Hi all, I have discovered that I have often been too hasty in reading war diaries, and that on a second read I find details that I had overlooked. So today I looked again at what I had about the trial Archers delivered to Italy, checked my copy of the 60th AT Reg't, and lo and behold there is this that I had missed. September 1944: Hm, that image doesn't look to be full size and I'm not sure why. But what I read in the second half is as follows: S.P. 17 pr u/c C.O. from 13 A/tk are taken forward to support 43 GLB and an? attack on San ?argangelo 7598 at 2300 hrs. At first gland I am not sure who 43 GLB were, and I also am not sure what the first letter is in the town name. I suppose I may also be intepreting an N as an R or vice versa.
43 Gurkha Lorried Brigade Sanarcangelo Thats on page 139 of The Tiger Triumphs Chapter 14 – The Gurkha Lorried Brigade Joins the Fray At 1915 hours on September 22nd, 43rd Brigade was ordered to establish a bridgehead over the Marecchia that night.. Without reconnaissance or even detailed maps, battalion orders were completed half an hour before midnight. Thirty minutes later 2/8 Gurkhas moved in single file through 2/6 Gurkhas front, heading on a compass bearing for the line of the river. 2/10 Gurkhas set out immediately afterwards, and came up on the left. After an hour’s march through rain and mist, the Gurkhas reached the Marecchia and organized for the assault. At 0300 hours both battalions crossed the river without opposition and began to close upon Sanarcangelo. A thousand yards beyond the river, on the line of a railway embankment, the leading companies of 2/8 Gurkhas were greeted with intense machine-gun fire from close at hand. The hillmen slipped through and around this opposition, struggled Page 140 forward and seized Point 88 on Sanarcangelo Ridge
I believe that the map reference is wR7598, using the translator site this is: Google Maps 44.060587, 12.438861
The map reference above places the location right on point 88 on the ridge mentioned in the link provided by Owen.
Nice view! An obviously useful point. From the comment in the Google maps view, it is the location of a Capuchin friars' convent. I don't know how you go from a map reference to a google location without knowing which map was involved. Or did you know that off the top of your head?
edit: by the dates, it seems the Archers were committed on the second day, not in the initial attack on the 22nd. I went back to the WD and it does note the Gurkhas' attack on the 22nd. And The Tiger Triumph there indicates that it was on the 23rd that a way to get armour across was found.
WW2 map references can be converted by using this site: The "Coordinates Translator" On the LHS of the screen select 'The grids used on the European Theatre' and then, in this case the Italian Northern Grid, you need to know roughly where it is, in this case square wR. On the co-ordinator screen select the Italian Northern Grid and enter co-ordinate wR7598. Hit the convert button and it will give you the latitude/longitude and a google map. A very, very useful site that I, and countless others, have used many times to follow war diaries.
The place is Sant'Arcangelo di Romagna, as suggested above. See txu collection - University of Texas Italy Maps: txu-pclmaps-oclc-6540719-cesena sant'arcangelo di romagna -100-ii This excellent series, unfortunately not complete, uses the National Grid system in the majority of cases. Vitellino
A 1:25,000 map here from McMaster University. GSGS 4228 Italy 1:25,000 Sheet 100 II SE Santarcangelo Di Romagna (1943) It clearly shows point 88 in grid square 7598. Richard
Thanks for indicating this series. It might just fill in some of the gaps in the Texas University list.
I've only just discovered this series, must be a new addition. There are over 2,000 but not all are the GSGS series with the North Italy Grid.
Both the Texas and McMaster maps are a huge improvement on the good old echodelta system when locating places in the war diaries and on the concentration forms on the CWGc website.
