper set piece fire plan could not be laid on as the forward troops of the Lancashire Fusiliers were too close to the target areas. The initial plot was to establish in the rear of the town by outflanking it from the west, and then assaulting the town from the north. This provided the best cover and was also good tank going. Further, there was a detached block of buildings on that side, which we thought would fall easily to a combined attack with tanks thereby providing a means of unhinging the rest of opposition.

    Zero was at 0730hrs and, apart from some delicate shooting with one troop ranging with single guns, there was no supporting fire. B Squadron led the ball, while E Company had the task of getting into the town and F Company of seizing the higher ground to the north. Heavy shelling began as soon as the forward movement started and both companies and the tanks ran into concentrated MG fire from many directions as soon as they crossed the railway. The tanks, meanwhile, reached the top of the ridge and there was no immediate trouble from Anti Tank guns to the north and east. However, by 930hrs, Douglas had got some of his tanks to their objective behind the town and this in the end proved decisive. By 1030, E Company, supported at point blank range by one troop of tanks, blasted their way into the first block of buildings after very bitter fighting at close quarters. Their own casualties were heavy but the majority of the defenders were exterminated. A few wounded prisoners were taken.

    In the meantime, F Company were having a frightful battle at very close quarters with Bosche in large numbers in the corn. At the same time, Douglas and his tanks were blasting the town to bits from behind. Paul, meanwhile, maintained a smoke screen over the centre of the town until he had no smoke left and then all our artillery weight was switched onto the Felice cemetery and Pucciarelli ridge area, which were troubling F Company and Douglas particularly.

    Ronnie Boyd and E Company were fighting a very gallant action in Sanfatucchio gradually storming the village house by house with most stubborn resistance by the enemy. Many, who tried to escape, were shot by the tanks. The German OP party in the church tower were eventually killed after a shot by Douglas’ tank had blown out part of the tower and the spiral staircase below them. By 1pm, resistance in the town collapsed after four hours of violent hand to hand fighting. About fifty dead Bosche were found in the town alone. E and F Companies had suffered heavy casualties. Both were then told to sit tight and hold their gains, while Paul put down ‘Uncles’ on the next objective. H and G Companies, who at this stage had not been committed, were then ordered forward, H to attack the cemetery and G to dis-infest the area around the town, which was still crawling with German MGs.

    Throughout the whole of the battle, all our support weapons had performed prodigiously. The Vickers’ Platoon was in action in the Sanfatucchio houses within an hour of its capture, while the Mortar Platoon was lining up their weapons in the main street and square. The town itself, of course, was being plastered with everything the Bosche could procure. The 6 pounder Platoon under Fitzgerald had also rendered remarkable service by driving their portees and guns up the main road to Pucciarelli at zero hour, off limbering at 400 yards under fire from a good many MGs and getting into action over open sights. The effect of this fire was that the Bosche in Pucciarelli were entirely suppressed during the critical opening stages and were able to give no assistance whatsoever to their pals in Sanfatucchio. During this early part of the battle, they fired over four hundred rounds of AP and HE.

    H Company began their assault on the cemetery at about 230pm. One of our troops had already penetrated very close to the church there and were blasting away at the defenders and a little later on, our troop of M10s got into action too, though they were mainly engaged in suppressing the Bosche on the flanks. H Company eventually broke in after half an hour hand to hand fighting inside the church itself and within the cemetery. By this time, the 3″ and 4.2″ mortars were in action dealing with the Bosche on the ridge and crossroads and beyond the cemetery. The Germans counter attacked the latter at about 330pm, but many were caught by the 17 Field and the mortars. Even so, a fight with grenades and pistols ranged along the cemetery wall for some time. Lt Michael Webb Bowen even shot one Hun at the range of less than a foot. Unhappily, John Hunter was wounded at about the same time.

    By 4pm, the cemetery area was fairly firm and F Company was put in to seize the crossroads north of the cemetery and E Company was ordered to try and get a foothold on the Pucciarelli Ridge. At this stage, all three companies had lost about a third of their strength and our tank losses had been very heavy. In fact, Douglas had only seven left. Happily, Douglas himself was ok.

