Going by "Panzer Colors III" this Grille would belong to Fallschirm Panzer Art. Reg 1, III Btn., 9th Battery, judging by the disk marking. Even so I'm bit unsure, as normally this kind of howitzer is assigned elsewhere other than the Art. Reg.
Hi Lehrgang Some fascinating pics there ! Tell me, what info do you have about the picture that shows Montgomery looking across a stretch of water ? Many thanks Ron
Oldman: Ron Great to see you enjoyed the returm visit, it seamed odd to me to find the chariot in the middle of the park especially as the park gardens were set up by an english woman. Unlike you we flew into Catania Airport the first thing we noticed on the drive out to Taromina was the CWGc cemetery a beatuiful setting in the evening sun. Oldman Hi Actually, we (that's my wife & I) also flew in to Catania Airport as it was one of the few direct flights from Stansted. Like yourself we spotted the Catania cemetery just outside the Airport, but as it was not on our itinerary and we were in the hotel's transfer taxi we did not stop. Did you enjoy Taormina as much as we did ? Regards Ron
Ron, that pics is about Messina (torrente Boccetta side, near port) aug 30 1943, Monty and Ike observe the calabrian coast ( beach between Catona and Reggio C.) to organize operation Baytown 3-4- sep
next time you must visit the ""Sbarco in Siclia " Museum, in Catania, veru good museum, one of the best in Italy. Museo-dello-Sbarco -1943-di-Catania | SiciliaSud
Lehrgang Ron, that pics is about Messina (torrente Boccetta side, near port) aug 30 1943, Monty and Ike observe the calabrian coast ( beach between Catona and Reggio C.) to organize operation Baytown 3-4- sep Thanks once again, it's a pity that you were not a forum member before I returned to Sicily As you know, my unit was to experience all of the Sicilian campaign, arriving about ten days after the original landings and leaving after a similar time to move on to Italy. The link to the Regimental Diary is here: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/unit-documents/13571-49th-light-ack-ack-rgt-r-regimental-diary-extracts.html Ciao ! Ron
catania jul 1943, generalleutnant Heidrich I^ FJ Div Commander acireale aug 43, Fj whit antitank gun waiting for you!!!!!!!!!
Lehrgang Evelegh ?, Div. Commander certainly ! Never met him, but met Monty twice. Once in North Africa after the campaign finished and when he was giving us a pep talk about landing in Sicily and once in Sicily itself when I had to pull my 15cwt truck over to let him pass. Ron ps Did some trawling on the forum and found this little piece I wrote on a thread about "Monty" I only saw him twice. The first occasion was at Sousse when he adressed 78 Div prior to the Div's landings on Sicily. We had spent what seemed like hours in a dusty field, all being lined up in our serried ranks, when he arrived in his jeep and in his distinctive nasel tone barked out "Break ranks and gather round me !" This, I must say, to the disgust of our superiors who had got us into beautiful parade ground formation in the first place ! The second time was in Sicily when in some now forgotten village I had to pull our wireless truck sharply to one side to let his jeep through a narrow road. My fellow wireless-op threw him a cracking salute and he went flying past. We were to lose Monty after Cassino as he went off to handle the D-Day operations and the 8th Army lost a bit of its sparkle from then on. Showman? yes..... Good commander? yes...... Out on his own ?.......yes RIP Montgomery
Ron Yes I did we went late June and did the same as you looked round the town and its wonderful sites, went into the hills and walked back to Taormina. Like you my father came up through Sicily and on to through Italy to Austria with the Royal Engineers. One story he did tell us when we were kids was that the lads of the 51st HD saw the orange groves and went for the fruit and the MPs had to force them back because the whole grove was booby trapped, an officer stopped his jeep and instructed his driver to pick fruit for him and he refused to accept the expanaation so Tommy my dads mate started with the the mine detector and with in three feet had turned up mines and marked them. a red faced officer then drove off. Ron many thanks for your memories . Oldman
Ron, this for you ( by E. Verzera's history book) http:// Taormina?? naaa, Messina is better 8-16-43 Your enter in Scaletta Zanclea (south of Messina), after the last leapfrog (II° Commandos btl, Lt Col.. Chorcill) Messina port. alzabandiera!! Messina Cathidral, fuel dep. Messina, Cairoli square, fascist monument By G. Marcianò book Pellaro, south of Reggio Calabria: Conteduca coastal battery (n5 152/50 guns). This battery sunked some British ships Scilla sep 3
italian battery MS 724 ( 4 gun 76/40, then 90/53) and fire direction building. This side in now named Campo Italia, but it was Campo Inglese, cause in the begin of 19 sec (1805-10), was builded a military quarter (then arrived the families), about coastal controll against French attack from Calabria, by Gioacchino Murat. As well in this side was posizioned a lot of guns about fire cover for operation Baytown
Lehrgang A personal thank-you from me and also one on behalf of the rest of the forum members for all those excellent photos . If one of the Mods is reading this, could you consider putting all the Sicily threads items under one general heading ? Just a thought/ Ron
Just to "Top & Tail" this thread I thought you might like to see the latest Heroes Return Blog which includes my report on the Sicily trip. You will need to keep scanning down to "Older Posts" until you hit my articles http://heroesreturn.org/ Ron
Hello Ron, I am really glad that you enjoyed your return to Sicily. I would like to do what you did and follow my fathers route after the operation Husky. He was in 592 Army Troop Co RE but I am having great difficulty finding out where he went between landing in Sicily and being in Milan until mid 1946. Cheers Rob
Ron, i take it you took part in OP Husky ? my grandfather took part with 17fus part of 5th div but went down with the Mhumps