Wounded on top of the wall

 A soldier from ‘B’ Company 1 York & Lancs. described what happened.

20 Jan 44 

Forward slopes of the hill in front of the Cemetery. Wall at the bottom. (Photo John Strafford)

At this time a Gerry officer and two wounded men were captured, and we jumped down a high wall onto the road and into the now empty Aid Post leaving the wounded on top of the wall. Two of us searched right round the Aid Post and found nothing but dead, on stretchers. We searched upstairs and found it clear. Now we waited instructions from Company HQ but were rudely interrupted by the whirring of a stick grenade which must have come through the window. It must have been a long fuse because seven or eight of us got outside in a hurry and the only casualty was the Gerry officer with a hole in his backside the size of a teacup. The rest of B Coy arrived

Gerry Aid Post 1 York & Lancs.

 A soldier from ‘B’ Company 1 York & Lancs. described what happened.

20 Jan 44 

‘We went forward again as the barrage lifted and topping a rise came under observation from a Gerry tank near the civvy Cemetery, our anti-tank crew fired two shells at him, one hitting his track guard and the other the turret, without going off. I reckon the second was not primed but it brought the gun round in a hurry and he fired on the Platoon on our right and caused casualties. Now we were in full sight of the Gerry Aid Post where another tank was loading wounded ready to leave the place, In all three enemy Mark III tanks took off at speed past the Cemetery.

                     German Aid Post seen from forward slopes of the hill. (Photo John Strafford)

Forward slopes of the hill leading down to the road

Book Battle For Monte Natale page 89

 When the barrage re-started, ‘B’ and ‘C’ Companies, the latter now under Captain Ivor J. Wedgbury, began their advance against Monte Natale which lay beyond the Minturno – Santa Maria Infante road. After covering about 400 yards, the Companies reached the forward slopes of the hill leading down to the road. At once they came under heavy and accurate fire from enemy tanks in the area of the Cemetery and from a group of houses some 800 yards further North. As a result, the attack was temporarily brought to a halt while the exact positions of the enemy tanks were ascertained.

                               Cemetery as seen from the forward slopes. (Photo John Strafford)

Point 172

 

                     Point 172 – Minturno in distance. (Photo John Strafford)

Photo Monte Natale

                                             Monte Natale. (Photo John Strafford)

Tufo Start Line stone wall

 A Soldier from ‘B’ Coy. 1 York & Lancs 

20 Jan 44 

‘We left the long stone wall at Tufo and advanced in open order as best we could for some 500 yards of grape vine wires behind a creeping barrage from our 25 pounders. We came to a clearing where a ginger haired Gerry was draped over his mortar and must have been caught by the barrage. All the rest of his crew were in an adjacent deep bunker screaming “Kamerad”. We fetched them out just as we were strafed by Yank aircraft, so they dived back down the dugout. We left one bloke to take them back to Tufo and carried on.

NEW INFORMATION 12 dead at Point 172 named!

 NEW INFORMATION RECEIVED SINCE BOOK PUBLISHED

 We Will Remember Them!

Book Page 81

Sergeant Fielding, ‘D’ Company, 1 York & Lancs. Missing Person’s Report 

20 Jan 44 

‘Private Holland [Private Stanley Holland, Minturno CWGC Cemetery] was transferred to my Platoon about 15 January 1944 because the Anti-Aircraft Platoon, HQ Company, was being disbanded. He was not with me long enough for me to get familiar with his home life, town, occupation, etc., but his age would be about 25 years, rather sharp features, slim build, fair hair. 

    At 7am on 20 Jan 44 the Battalion, on a two Company front, “A” and “D” Companies, were ordered to attack hill Point 172, about one mile Northeast of Minturno. I advanced with two Sections forward, Private Holland being in the Right Section. His Section Commander was wounded before reaching the objective. On the top of the hill, I disposed of one Machine Gun position, turned around, and saw my Right Section going for another one. I saw a German throw a stick grenade towards Private Holland, saw Private Holland fall down, and move his legs, and before I could get to him to evacuate him, or dispose of the enemy, he received a full burst of Machine Gun fire from the remaining Machine Gun position. Eventually we consolidated on hill Point 172 and being then the Acting Sergeant Major of the Company I called for Platoon casualty slips and detailed Sergeant Waddington, 18 Platoon “D” Company to gather in the dead bodies. We had 12 dead, and 33 wounded out of this action. Private Holland laid amongst the dead. I sent immediately for the Medical Officer of the unit to confirm the lost lives of the bodies. All personnel effects together with one identification disc was taken off, docketed, and forwarded to Battalion HQ. The Company was going to bury the men, but we had orders to move at once and on each man’s body was left all particulars on a piece of paper tied to the body, plus one identity disc. Major D. Young will bear out this statement.’ 