    E Company took the crossroads after two hours fighting in the corn and orchards, where they killed and captured a lot of Bosche. George Dunseath was killed when leading his men in a charge across the corn at several Bosche MGs at very close range. One of the tanks put up a very gallant show here motoring down the road Besa-ing the corn from the flank in front of F Company. Finally, of course, it was hit by an 88.

    While this was going on, E Company was assaulting a group of buildings on a ridge having successfully cleared the intervening houses. These, they finally broke into at dusk having then forty men left. Just as it was getting dark, both E and F Companies were counter attacked. Both attacks were broken up by artillery and mortar fire and the tanks near the cemetery also had a very good shoot. Even so, a number of Bosche broke into the buildings held by E Company. After about an hour, these were all killed or captured.”

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  7. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    My father, CQMS Edmund O'Sullivan also remembered the early evening of 21st June 1944 at Sanfatucchio:

    "It was still broad daylight when I brought up a cooked meal for the company across country following the route of the forward troops. While it was still light, I was serving it up, helped by the stretcher bearers. As the light faded, a burst of machine gun fire shattered the lintel above my head. I dived for cover behind the insulated food containers and crawled into the building for safety. Any movement brought shellfire down on our farm buildings. The Germans had our range to perfection. I persuaded a party consisting of my driver Corporal Gough and the stretcher bearers to line up and make a dash with the empty containers for the jeep parked some 20 yards away behind an outbuilding. ‘All you have to do is throw them on the ground by the jeep. I’ll pack them on,’ I said. ‘At my command, Run!’ We had started to move when a shell burst right outside the door, killing one and wounding the other of the first pair.

    Captain Boyd was on the first floor and he shouted for me. I went to him and reported what had happened.

    ‘Are you off ?,’ he asked.

    I replied: ‘No person will help me to carry the containers, Sir.’

    ‘Do it yourself, with the driver,’ he said. Already shaken, I was horrified. I saluted him and left.

    ‘And take the body to the RAP,’ he said. This was an unusual order. Bodies were normally buried where they had fallen, once the identity disc had been removed to be given to BHQ with a map reference.

    I persuaded Gough to make the short journey with the containers. Wrapped in a blanket, the corpse was placed on top of the folded windscreen on the bonnet. Both back wheels were punctured and the jeep was running on its back rims. We roared down the 100-yard track from the farm and turned left on to the road. Eyewitnesses said we were followed by heavy fire. The stretch of road was about 600 yards long and forked left to the village where the quartermaster was based. We were tracked by mortar fire. After turning towards the village, we saw, about 100 yards ahead, a wrecked artillery quad that was blocking the road. There was a shallow ditch on its right and we drove along it at a steep angle with the two right hand wheels down the ditch and the other two on the road. I held containers with one hand and the body with the other as we bumped back on to the road. The mortar fire stopped when we were in the shelter of the quad and out of sight of the enemy.

    We rattled our way into the village and stopped when we saw Joe Turvey, Colour Sergeant of H Company. He started to tell me of his experience with his own company with one hand on the body.

    ‘What’s this?,’ he asked.

    ‘A stretcher bearer,’ I replied. ‘He was killed carrying containers to the jeep.’

    Joe almost jumped with the shock. I proceeded to the RAP. There, I was rebuked by the medical officer for bringing back the body and having a corpse adjacent to food containers. A colour sergeant stood no chance against an officer in command who apparently wanted to take it out on somebody. I was always a ready victim. Perhaps he would learn.”


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  8. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Major Colin Gibbs (pictured below) was the officer who welcomed my father into the London Irish Rifles in October 1939... more than 4 years later, Major Gibbs was commanding F Coy of 2 LIR during the Irish Brigade's assaults on the Trasimene Line west of the lake and the attack continued on the morning of the 24th June as described below by Lt-Col John Horsfall:

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    "F Company, five hundred yards up the road to Pescia, still held the tactical strong point of Casa Montemara and the enemy sat there round it, dug in both in the corn and the paddock, the ditches and the outbuildings - and, at least another company of them came in during the night. Something went badly wrong when they let us in there, but there was a burned out SP in the orchard with its crew lying dead around it. Others of the garrison could have bolted when that happened and the German commander may not have known of the mishap, nor that this door through his forward posts was open.

