Hello members. I've recently bought a GSM Palestine 1945-48 to 3606381 Pte Stanley Holland (DOB 22/05/22). His name and date of birth are from a transcribed German POW record card. Unfortunately Ancestry don't have the war diary for the 2nd Battalion King's Regiment (Liverpool). I was wondering if any members have it. Quite a scarce medal as Italy POWS are pretty uncommon. Thank you to anyone who can help Dave
Hello Dave, I don't have the July Register for 2 Kings but do have the report 1 Canadian Armored Brigade. for 5 July: Heavy rain on the evening of 4 Jul had made the ground soggy and tank and vehicle going difficult (W.D., G.S., H.Q. 13 Corps). but despite this "A" Sqn and 2 Kings made good progress on the morning of 5 Jul and reached Tuori without opposition except from shelling. Tuori was held· and ''A'' Sqn gave supporting fire while 2 Kings went in and cleared it. The tank fire inflicted particularly heavy casualties on the enemy just as he pulled out of the village. (Report on Operations of 11 Cdn Armd Regt, 1 Jul - 21 Jul 44) Regards., Vitellino
2 King's were in 28th Bde, 4th Div. Here's the pages from the 4th Div history for 29th July & a map. Hope you can read it ok. I can email you full size images if you want me to.
Ah, ok. I'll look for that later. Wonder where did the 29th July date as per thread title comes from. 2 King's went into reserve on 7th July.
Appologies, I was reading the date of the casualty report, 29th July 1944, from a transcribed copy. Yes 8th July 1944 is the date that he was reported missing. Thanks Tony. Thanks Owen for the new page. I'll ask my researcher to check for Holland's ex POW questionnaire, he goes regularly to Kew.
In the centre of the XIII (BR) Corps advance on 4 Jul 44, 4 BR Inf Div pushed forward along the broad Val di Chiana and crossed Route 73, but its advance guard was checked by mines and demolitions at the numerous water crossings and by occasional shelling and sniping by small rear parties. A few miles further on, six miles of steep and complicated hills, centred on Civitella di Chiana, barred the way to the River Arno. On 5 Jul 44, stiffening resistance along the rising ground beyond Route 73, in the hills around Civitella di Chiana, indicated that the Germans had decided to make another stand – this was evidently another organised system of defences. 4 BR Inf Div were about to enter a period of almost static warfare. The line of advance at this stage was passing through country that was becoming gradually more difficult, and afforded increasing opportunity for 334 Inf Div in defence. GOC 4 BR Inf Div’s plan for 5 Jul 44 was to send 12 Inf Bde forward into the hills to the left of Civitella di Chiana towards San Pancrazio whilst 28 Inf Bde moved into the hills to the right via Dorna and Tuori. 10 Inf Bde were held back in reserve. Civitella di Chiana, which from a strong natural position looks down on its approaches, would then be cut off. However, 4 BR Inf Div’s task was rendered the more formidable by the height and steepness of the hills and by the lack of adequate roads through them. For 28 Inf Bde on the right, from Dorna, the road led northwards towards Tuori, and from there becoming little more than a track, wound in a generally north westerly direction between prominent features of varying heights, to pass north of Civitella di Chiana and then, developing into a better road, followed the line of a high ridge to Pergine and so to Route 69. On 5 Jul 44, on the right, 2 Kings from 28 Inf Bde captured Tuori and were aiming to consolidate on the high ground to the north and north west. They aimed to consolidate on Point 484 and Point 408 and then send patrols further forward. Unfortunately, this high ground was strongly held by Germans which prevented further progress so 2/4 Hampshires were brought forward to occupy Tuori, which allowed 2 Kings, with air support, to capture Points 484 and 458 that evening. The plan was then for 2 SLI, supported by tanks, to move through 2 Kings and push on to Point 574[3] and Point 561, 2,000m beyond – which we will drive pass when we move on to Pergine Valdarno and the next Stand. By early on 6 Jul 44, 2 SLI had