Lamone Crossing : 2nd - 13th December 1944

9th Lancers : Defence of the Lamone Bridgehead Italy 1944 (9th December 1944)
In order to capture the Italian town of Faenza, the river Lamone had to be crossed. The crossing itself was fairly easily achieved on the 3rd December 1944 but owing to the nature of the ground on the far side it was extremely difficult to establish a firm bridgehead. The assault was launched by 128th Brigade across the Lamone River.
The 9th Lancers were in support of the Brigade.
C’ Squadron crossed the River early in the morning of the 5th December and supported all three battalions in the brigade. On the right Lt. Fitzpatrick and Sgt Simpson (later SSM Simpson MM) managed with great difficulty to establish themselves on the vital ridge. On the left Lt. Thwaites and his troop to support the 1/4th Hampshires, who had been counter attacked off Point 261. Supported by Thwaites’s troop the 1/4th Hampshires re-captured Point 261 and Casa Nova. Pideura was taken but the Germans counter attacked and re-took the village. During the night ‘B’ Company of the 1st KRRC relieved the Company of the 1/4th Hampshires.
‘B’ Squadron crossed the Lamone on the 6th December and on the 7th advanced up the West bank of the Lamone towards Faenza and managed to reach and hold the cross roads about one and a half miles south west of Faenza.
At 6.30 am on the 7th December ‘B’ Company attacked Pideura. Thwaites’s troop beat off a German counter attack which had driven the infantry from the village and Pideura was taken. Lieutenant Thwaites later received a Bar to his MC for this action, and his Troop Sergeant, Sergeant Corbett, the DCM.
On the 8th the Germans counter attacked but were beaten off. The infantry acknowledged that but for the tanks of “C” Squadron sticking it out with them; they could not have held the bridgehead. During this time “B” Squadron had been in support of the Infantry on the right of “C” and they too had been having a rough time.
The 9th Lancers were awarded the Battle Honours, “Lamone Crossing”, “Pideura” and “Lamone Bridgehead” in recognition of the vital part they played in establishing our forces across the Lamone River in December, 1944.

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Lamone (river) - Wikipedia

-- x --

http://ww2talk.com/index.php?search/18076790/&q=Lamone&o=relevance

Lamone : Search | Imperial War Museums

Lamone : Hell & High Water

Lamone: A Novel about the Canadian Army in the Italian Campaign in World War II - By David Baldwin Clark - Google books - Lamone

Tigers in Combat

Chuckle | Operations & Codenames of WWII

-- x --

Operation Chuckle Archives - Legion Magazine

The Crossing of the Lamone, 2-13 December 1944 by Dylan Capstick

Hell & High Water

Bedlam At The Lamone: Army, Part 88 - Legion Magazine

 

Events

24th November 1944

The Italian Campaign after Salerno - The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum

Has...

On 24th November the Hampshire Brigade returned to action, leading the assault towards the River Lamone and the town of Faenza. Initially the attack was a triumphal procession through farms, where people turned out to welcome the liberators with cheers, wine and fruit. By 11am a Company of the 5th Battalion reached Borgo Durbecco, just across the River Lamone from Faenza, only to find all the bridges demolished.
With a crossing here impossible, the Brigade transferred further south where the King’s Royal Rifle Corps (under command of 128 Brigade for this operation) had forced a crossing of the River Marzeno which joined the Lamone. The 5th and 2nd Battalions got over the Marzeno in the late afternoon, but the small bridgehead soon became crowded and subjected to heavy enemy shellfire.
Despite heavy rain which caused the Marzeno to rise quickly and wash away the crossing place, the Brigade reached the Lamone on 26th November.

EIGHTH ARMY : VARIOUS
IWM NA20222 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Sherman tanks prepare for a shoot on the road about 1/4-mile from Faenza.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lambert. Catalogued 24d11m1944.