    This day, the 23rd June, was a day of stalemate as the 8th Army girded itself together for a fresh lunge forward and the 78th Division did likewise. In furtherance of the plan, the Irish Brigade was ordered to renew the attack with the first stage of capturing Pescia and Ranciano. The two townlets were a mile ahead of us, with a shallow depression lying between them and our present positions. Beyond them, the ground fell away, down to the river Pescia, a sluggish and shallow water course, and barely an obstacle even to tanks. It oozed its way eastwards a further half mile on, and emptied into Lake Trasimene away on our right.

    I went up in the morning to see Colin Gibbs and study the ground from the Casa. Colin met us at the back of his demesne – we had crawled the last few hundred yards. It was deceptively quiet and the white fronted buildings beyond us glinted wickedly in the sunlight. We spent some time on the first floor of the house, searching the landscape with our glasses and well back from the windows – with our own snipers lying beside us. There was an occasional rifle shot but nothing else just then, and no signs of life showed in spite of the watchers all round us. F Company’s men were scattered about in the building – and brewing tea as usual. Colin produced some for us as we sat on the floor and discussed our problems.

    But whether they were Colin’s problems or mine, I was not quite sure and I was much embarrassed.

    Pat had given me the intention - that the Faughs would attack, at the dawn following, from the springboard, which we provided and, once well and truly launched, the Inniskillings and ourselves would come up behind them on either flank. But the Faughs would be the spearhead. In the meantime, we had to come to a heart searching decision with Colin Gibbs and it was hardly one I could press.

    Colin was nearly a mile in front of the rest of the Irish Rifles, whose sector now looked like an isosceles triangle with F Company at the apex of it. Colin’s position, although isolated, was the key to the next operation and dominated all else round it. Unfortunately, our adversaries realised this too, and the opposing oberst now had at least two companies in occupation of the same territory. Therefore, the opening barrage of 78’s divisional artillery had to start on a line through Casa Montemara or else the main attack could hardly begin.

    I described the tactical problem to my rugged company commander and offered to withdraw F Company a quarter of a mile back to safety. Colin said, ‘Colonel, I would like to talk to my chaps,’ and went off to tell them what I had just said. I stayed there drinking tea with some of them while he did so. He did not take long. Then he said, ‘Sir, you must begin with the barrage on this place, but we would like to stay. It has good cellars and we will go in to them at zero.’ Colin, therefore, took the decision, which no senior officer would have ordered – not in a British army. But, undoubtedly, it was the right one.

    He went on, ‘I’d rather know it was our guns than be out there in the open under their counter preparation.’

    Thus, Colin resolved his choice of evils with no more hesitation than I have described and the choice, itself, rose from his initiative in seizing Montemara in the first place. And so it came about that an Irish Rifles’ company commander with a subaltern, a handful of NCOs and thirty odd riflemen, elected to stay in their posts when the whole of their division’s artillery put down their wrath upon them.

    I went back thoughtfully to my command post wondering who I would see of F Company next morning. Then I called up my brigadier....


    ...The night was disturbed, as it usually was with both sides expectant. Sometimes, one could sense the German tension. Shelling was incessant and the enemy worked steadily round our sector with their mortars.

    At 0415, I went forward on to the Pucciarelli ridge with Frankie, parking the tank hull down, as I thought, in the half light. Then Douglas joined us there with several other tanks, including one or two that he had salvaged somehow. In the meantime, our companies sat tight in their positions and I sent messages of cheer to Colin – and said we were all thinking of him.

    At 0530, the barrage came down with the crash and roar that carried one words away. That lovely morning and the bright landscape in front of us vanished together into the maelstrom as shell after shell erupted across the front and the black clouds of the explosions drifted across the battlefield. Then the medium regiments joined in – but not on Montemara. That, at least, I owed to Colin.