managed to get their B Coy up with 2 Kings on the ridge overlooking Tuori and A Coy was working its way up to join them although the tanks were unable to move up in support because the area was so heavily cratered and, with the whole area under German observation, their artillery made the advance of infantry very difficult. Both A & B Coys were therefore held up and unable to press on through 2 Kings. By evening, after a full day of enduring German artillery, 2 SLI managed to get all their four Coys up alongside, to the left of 2 Kings up on the ridge overlooking Tuori. Both Bns held these positions despite yet more heavy shelling and mortaring on 6-7 Jul 44, whilst 2/4 Hampshires pushed on to a position 6,000yds west of Arezzo. GOC 4 BR Inf Div now decided to pass 10 Inf Bde through 2 SLI and 2 Kings. The Surreys were to pass through 2 SLI and 2 Kings on the heights and to push on to the hills beyond. However, stiff German resistance initially pinned the Surreys in the valley around Tuori as they assembled for the task. A and B Coys passed through Tuori at midnight on 6-7 Jul 44 on their way to the LD which lay in a saddle at the head of a deep re-entrant two miles long. The attack was delayed when the sqn of Cdn tanks assigned to support the Surreys got stuck three quarters of a mile short of the LD and, in order to keep to time, it was decided to press on without them. B Coy arrived on the LD at dawn, with A Coy echeloned behind and slightly to their right. The tricky bit was that the LD was supposed to have been occupied by 2 SLI but it was not. Instead B Coy was raked with MG fire from three sides and a vigorous German counter attack was put in that re-took Point 484 at 0645. At the same time, A Coy on their right came under heavy fire from the German positions overlooking them. By 1000 on 7 Jul 44, OC B Coy] had been wounded and 40 Surreys became PWs. The remnants of A Coy and the last surviving 12 men of B Coy then dug in and prepared to hang on at Point 408. At 1140, the Cdn Sqn Ldr sent forward five Cdn tanks followed by the Bn Carrier Pl at 1200. They both came up from Tuori bringing cannon and MG fire to support A and B Coys. C Coy then moved up and, at 1400 were firmly established on Point 484 – the position that had originally held up A Coy, although they continued to share parts of the ridge with German MGs. That night, 7-8 Jul 44, D Coy came up to reinforce the position and took over from a Coy of 2 Kings on Point 440. Thus 1/6 Surreys were able to get up on the ridge to relieve, rather than pass through 2 Kings, who withdrew into reserve. So 1/6 Surreys regrouped on the right of the ridge above Tuori in place of 2 Kings and 2 SLI remained on the left around Point 554. Crucially, momentum to push further forward had been lost. Regards Frank
That's great information Frank, thanks very much. I'll put it with the rest of my reasearch on him. I've asked my reasearch to copy papges from 2 King's war diary, where there should be a mention of the missing men, perhaps even naming them, as there were only a few. Regards Dave
I have walked that piece of ground at Tuori and can see why it was so difficult to dislodge the Germans. The view of the Val di Chiana are superb and, of course, looked down on all the Allied approaches coming up from the south. Frank
Very interesting Frank. My reasearcher has now got the 2 King's war diary, no mention of my man or any of the other missing. He has also got me the Ex POW interview report for Holland, not much information, but his enlistment date and other details are good know from a research point of view.
Thanks Vitellino for the the report 1 Canadian Armored Brigade. for 5 July. I'll add it to Holland's research file. Pictures of his medal and naming attached. He must have been issued with his General Service Medal clasp Palestine 1945-48 before he got his WW2 medals , as he mounted it individually. Most WW2 medals were issued in the late 1940s or early 1950s and had to be applied for, but I think serving soldiers would have been issued them without applying. Holland's minimum WW2 medal entitlement would be the 1939-1945 Star, Italy Star and War Medal 1939-45.