25th November 1944

Planning "Operation Chuckle" : Lamone



Re. Lieutenant George Herbert Patrick (Paddy) Holt, 268010...
Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_283.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby
LIEUTENANT GEORGE HERBERT PATRICK HOLT
Service Number: 268010
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps. 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 25 November 1944
Age 21 years old
Buried or commemorated at FORLI WAR CEMETERY. IV, D, 23. Italy
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Son of Herbert Paton Holt and Aileen Elizabeth Holt, of Mayfair, London; husband of Jean Holt.

Re. SERJEANT ARTHUR LYNNE RULE - 317278
Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_283.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2237795/arthur-lynne-rule/
SERJEANT ARTHUR LYNNE RULE
Service Number: 317278
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps. 'C' Sqn. 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 25 November 1944. Age 30 years old
Buried or commemorated at FAENZA WAR CEMETERY. III. G. 9. Italy
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Son of William and Clara Rule; husband of Pearl Roseline Rule, of Totton, Hampshire.
Personal Inscription : DUTY NOBLY DONE. GOOD-NIGHT SWEETHEART UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

Re. CORPORAL BENJAMIN TYLER - 317548
Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_283.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2237936/benjamin-tyler/
CORPORAL BENJAMIN TYLER
Service Number: 317548
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps. 'C' Sqn. 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 25 November 1944
Age 32 years old
Buried or commemorated at FAENZA WAR CEMETERY. III. G. 10. Italy
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Son of Benjamin and Eleanor Mary Tyler, of Mordiford, Herefordshire.

Re. TROOPER JAMES MOAT - Service Number: 7934142
Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_283.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2237623/james-moat/
TROOPER JAMES MOAT
Service Number: 7934142
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps. 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 25 November 1944
Age 24 years old
Buried or commemorated at FAENZA WAR CEMETERY. III. G. 11. Italy
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Son of Frederick A. and Sarah Moat, of Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Personal Inscription : THE MOST TREASURED GIFT WE POSSESSED WAS TAKEN FROM US TO ETERNAL REST

Sunday 26th November 1944... 26d11m1944...

Italy
8th Army stalled by rain and flooding along the Lamone River and Montone River.

Tuesday 28th November 1944... 28d11m1944...

British 13th Corps of US 5th Army captures Casoal Valsenio and Monte Taverna unopposed.

Wednesday 29th November 1944... 29d11m1944...

British 13th Corps of US 5th Army captures Fontanelice unopposed.

-- x --

9th Lancers - Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_285.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby



Trooper Ronald George Hunt, 14548298...

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2237413/ronald-george-hunt/

TROOPER RONALD GEORGE HUNT
Service Number: 14548298
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps. 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 29 November 1944
Age 21 years old
Buried or commemorated at FAENZA WAR CEMETERY. III. A. 12. Italy
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Son of Arthur Charles and Fanny Florence Hunt, of Upper Norwood, Surrey.
Personal Inscription : HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THOSE HE LOVED R.I.P.

Thursday 30th November 1944... 30d11m1944...

British 8th Army attacking toward Casa Bettini and captures Albereto.

1st December 1944... 1d12m1944...



2nd December 1944... 2d12m1944...

EIGHTH ARMY : ACROSS THE RIVER LAMONE
NA20398 : Object description - Original wartime caption: 5th Corps Commander, Lieut. General C.F. Keightley, is held up in a line of traffic three miles S. of Faenza.

3rd December 1944

EIGHTH ARMY : LIFE BLOOD OF AN ARMY
NA2405

EIGHTH ARMY : LIFE BLOOD OF AN ARMY

EIGHTH ARMY : LIFE BLOOD OF AN ARMY

EIGHTH ARMY : LIFE BLOOD OF AN ARMY

EIGHTH ARMY : LIFE BLOOD OF AN ARMY

EIGHTH ARMY : LIFE BLOOD OF AN ARMY

EIGHTH ARMY : LIFE BLOOD OF AN ARMY

EIGHTH ARMY : LIFE BLOOD OF AN ARMY

EIGHTH ARMY : LIFE BLOOD OF AN ARMY

Etc.