    A quarter of a mile back on the ridge, our Vickers was firing in to the murk and the tanks sniped intermittently with their 75s until the smoke hid all beyond it. The enemy reaction was slower than usual but, when it came, the intensity of the DFs was scarcely less than our own barrage. Most of it fell on the ridge – on us, that is – and as the Faughs were already concentrated beyond our positions, they lost hardly a man in these critical moments. Drawing the enemy fire was never an Irish Brigade practice, save accidentally. But this was the case just now, and it would be a useful topic when next in the Faughs’ mess.

    The concentrations on our ridge were coming down like an avalanche and my tank shuddered under two direct hits, virtually simultaneously. There seemed to be rather a lot of blood about, mostly the WT operator’s. Then, a Canadian voice floated up from below, questioning the wisdom of our present location. We edged back cautiously and, for a space, stopped firing. We had to anyway. The Faughs, thorough as usual, had drowned the area in smoke and we could see nothing. However, some vigilant Teuton had taken his chance. Probably, he spotted the flashes of our 75s. I noticed that Douglas had pulled back a few yards too.

    Thereafter, we moved up and down on the nearside of our ridge, reappearing in different places, but these evasive measures were soon superseded by the progress of the battle.

    B and C Companies led the Faugh attack and they had the same splendid support from the CAR that our boys had had. The Germans do not seem to have stood for long anywhere until Ranciano was reached and, up to that time, they relied largely on a string of SPs scattered across the front, backed by a number of tanks in support. Only the high ground was held in strength.

    In the meantime, F Company had survived the holocaust at Montemara and Colin was on the air, soon after the barrage lifted. Colin Gibbs was unknown to express emotion but, nonetheless, a tinge of something was discernible as he drawled back to me over the radio. There was a colossal amount of oil smoke and flame blazing skywards over Montemara and, for all I knew, F Company’s fortress, by now, could have been a vast crematorium.The fires, in fact, were his transport and he had lost most of his machines, which were tucked in there behind the buildings. They had suffered seven direct hits from our own guns, but lying up for the most part in the cellars until the barrage lifted, only a handful of his men had been hit. And few of these were serious.

    Moreover, they had the last laugh. Most of the enemy garrison were by-passed in the Faughs’ attack and, as the latter went ahead, Colin set about the Germans in the nearby buildings with his 6 pounders. With no other distraction owing to the German preoccupation with the main attack, he succeeded in bringing down large chunks of the masonry on to the occupants beneath and, when the demolition had proceeded to his satisfaction, he rushed a dozen of his men across. Hardly a shot was fired and I don’t think the enemy ever saw them coming in the thick smoke and the dust. Colin brought eighteen stupefied prisoners out of the wreckage. The rest had fled and nobody could see to shoot at them. Seven of his own men were casualties and we had also lost one or two from Fitz’s gun crews...."
     
  9. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Colin Gibbs was awarded the Military Cross for his actions at Trasimene:

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  10. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Brigadier Scott recalled two amusing incidents that occurred in June '44:

    "A bold Fusilier from the Skins was bringing back a German officer prisoner. This Bosche spoke English quite fluently and was having a conversation with his captor. After a bit, the German enquired where the Skin came from. He told him that he was native of Dublin. This information caused the German a certain amount of surprise, and he asked why, if he came from Dublin, he was fighting at all. The reply was typical ‘Ah, we’re no particular who we fight for’. Not long before a rather similar incident had occurred where the reason the Irish fight was given as ‘Sure, we didn’t want to see the English beat”.

    The other amusing incident which occurred happened with the Faughs. The hero of this episode was Fusilier Hobden, a native of Dublin, who was a 38 WT Set operator in C Company. During their attack on the 24th, when things had got rather confused from enemy shelling, dust and the general fog of war, Hobden had been some great work on his own, keeping his company in touch with the tanks. In the course of his activities, he got separated from the rest of his platoon. He looked into the house hoping to find them, but instead of his platoon being there, he was met by nine armed Hun, one of whom, at once, covered him with a pistol. Nothing daunted, he at once brought his 38 Set and aerial to the ‘on guard’ position, threatening his nasty looking bunch. Goodness knows what they thought he had on, but they dropped their weapons and surrendered to a man. One up to Dublin!"

