Seventy years ago today (19th January), on the slopes of Il Calvario near to the village of Montenero, ten miles south of Castel di Sangro, German mountain raiding parties attacked two platoons of E Company, 2 London Irish Rifles. At the time of the attack, it was reported that five men had been killed, thirteen wounded and twenty nine were missing, presumed then as being prisoners of war. The five men who were killed at Montenero were Rfn Luke Bradbury, Rfn James Cullen, L/Cpl Arthur Webb, Rfn Ronald Smith and Rfn Christopher Slevin. Of course, this was not a major action in the whole shape of the Italian campaign but indicative of the conditions facing all the troops in central Italy during January 1944 - of course on the same day, X Corps was continuing to battle to establish bridgehead positions at the Garigliano River. My father E Coy CQMS Edmund O'Sullivan recalled what happened that morning: “After another night of blizzards, E Company was stood down as full daylight illuminated the snowy wilderness. Many men had removed both boots and socks and were rubbing life back into their frozen feet. Unseen German mountain troops wearing white smocks swooped over the peaks on skis. They herded most of 9 and 7 Platoons, which was commanded by Nick Mosley, into a group. Eddie Mayo, 8 Platoon sergeant, had seen what had happened. He and Charlie Neat, a bren gunner, shouted a warning to the prisoners and attacked the ski troops with rapid fir, and some of the captured men were rescued, including Mosley. We learned afterwards that some of those captured had to walk barefoot across the mountains to their prison cage." The OC of 7 Platoon, Lieutenant Nicholas Mosley was captured during the raid but due to the intervention of his company commander, Major Mervyn Davies, and men from 8 Platoon, he and three others were able to make an escape. In a report written at the time, Lieutenant Mosley described the events of the morning of 19th January: 'At Calvario on the 19th January at 0830 hrs, a platoon 'O' Group was assembled to receive orders in the Platoon HQ tent when a shell hit the tree about 1 yard from the door of the tent wounding Sgt Sale, Cpl Ramsey, L/Cpl Veere and dazing the others inside. I immediately ordered the platoon into their trenches and assisted Cpl Ramsey into a trench with me. He said that he had been hit in the chest and took no further part in the battle. In the next trench, Sgt Sale, himself wounded in the wrist, was trying to bandage L/Cpl Moore, who was bleeding from the side of the head and the arm. As soon as we were in the trenches, MG fire opened up on us from the left covering the whole platoon position. I shouted to the left hand bren position to open fire but on receiving no reply and no fire being given, I crawled out of my trench to get up to the position myself. Then several grenades landed in the platoon positions keeping the heads down of those in the trenches and again dazing me as I was in the open. Before any further orders could be given, the enemy had charged over the hill to the left front and had overrun the position. I was picked up by two Germans, who took my pistol from me and was herded with many others of the platoon, who had been taken prisoner. I estimated the number of Germans who had overrun the position as between twenty five to thirty. The strength of 7 Platoon was 21 men with 2 men on guard at each of the 3 bren gun positions. The prisoners, amongst whom I noted Sgt Sale, Cpl Ramsey, L/Cpl Moore, L/Cpl Ewer, Rfn Tipping, Rfn Graham and Rfn Dalton, were driven over the front on our left front, escorted by ten to fifteen Germans, covered from the rear by the rest of the attacking force. When the escorting party came under fire from the sections of 8 Platoon, Rfn Bevan, Rfn Dickson, and Rfn Berryman were able to make their escape. The Germans then altered their course further to the left but were soon under fire again from a section of 8 Platoon led by Major Davies, under cover of which I was able to make my escape from the valley." Photos attached: Rifleman James Cullen, who was killed on 19th Jan 1944. LIR prisoners of war with German guards..photo courtesy of my friend Alessandro Teti. Major Mervyn Davies and Lieutenant Nicholas Mosley (photo taken in 1945).