EIGHTH ARMY : LIFE BLOOD OF AN ARMY

4th December 1944



EIGHTH ARMY : ACROSS THE RIVER LAMONE
NA20399 :

EIGHTH ARMY : ACROSS THE RIVER LAMONE
NA20400 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Just above the ford across the River Lamone, sappers of 271 Field Company, R.E., are working hard to erect a trestle bridge across the river.

EIGHTH ARMY : ACROSS THE RIVER LAMONE
NA20401 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Sappers crossing by the ford. In the foreground is a D4 bulldozer, which struck a hidden mine. A larger bulldozer the D8 is manoeuvring into position to move the wrecked bulldozer.

EIGHTH ARMY : ACROSS THE RIVER LAMONE
NA20402

EIGHTH ARMY : ACROSS THE RIVER LAMONE
NA20403

EIGHTH ARMY : ACROSS THE RIVER LAMONE
NA20404

EIGHTH ARMY : VARIOUS
IWM NA20498 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Visual proof of the fighting necessary to dislodge the enemy from positions on the River Lamone are the number of Sherman tanks scattered over the countryside. A British soldier examines one of these knocked out Shermans.
Taken by Sergeant Levy. Catalogued 4d12m1944.

5th December 1944



EIGHTH ARMY : ENTRY INTO RAVENNA

EIGHTH ARMY : ENTRY INTO RAVENNA

EIGHTH ARMY : ENTRY INTO RAVENNA

EIGHTH ARMY : ENTRY INTO RAVENNA

EIGHTH ARMY : ENTRY INTO RAVENNA

EIGHTH ARMY : ENTRY INTO RAVENNA

Etc.

EIGHTH ARMY : ENTRY INTO RAVENNA

6th December 1944

British 8th Army crosses the Lamone river

Recommendation for Award for Thwaites, Henry Otho Daniel Rank: Lieutenant ... | The National Archives

7th December 1944

Recommendation for Award for Hannen, Lancelot Guy Michael Rank: Lieutenant ... | The National Archives

Re. Trooper William Herbert Curtis - 4619400
Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_289.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2222801/william-herbert-curtis/
TROOPER WILLIAM HERBERT CURTIS
Service Number: 4619400
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps. 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 07 December 1944
Age 27 years old
Buried or commemorated at RAVENNA WAR CEMETERY. I. F. 12. Italy
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Son of John and Lydia Curtis; husband of Annie Grace Curtis, of Walthamstow, Essex.
Personal Inscription : HE DID HIS BEST ERE HE DID FALL SO SADLY MISSED AND LOVED BY ALL

8th December 1944

Lamone River: Attempted Crossing
Object description : British war correspondent's account of attempt by troops of 5th Canadian Armoured Div to cross River Lamone, Italy, 8/12/1944
Content description - REEL 1 Account of attempt by troops of 5th Canadian Armoured Div to cross River Lamone, Italy, 8/12/1944: character of German defences on River Lamone; description of abortive attempt to cross River Lamone and German counter-attack.

9th December 1944



9th Lancers : Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_296.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby



Re. Trooper William Longmire, 7947500
Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_291.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2071224/william-longmire/
TROOPER WILLIAM LONGMIRE
Service Number: 7947500
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps. 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 09 December 1944
Age 22 years old
Buried or commemorated at CASSINO MEMORIAL. Panel 1. Italy
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Foster-son of Mrs. M. J. Milner, of Beeston Hill, Leeds, Yorkshire.

