The River Garigliano Valley

The River Garigliano runs through this valley.   British forces occupied the hills in the distance, from which they launched their attack.   The sea is to the right.   Monte Cassino, 15 miles to the left.

 

The Start Line for 1 York & Lancs attack on Monte Natale

 

The Start Line in Tufo for the attack by 1 York & Lancs. on Monte Natale (the hill in the distance) This is the valley "A" Company had to cross.

War in Italy

 With thanks to Lorenzo Tonioli

On This Day 14 February 1944 - Italy - Back to Monte Natale!

 

On This Day 14 February 1944 - Italy - Back to Monte Natale!

1 York & Lancs. Ernest Shaw’s view of Monte Natale:

We went back on to Point 156 Monte Natale, and relieved the Guards.   While they had been there, some bureaucrat from the rear had given the orders that not 1 inch of ground had got to be yielded.  They had two Platoons on the forward slopes of Point 156.   That is the steep slope facing the enemy.   The enemy could see almost into their trenches.   Just over the brow of the hill, on the backside, there was one Platoon in reserve and Company HQ.    The lads in the two forward Platoons were fed during the hours of darkness.   Any relieving was done during the hours of darkness, and any replacing of ammunition.   They were in an unenviable position and they had to lay low all day.   When we took over, we naturally had to adopt the same position.

On This Day 10 February 1944 - Italy - Our Stretcher bearers were always outstanding!

 On This Day 10 February 1944 - Italy - Our Stretcher bearers were always outstanding!

W.A. Elliott, an Officer in 2 Scots Guards, described Monte Natale:

The mud was so sodden that our slit trenches soon filled up again, whilst we sat on branches suspended halfway up the sides.   The snow only came in the form of sleet although the mountain tops in front were now covered in a white mantle.   I spent three days like this, soaked to the skin.   It seemed worse than the 1914-18 war when deep trenches were all interconnected and there were also communal dugouts.

         On the third night the Germans brought up a mortar to fire harassing shots at my Platoon, which they must have observed on our forward slope.   Their shooting was very accurate, as they put down over thirty bombs on one of my Section positions.   But fortunately, only half of them exploded in the deep mud.   Two bombs landed near me in the same slit trench as two Guardsmen.   The first broke one man’s leg and the next bomb blew the other’s head off.   I was glad the night was dark when I removed what remained of one man in order to get the survivor on a stretcher.  He was very brave about it and kept on telling the stretcher-bearers to leave him and take cover in a slit trench until the mortaring was over.   Our stretcher bearers were always outstanding.” 

On This Day 9 February 1944 - Italy - The Master of Saltoun

 

Nicolson, Capt. Nigel “The Grenadier Guards in the War of 1939-1945, Volume II ”

9 Feb 44

“On 9 Feb 44, The Master of Saltoun was trapped in a minefield while on patrol.   His fate has never been discovered and he is the only Grenadier officer who remains posted as “Missing”.   Italian civilians said that they had seen him being carried away wounded back to the German post, but thereafter news of him ceased”.

On This Day 7th February 1944 - Italy - The music goes on!

 On This Day 7th February 1944 - Italy - The music goes on!

British soldiers in Tufo playing the bagpipes as others cleared the road. 

 Photo 7 Feb 44. (TNA)

On This Day 5 February 1944 - Italy - Danger in withdrawal!

 

15 Infantry Brigade War Diary

5 Feb 44

    About dusk a heavy concentration on the right hit a Company of 1 KOYLI, just above the Cemetery, caused eight casualties, and it was thought that the enemy fire was brought down at this time because a Troop of tanks [16/5 Lancers] were heard withdrawing for the night from their day positions near the Cemetery. It was arranged in future to warn 1 KOYLI when they were going to withdraw and to vary the timings as the enemy seemed to be well aware of the tank’s routine

On This Day 4 February 1944 - Italy - The Last Journey!

 

Feb 44 was the day Ernest Strafford’s “Body recovered, identified and buried by British Troops”.   We now know that the only British soldiers in the vicinity of the grave were soldiers from his own Regiment, “B” Company, 1 York & Lancs.   It is fitting that they buried him.

See the video. If video stops press enter.

The route from Minturno cemetery to where Ernest Strafford's body was found and buried:

On This Day 3 February 1944 - Italy - Mystery weapon!

 On This Day 3 February 1944 - Italy - Mystery weapon!

2 Scots Guards War Diary

3 Feb 44

The enemy have been using a weapon which cannot be accurately identified.   It appears to be a rocket propelled bomb weighing about 250 lbs.     When fired the source of origin gives out a bright flash, the bomb makes a very nasty noise and can be seen in flight.   It makes a very large crater but is apparently inaccurate and has done no harm as yet.   In the early hours of this morning, one landed just forward of the village, failing to explode.    It will be dug up by some experts, after a discreet period has elapsed.

Eddie Crutchley took out a patrol of six men to form an ambush on a carefully chosen point on a track.   They successfully intercepted a party of 10 Germans, killing two and seriously wounding a third, who escaped but could be heard screaming for several hours afterwards.   There were no identifications on the bodies who were apparently also on patrol.   Eddie and his men got back unscathed.

On This Day 2 February 1944 - Italy "They won't shell at night!

 On This Day 2 February 1944 - Italy "They won't shell at night!

“A” Squadron 16/5 Lancers War Diary

2 Feb 44 - 1830

“C” Squadron arrived and took over our positions and harboured next door to us.   The Squadron Leader warned Maj. Elwes about the shelling, but Maj. Elwes said “Oh, they won’t shell at night, so I’ll dig in in the morning.   Alas, they were fateful words, because from 0200 nobody got any sleep, owing to the noise of all the Artillery around us firing and the enemy’s replies, some of which landed very near, and one dud (luckily) shell landed in the area.   We are told “C” Squadron dug very deep the next morning!   During the night, our knocked-out tank had been taken over the bridge, after some good work by Sgt. Dadford and the crew of the Armoured Recovery Vehicle to get it down to the bridge.

POWs await interrogation Jan18 1944

 With thanks to Lorenzo Tonioli

A group of German prisoners awaiting interrogation. Photo 18 Jan 44. 

Capt. R. F. Gade.2 AFPU, IWM TR 1526

On This Day 1 February 1944 - Italy - the Wandering Donkey!

 On This Day 1 February 1944 - Italy - the Wandering Donkey!

2 Scots Guards War Diary

1 Feb 44

The enemy shelled the Tremensuoli village a certain amount, but the Company areas were not paid much attention.   The main square opens up to the West so that anyone foolish enough to walk about there is very apt to provoke hostile action; most people realise this but there is one rather lonely donkey, which sometimes wanders there and was several times the cause of shell fire.   It has learnt to run to the houses for shelter when it hears shells coming, but not to avoid the square altogether.