On This
Day: Christmas 1943 - Italy
22 Dec
Lieut. Geoffrey Winter, 1 York & Lancaster Regiment
writes:
“Rain, snow, slush, deep mud,
plus hostile Germans. I was then a 21year old infantry Platoon commander in a
forward position west of Ortona. Things were fairly quiet at the time, and it
was decided that each Company would be taken out of the line to some farm
buildings to the rear out of enemy view, for Christmas dinner. Our turn came. There were three officers in the company,
down from the usual five. Our bedrolls
were brought up from “B” echelon so for one night we would be able to sleep
under a roof in comparative comfort.
The following morning, we left
and plodded through the slush and mud to our forward positions. For many of the men I knew in the 1st
Battalion, the York and Lancaster Regiment, Christmas 1943 was to be their
last”.
Sadly for my father who was with 1 York & Lancs. it was his last Christmas!
Tomorrow: 1 Green Howards, Christmas Day.
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