10th December 1944

Lamone River, Borgo De Villanova and the Fosso Munio 10-21 December 1944



https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2207207/ronald-pattison/
Trooper Ronald Pattison, 321700...
TROOPER RONALD PATTISON
Service Number: 321700
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps, 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 10 December 1944
Age 25 years old
Buried or commemorated at FORLI WAR CEMETERY. V, D, 11. Italy
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Son of Robert and Anne Pattison, of Hull.
Personal Inscription : HIS WAYS WERE GOOD HIS SPIRIT TRUE LOVED AND RESPECTED BY ALL HE KNOW

11th December 1944


12th December 1944

8th Army establishes a bridgehead over the Naviglio Canal

13th December 1944

EIGHTH ARMY : TANKS CROSS THE RIVER LAMONE
NA20678 : Object description - Original wartime caption: For the first time, six large smoke generators were used on the 8th Army front to mask our movements in the Lamone River area. The Germans were trying to find the Bailey bridge with mortar fire, and at the same time, New Zealand armour was crossing to support the Infantry, and the smoke screen was put down to cover the vital Bailey bridge.

EIGHTH ARMY : TANKS CROSS THE RIVER LAMONE

EIGHTH ARMY : TANKS CROSS THE RIVER LAMONE

EIGHTH ARMY : TANKS CROSS THE RIVER LAMONE

RAVENNA : VARIOUS

RAVENNA : VARIOUS

RAVENNA : VARIOUS

RAVENNA : VARIOUS

RAVENNA : VARIOUS
NA20686 : Object description - Original wartime caption: An armoured car patrol contact the enemy in Corsino and a sniper goes into action. The enemy occupies a house on the other side of a canal, 300 yards away.

14th December 1944

Re. Trooper Gordon Dawson, 14433357...
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2237154/gordon-dawson/
TROOPER GORDON DAWSON
Service Number: 14433357
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps. 'B' Sqn. 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 14 December 1944
Age 24 years old
Buried or commemorated at FAENZA WAR CEMETERY. I. C. 17. Italy
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Son of Leonard and Maisie Dawson; husband of Ruby Margaret Dawson, of Shepherd's Bush, London.

 

4758468 Ronald Tinkler of the 6th York and Lancs who was wounded 9th December in the Lamone fighting

 

Re. Planning "Operation Chuckle"

Lamone

 

At 8min 30secs - a segment called "Lamone River Action"

Lamone River Action: 1st Canadian Corps at the Lamone River in Italy; on the highway to Venice; air attack; artillery pushes Germans back; 8th Army in the Po Valley; entering town.



-- x --



----- x ----- x -----

 

EIGHTH ARMY : VARIOUS
IWM NA20222 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Sherman tanks prepare for a shoot on the road about 1/4-mile from Faenza.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lambert. Catalogued 24d11m1944.



EIGHTH ARMY : VARIOUS
NA20223 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Faenza, seen from the window of an OP just outside the town. The Sherman tanks in the foreground are shooting up German positions in and around Faenza.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lambert. Catalogued 24d11m1944.

EIGHTH ARMY : VARIOUS
NA20225 : Object description - Original wartime caption: A German M. IV Special tank hit first by A/Tk fire, and then by a bomb, lying in a crater on the road to Faenza.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lambert. Catalogued 24d11m1944.

EIGHTH ARMY : VARIOUS
NA20226 : Object description - Original wartime caption: A group of men of 16 Btn. Durham Light Infantry who crossed the river Rio Cosina, enjoy a well-earned rest.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lambert. Catalogued 24d11m1944.

EIGHTH ARMY : VARIOUS
NA20227 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Lieut. General C.F. Keightley, 5th Corps Commander, confers with Brigadier J. Kendrew, Commander 128 Brigade, 46 Division, on the road to Faenza.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lambert. Catalogued 24d11m1944.

--- x ---

EIGHTH ARMY : ADVANCE TOWARDS FAENZA
NA20230 : Object description - Original wartime caption: The Army Commander watching sappers at work on a big demolition on Route 9 near Villanova, about five miles from Faenza. Tank-dozers are being used to move the earth.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lupson. Catalogued 24d11m1944.

EIGHTH ARMY : ADVANCE TOWARDS FAENZA
NA20231 : Object description - Original wartime caption: At a diversion of Route 9, Lieut. General McCreery, sits in his jeep and watches infantrymen of the 2nd Beds & Herts Regiment on the advance towards Faenza.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lupson. Catalogued 24d11m1944.