    Hobden was awarded the MM.

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  11. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    To round off this period and two days before leaving for rest in Egypt, on 8th July 1944, the Irish Brigade held a dance in Rome as Brigadier Pat Scott remembered:

    "...One of the main drawbacks in Rome was the shortage of places where troops could eat a meal. There was very little spare food in Rome and what few restaurants there were had to be run with the aid of army rations. We decided to launch out on our own in this matter and opened ‘The Shamrock Club’ for all members of the Brigade Group. Paddy did great work with Peter Chalk, our BRASCO, getting this place under way and. for the short time, it lasted it was a roaring success.

    On the evening of the 8th, Brigade HQ held their big dance for the Brigade Group at the Barberini Palace. About 400 guests were present. It had been a terrific business rounding up the necessary quota of females. Eire Minister’s family collected a fair amount of locals. Other people raided hospitals for nursing sisters. My contribution was rounding up a number of ATS staff officers from General Alexander’s HQ. This I did by walking round the vast building, which housed HQ AAI and, with the moral support of John O’Rourke, walking into every office displaying a female name on the door outside.

    The party started with the Pipes and Drums playing Retreat in the Palace courtyard. We then had a buffet supper. This was prepared by the RASC from army rations and I have seldom seen such a fine and ingenious display. Our late host of Tavernelle mansion, Gulio Moretti, gave us all the wine we wanted. The party went with a swing and the dances were interspersed with Irish dancing as the evening went on, both pipers and ourselves. Everyone joined in a Haymakers Jig with great gusto..."


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  12. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Faugh a Ballagh !

     
  13. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    Keep it coming....
     
  14. Sandra Doran

    Sandra Doran Well-Known Member

    Hello, can you tell me if you are in touch with any surviving veterans of the Italian Campaign? I'm writing a non-fiction pictorial book "Forgotten Heroes" and I looking for anyone that has any memorabilia or stories that would help me tell the story of the men involved.
     
    Chris C likes this.
  15. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Good luck...you might wish to include this note within a self contained specifically titled thread


    .
     
  16. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Hi Sandra,

    In case you hadn't noted it yet, Ron Goldstein is a veteran of the Italian campaign and he posts on this forum! He's also written quite a bit, and posted it online. Forget where though.
     
  17. Sandra Doran

    Sandra Doran Well-Known Member

    Thank you, Chris. I have tried but no response as yet.
     
  18. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Sandra

    As Chris (Seroster) has kindly pointed out, I still post (occasionally), so try again :salut:

    Ron
    :Cartangry:
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2019
    Sandra Doran and bexley84 like this.
  19. Sandra Doran

    Sandra Doran Well-Known Member

    Good morning Ron,

    Thank you for the tip. If nothing else - I'm a trier. lol

    Not sure what you have regarding my post so briefly - I'm writing a pictorial non-fiction book "Forgotten Heroes" Italian Campaign with contributions from those who were there.

    At present, I am searching for photos, diagrams, maps and diaries, while contacting surviving veterans willing to include their quotes to give an insight into their thoughts and experiences as to what military life was like during the Italian campaign. anyone making contributions to the book will be noted and listed in the "Acknowledgements & Dedications"

    If you can help in any way I would be grateful. Again, thank you.

    Sandra
     
  20. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Sandra
    and a very Good Morning to you too !
    This is what I suggest, for starters.....................
    Go to http://ww2talk.com/index.php?search/4123932/&q=Ron+Goldstein+Italy&o=relevance
    then:
    1. Find any stories that are of possible interest.
    2. Come back to this thread and ask for clarification on any point in any article that may interest you and I will try be of help (don't forget to quote the appropriate link)

    Be aware that my memory of the times of which we speak is now no longer at it's best and I therefore rely largely on that which I have already committed to print.

    Have fun, don't expect too much, too soon and don't forget that if you use anything to acknowledge the source, including, of course, ww2talk.com

    Best regards

    Ron
     
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