On This day 19 January 1944 -Italy

 On This Day 19 January 1944 - Italy

Ernest Shaw, 1 York & Lancs., Crossing the Garigliano (IWM)

    ‘When we got there we found the crossing was established. There was a terrific amount of firing going on, both directions. We were getting mortar bombs from the Germans dropping in the river and around the river. The big guns were firing just behind us. Their shells were coming over us. There were loads of tracer bullets, arcs of tracer fire going up and they lumped us on these ducks [DUKWs] to take us across the river and I didn’t like the idea. I reckon it was about 80 yards wide there and it was raging winter water flowing down. I thought well if this gets a mortar bomb when we were in the middle we shan’t have much chance as we carried about a hundred weight with your arms and ammunition and god knows what, but we got across. It was such a raging torrent, winter storm water sort of thing, black, cold. I imagine it was cold anyway. I know I was very pleased to get ashore even though it was regarded as enemy territory. There were mortar bombs in and around the area without being accurate enough to cause us any casualties. Once ashore on the other side we weren’t long before they led us walking in single file away from the river. Then it was quiet. They were shelling and mortaring the river area and we were in front of that underneath the fire. It was so dark you had your right hand stuck out in front of you in the centre of the man in front’s back, otherwise you would bump into him. We were walking along this open road and 10 Platoon who were in front leading, Company HQ were second and then it was 12 and 11 Platoons at the rear.

    We must have walked three quarters of a mile and suddenly the Germans put a load of parachute flares up over us. 10 Platoon and Company HQ were getting towards the lee of a hill. These flares were accompanied by mortars and 12 Platoon caught the shelling and the bombing behind us. We reached the lee of the hill. 12 Platoon took quite a number of casualties. There are about 30 men in a Platoon. I think they lost about 15, but they weren’t all killed. 11 Platoon were behind them. They were in the clear.