-- x --

EIGHTH ARMY : ADVANCE TOWARDS FAENZA
NA20233 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Halfway between Forli and Faenza, Infantrymen of the 1/6 East Surreys march along Route 9 in pursuit of the enemy, who had pulled out at night.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lupson. Catalogued 24d11m1944.

THE BRITISH ARMY IN ITALY 1944
NA20234 : Object description - Infantry pass a knocked-out German PzKpfw IV tank on the road to Faenza, 24 November 1944.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lupson. Catalogued 24d11m1944.

EIGHTH ARMY : ADVANCE TOWARDS FAENZA
NA20235 : Object description - Original wartime caption: A Bren carrier passes the knocked-out Mk. IV. In the foreground, a Bren gun team cover Route 9 as a precaution against German counterattack.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lupson. Catalogued 24d11m1944.

 

WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 188 [Main Title]

Object description
An edition of the British official newsreel "War Pictorial News", produced by the Ministry of Information, Middle East.
Full description
I. 'WESTERN FRONT.' A Royal Navy (RN) rocket-firing landing craft (LCT-R) fires ripple-salvos at German positions on Walcheren Island in support of the Anglo-Canadian operation to clear the islands of enemy troops and open up the Scheldt Estuary to Allied shipping. Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Typhoon fighter-bomber aircraft overfly Allied landing craft on their way to Walcheren. Men of the British 4th Commando Brigade attempt to look over the disembarkation ramp of a small landing craft as it makes for the landing beaches near Westkapelle on Walcheren Island. Landing craft come under German artillery fire as they negotiate shallow water near the landing areas. Knocked-out Allied LCT landing craft burn in the shallows near a landing site (location undisclosed). Allied (British or Canadian) LVT(2?) Water Buffalo and M29 Weasel amphibious vehicles remain stationary on a beach. A Willys Jeep negotiates a flooded country road allegedly following the German destruction of the sea defences (The flooding of Walcheren is more likely to have been caused by RAF bombing). Panoramic footage shows the extent of the flooding. Members of the British 4th Commando Brigade move across a beach strewn with German anti-tank obstacles (environs of Westkapelle) carrying Lee-Enfield No.IV rifles. British M4A1 Sherman and Sherman Firefly tanks drive through the town of Middelburg (Walcheren Island). A British Commando carrying an M1 Thompson .45-inch sub-machine gun, escorts a German 70th Division prisoner along a road in Middelburg. General Daser of the German 70th Division is shown in close-up after his capture by Allied troops. German prisoners march along a street as Dutch national flags fly from windows. Abandoned German equipment lies at the side of a road.
Full description
II. 'WOMEN RAILWAY WORKERS.' Women railway workers wearing boiler suits work on steam locomotives at an unidentified Great Western Railway (GWR) depot. Steam locomotive "Neath Valley" moves slowly past the camera position. A woman railway worker forms part of a riveting team, working on the construction of steam locomotives. A woman railway worker operates switching levers at a railside junction box. A female ticket collector checks tickets at a small GWR station (unidentified location). A United States (US) non-commissioned officer (Technician 3rd Grade) walks along sidings at a storage area for US rolling stock.
Full description
III. 'ITALY.' British artillery teams fire camouflaged 155mm heavy field guns at German positions near an unidentified Italian medieval hill town. A British M4 Sherman tank (three piece nose) drives along a dusty Italian road past a dump for spent artillery shells. Members of the 4th Indian Division armed with Lee-Enfield Mk III .303-inch rifles move with caution across rugged Italian terrain. An Indian infantryman throws a Mills No 36M hand grenade into a suspected enemy foxhole position, taking cover prior to its explosion. German prisoners of war walk along a country road guarded by British infantrymen armed with Lee-Enfield Mk III rifles. Italian civilian refugees pass down a road in an ox-drawn cart that is laden with personal possessions and has white flags flying from it. A caterpillar tractor is used to pull an Ordnance QF 25-pounder howitzer with limber along a very muddy mountain track. The commentary outlines the increasing problems of movement and communication inherent in the changing weather situation with the onset of the Italian winter. Eighth Army infantrymen attempt to push a bogged-down artillery tractor from cloying mud, others shore up a road against torrential rain using logs. A party of British infantrymen drag a wounded colleague over muddy terrain on an improvised sled. British Eighth Army Gurkha troops ford the River Ronco (Ravenna-Forli) in the environs of the village of Meldola. Italian civilians hold guide-ropes to assist the Gurkhas in the crossing of the fast-flowing Ronco, swollen by heavy winter rains.

