Recent Visit to Ortona and Monte Cassino

Discussion in 'Italy' started by 17thDYRCH, Jun 15, 2010.

  1. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    Just back from a visit to Ortona and Monte Cassino. Thanks to Grumpy, Paul Reed and Tom Canning for telling me what to see in both areas.

    The picture of the church ( Santa Maria Constanopoli ) is where the Seaforths' ate Christmas Dinner in 1943. It has been totally rebuilt. According to one vet, it had no roof and no walls due to the shelling that took place.

    Have to say that the German War Cemetery is very dark and brooding.
    It was not easy to access. Over 20,000 Germans are buried there. Each plot holds more than one soldier.

    Both the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery and the Cassino War Cemetery are in the usual pristine condition. Thanks to the CWGC.
     

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  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Grumpy
    That'll be me then will it?
    :D
    Glad you got to the places you wanted to see.
    Cheers for showing us the pics.
     
  3. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Have to say that the German War Cemetery is very dark and brooding.

    I tend to agree that they are certainly different than the CWGC's.

    Rather Wagnerish atmosphere when you visit them.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  4. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Randy -
    well done that there man - when the Padre Roy Durnford welcomed the Seaforth's in for their Christmas dinner, he said " at last I've got you all in Church"
    for too many of them - it was their last meal !
    Cheers
     
  5. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Good photos, but I am intruiged by the photo of the Sherman in Ortona. When I was there on 27th May it looked like this (below) and now it looks like its on a new plinth?

    [​IMG]
     
  6. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    Paul
    Has to be the same tank...the plaque is the same. But, the location of the one in the photo I took is at the center of the traffic circle.

    Randy
     
  7. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Wonder why they have moved it - unless there are two??
     
  8. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    Owen
    Yessir, that was meant to be you. Apologies for the error. Still navigating around this site and had some issues earlier today which were sorted out by the mod.
    Thanks again for your suggestion re Casa Beradi and Sterlin Castle.
    Randy
     
  9. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    Paul, don't think there would be 2 tanks but I really cannot be certain. There was a plaque on the left hand side indicating the donation of the tank to the city of Ortona. One of the 3 private donors is a M. Schulick...I believe that to be the same Schulick who has donated millions to a couple of universities in Canada.
     
  10. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    Tom
    And thanks to you for getting me going on this.
     
  11. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Paul -
    Hardly likely to be two with the same name in "A" squadron - of a regiment in 1st Cdn Armoured bde.

    Someone must have put a firework under the city officials as there were lots of complaints about the maintenance of the sites - or moved in and done the job themselves - in the Canadian way !
    Cheers
     
  12. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    The location was well away from the other cemeteries ( there is a Polish cemetery that I was not able to visit due to time constraints ) and difficult to access. I met a reservist from the German Army who was tending to the grounds. Dressed in combat fatigues.
     
  13. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Paul, don't think there would be 2 tanks but I really cannot be certain. There was a plaque on the left hand side indicating the donation of the tank to the city of Ortona. One of the 3 private donors is a M. Schulick...I believe that to be the same Schulick who has donated millions to a couple of universities in Canada.

    If there are two tanks they are sporting the same plaque, signs and serial number.

    Looks like they moved it.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  14. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Can you roughly tell me where it is in the town now?

    Amazing it has been moved in under a month!!
     
  15. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    sorry, cannot give you exact location. but definitely is was in the center of a traffic as per the photo
     
  16. Oldman

    Oldman Very Senior Member

    17thDYRCH
    Thanks for the photo's really enjoyed the shots or Ortona my father was down that way .
     
  17. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    Randy, Thanks for sharing these photos.

    Cheers
    Paul
     

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