----- x ----- x -----

WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 198 [Main Title]

Object description
An edition of the British official newsreel "War Pictorial News", produced by the Ministry of Information, Middle East.
Full description
I. 'ITALY.' British V Corps Churchill IV and V (close-support) tanks move up to attack German positions in the environs of Faenza (Ravenna) in December 1944. British M4 Sherman tanks fire 75mm high explosive rounds from an open field at unseen German positions. A British mortar detachment fires 3-inch smooth-bore mortars from the yard of an Italian farmhouse. A British M4A4E1 Sherman fires its 105mm gun at high elevation. British V Corps infantrymen fire Vickers .303-inch heavy machine guns in the sustained-fire role. British infantry man a Bren .303-inch light-machine gun in a trench next to a knocked-out German PzKpfw IV (Ausf H ?) tank. British infantry armed with Lee-Enfield No.IV rifles move past the hulk of the knocked-out German tank. A British Churchill IV tank and supporting infantry move across a rural level crossing.
Full description
II. 'KING FAROUK VISITS BRITISH SERVICES.' King Farouk of Egypt visits No 4 Base Workshop REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) at Abbassia. The King is cheered on his arrival by crowds of Egyptian civilians who line the approach route to the REME depot. The King views the work of Egyptian civilian workers employed at the depot. King Farouk briefly inspects 3-inch smooth-bore mortars housed in a storage area. Elsewhere on site, Egyptian men use Singer sewing machines to sew material (canvas ?). King Farouk later visits the Royal Egyptian Air Force (REAF) airfield at Almaza to review elements of No 2 Squadron REAF where he is presented with a twin engined aircraft (Lockheed Lodestar ?) by Royal Air Force (RAF) Air Marshal Sir Keith Park (Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Middle East).
Full description
III. 'WESTERN FRONT.' United States Army Air Force (USAAF) North American B-25 Mitchell bomber aircraft burn on the ground following attack by German Luftwaffe fighter aircraft in the early hours of January 1 1945 (Operation Bodenplatte). Airfield fire crews attempt to fight aircraft fires with water hoses. The wreckage of a Royal Air Force (RAF) single-engined fighter lies on airfield hardstanding (badly damaged- probably a Hawker Typhoon). A pair of RAF Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IX fighter aircraft take off from an undisclosed location. Camera gun footage shows the destruction of Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and Messerschmitt Bf 109G fighter aircraft. A partially-intact German Focke-Wulf 190 fighter lies near a barn with its undercarriage collapsed. United States Army Air Force (USAAF) Martin B-26 (G ?) Marauder aircraft fly in formation. USAAF Marauder 296-212 is shown in flight. USAAF Martin B-26G Marauder of the 323rd Bomb Group (453rd Squadron) is hit by flak on its port wing. The aircraft spirals to earth trailing a sheet of flame having lost its port engine and sustained critical damage to its fuel tank. During the Allied counterattack in the Ardennes, US M10 Wolverine tank destroyers fire a barrage from their 3-inch guns. A British M4A1 Sherman tank loses traction on an ice-covered road. British tank crews attach white tablecloths to the hull of their Sherman Firefly (Mk IIC with widened track-links) to provide a convenient temporary snow camouflage for their vehicle. British infantry load a soft-skinned vehicle with boxes containing 25-pounder ammunition. British M4 Sherman Crab Mk II flail tanks bearing white-wash snow camouflage drive along a tree-lined road. British infantry laden with packs, picks and shovels and Lee-Enfield No 4 .303-inch rifles walk past a tree-mounted sign that reads "mines cleared to hedge." The commentary states that the German defeat in the Ardennes was entirely due to a complete coordination of Anglo-American fighting strength. US infantry shake hands with British infantry wearing snow-suits in a snow-covered forest clearing.

 

29th November 1944... 29d11m1944...

Trooper Ronald George Hunt, 14548298...

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2237413/ronald-george-hunt/

TROOPER RONALD GEORGE HUNT
Service Number: 14548298
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps. 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 29 November 1944
Age 21 years old
Buried or commemorated at FAENZA WAR CEMETERY. III. A. 12. Italy
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Son of Arthur Charles and Fanny Florence Hunt, of Upper Norwood, Surrey.
Personal Inscription : HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THOSE HE LOVED R.I.P.

Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_285.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby

 

30th November 1944... 30d11m1944...

SPORT & LEISURE IN THE BRITISH ARMY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR

IWM NA20484 : Object description - Gunners of the Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry play an impromptu game of cricket in Italy, during a break from manning their self-propelled guns.
Photo taken by Sergeant Best. 30d11m1944. "Object/205195312"

Surrey Yeomanry - Wikipedia

--- x ---

By-the-by... incidentally...

SPORT & LEISURE IN THE BRITISH ARMY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR
IWM NA11632 : Object description - Gunners of 111 Medium Battery, 80th (Scottish Horse) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery, playing a game of football near their guns in the Anzio area, Italy.
Photo taken by Sergeant Menzies. 31d1m1944. "Object/205195311"

&

THE BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN FRANCE, 1939-1940
IWM O12 : Object description - A game of football at Chanzy barracks, Le Mans. Ordnance sergeants in trousers against men in shorts on the BEF assembly ground. (Note the gun mounted on a tripod as a precaution against air attack).
Photo taken by Geoffrey John Keating. 18d9m1939. "Object/205195311"

----- x ----- x -----

FIFTH ARMY : VARIOUS
IWM NA20485 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Infantrymen of the 1st Btn Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders overlook the Lamone Valley from Monte Romano. The river Lamone can be seen flowing between the mountains.
Photo taken by Sergeant Best. 30d11m1944. "Object/205534685"

----- x ----- x -----

1st December 1944... 1d12m1944...

THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH AFRICA, SICILY, ITALY, THE BALKANS AND AUSTRIA 1942-1946
IWM NA20352 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Lieut. General Keightley talking to Brigadier J.F.B. Coombe, Commander 2nd Armoured Brigade.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lupson. 1d12m1944.

 

2nd December 1944... 2d12m1944...

The Army Medical Services

Has...



-- x --

EIGHTH ARMY : ACROSS THE RIVER LAMONE
IWM NA20398 : Object description - Original wartime caption: 5th Corps Commander, Lieut. General C.F. Keightley, is held up in a line of traffic three miles S. of Faenza.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lupson. Catalogued 2d12m1944.

However - EIGHTH ARMY : ACROSS THE RIVER LAMONE
IWM NA20399 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Just above the ford across the River Lamone, sappers of 271 Field Company, R.E., are working hard to erect a trestle bridge across the river.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lupson. Is catalogued 4d12m1944.

 

Re. Point 261, near Pideura...

- The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby





28 Via Pideura
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HTR3fqm3nCuFYEba9

 

Major Allhusen's (mentioned in the extracts for 9th December) Military ID card - he was awarded the US Silver Star for his actions 7-14th December (citation attached) - he later went on to win Olympic Gold and Silver medals in Mexico 1968 Derek Allhusen - Wikipedia

Ramiles let me know if I'm messing up the flow of your thread

 

https://twitter.com/mbarnesn16/status/1590067590801465344?t=VL2cITcUaJULPPKJu_wNjw&s=19

28d04m37. St Paul's Knightsbridge for the wedding of Derek Allhusen and Claudia Betterton.

 

3rd December 1944... 3d12m1944...

Pideura & Olmatello

Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_288.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby



And... The Italian Campaign after Salerno - The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum

...for 3rd December 1944 has...

"The 2nd and 1/4th Battalions moved down to the river under cover of a heavy artillery barrage and patrols were soon in action, clearing houses of the enemy. The main body of the 2nd Battalion crossed the Lamone on a ladder bridge and two Companies began the stiff climb to the village of Olmatello, standing on a 500ft ridge. German machine-guns on the crest pinned down the Hampshires, but just before dawn Colonel TA Rotherham took the situation in hand and led the two Companies in a headlong charge up to the ridge and into Olmatello, sweeping the enemy off their feet."

--- x ---

Re. Brigadier J. Kendrew

EIGHTH ARMY : VARIOUS
IWM NA20228 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Lieut. General C.F. Keightley, 5th Corps Commander, confers with Brigadier J. Kendrew, Commander 128 Brigade, 46 Division, on the road to Faenza.
Photo taken by Sergeant Lambert. Catalogued 24d11m1944

 

4th December 1944... 4d12m1944...

Battle Honour : Pideura...

The Battle Honours of the Second World War 1939-1945 and Korea 1950-1953



King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

Has...



EIGHTH ARMY : VARIOUS

IWM NA20498 : Object description - Original wartime caption: Visual proof of the fighting necessary to dislodge the enemy from positions on the River Lamone are the number of Sherman tanks scattered over the countryside. A British soldier examines one of these knocked out Shermans.
Taken by Sergeant Levy. 4d12m1944.



--- x ---

The Campaign in Italy - By Eric Linklater · 1959

 

Re. 9th Lancers, "B" Squadron at cross-roads - "Harry"... 5d12m1944...

Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_294.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby

 

Re. 9th Lancers, 6th December 1944... 6d12m1944...

Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_290.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby

 

Re. 9th Lancers, 7th December 1944... 7d12m1944...



Recommendation for Award for Corbett, Verdun Frank Rank: Serjeant Service... | The National Archives

--- x --- x ---



Re. Trooper William Herbert Curtis - 4619400
Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_289.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2222801/william-herbert-curtis/
TROOPER WILLIAM HERBERT CURTIS
Service Number: 4619400
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps. 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 07 December 1944
Age 27 years old
Buried or commemorated at RAVENNA WAR CEMETERY. I. F. 12. Italy
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Son of John and Lydia Curtis; husband of Annie Grace Curtis, of Walthamstow, Essex.
Personal Inscription : HE DID HIS BEST ERE HE DID FALL SO SADLY MISSED AND LOVED BY ALL

--- x --- x ---

Re. Lancelot Guy Michael HANNEN, MC ( 314972 ) ...
(20 August 1924 - 11 April 2015)

Notices | All Notices | The Gazette...

Recommendation for Award for Hannen, Lancelot Guy Michael Rank: Lieutenant ... | The National Archives

Guy Hannen - Wikipedia

Captain Guy Hannen, soldier - obituary

 

Re. 8th & 9th December 1944... 8d12m1944 & 9d12m1944...

Trooper William Longmire, 7947500

Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_291.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2071224/william-longmire/

TROOPER WILLIAM LONGMIRE
Service Number: 7947500
Regiment : Royal Armoured Corps. 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
Date of Death : Died 09 December 1944
Age 22 years old
Buried or commemorated at CASSINO MEMORIAL. Panel 1. Italy
Country of Service : United Kingdom
Additional Info : Foster-son of Mrs. M. J. Milner, of Beeston Hill, Leeds, Yorkshire.

 

Is there, by chance, a reference to whose Sherman tanks these were?

Best regards, Rm.

Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_291.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby

----- x ----- x -----



Canada Army 2 Italy: Chapter 19: The Battle of the Rivers, December 1944