    The dead were moved after the action. Ernest Strafford’s body was on its own on Hill 172 when buried on 4 February so was not amongst the 12 dead that were moved to Minturno. 

    This indicates that he was still alive on 20 January and went on to the Cemetery with either ‘A’ Company or ‘D’ Company

The 12 Dead Soldiers were:

Pte. S.A. Holland             1 York & Lancs.    Killed  600 Yards N.E. Minturno

Killed 19 Jan 44, Taken to Point 172, 20 Jan 44.

L/Cpl H. Evan                 1 York & Lancs.     Killed        Attack Point 172.

Pte. C. France                 1 York & Lancs.      Killed        Attack Point 172

Pte. R. Gunn                   1 York & Lancs.      Killed         Attack Point 172

Capt. B. Lang                 1 York & Lancs.      Killed        Attack Point 172

Pte. J. Lowery                1 York & Lancs.      Killed        Attack Point 172                         

Pte. J.A. Lowery            1 York & Lancs.     Killed          Attack Point 172

Cpl. M. Norris               1 York & Lancs.     Killed           Attack Point 172

Cpl. W. Scarfe               1 York & Lancs.      Killed          Attack Point 172

Pte. W.H.Smith             1 York & Lancs.     Killed          Attack Point 172

L/Cpl. J. Stott               1 York & Lancs.      Killed        Attack Point 172

L/Cpl. J.Wilson            1 York & Lancs.      Killed        Attack Point 172 

                           

      L/Cpl Jack Stott 1 York & Lancs  died 20 Jan 44 (Photo David Rigby)

1 York & Lancs. Route of attack.

 

1 York & Lancs. actual route of attack on Monte Natale 20 Jan 44. ‘A’ Co. on reaching the road turned right in front of the Cemetery and went around the corner to the left. (Map Frank de Planta)

NEW INFORMATION - Those killed in the orchard named!

 NEW INFORMATION RECEIVED SINCE BOOK PUBLISHED

 We Will Remember Them!

Book Page 60

1 York & Lancs. War Diary 

19 Jan 44 – 0615 

Move completed just as it was getting light. 4 killed, 6 wounded by mines in orchards. Captain Hewitt (Officer Commanding ‘C’ Company) and Captain Ramsay (Second in Command ‘B’ Company) wounded from shelling of road during move of Battalion.

The four men killed were:

 Pte. J.W. Barlow                                         1 York & Lancs.              Killed in Orchard minefield.

Sgt. J. Glover                                               1 York & Lancs.              Killed in Orchard minefield.

L/Cpl. C.E. Nugent                                     1 York & Lancs.              Killed in Orchard minefield.

Pte. G.W.Thompson                                    1 York & Lancs.              Killed in Orchard minefield.

Point 172 Road Cemetery to Tufo.

Battle For Monte Natale book Page 80 

Road: Cemetery to Tufo.   Point 172 at the top. (Photo John Strafford)

20 Jan 44 NEW INFORMATION - 1KOYLI

 

NEW INFORMATION RECEIVED SINCE BOOK PUBLISHED

From Norway to Burma by Roger Holgate

20 Jan 44

Kesselring ordered a major counter attack by 29 Panzer Grenadier Division with the object of rescuing 94 Infantry Division, which was trapped in the area of Castelforte, out of fuel and under constant attack.   By that time 13 Infantry Brigade had driven off a dawn counterattack which allowed 15 Infantry Brigade to pass them.   1 KOYLI were ordered to capture the town of Tufo, which is situated on the peak of a volcanic outcrop, and so dominates the surrounding area.   Obviously, this fact was not lost on the Germans, and after a gruelling climb, 1 KOYLI were forced into a street battle, to clear the defenders out of town.   The Green Howards overcame the defences at Minturno and Tremensuoli, as the York & Lancs. pushed toward Santa Maria Infante.

German counterattacks took place near Santa Maria Infante, but the British forces stood their ground, in a brutal encounter that surged back and forth.

 

NEW INFORMATION 1KOYLI 18 Jan 44

 

NEW INFORMATION RECEIVED SINCE BOOK PUBLISHED

From Norway to Burma by Roger Holgate

18 Jan 44

On the morning of 18 Jan 44 the assault Brigades had formed up and were attacking everywhere, enlarging the bridgehead.   Casualties had been heavy, and it was realised that such a rate of attrition could not be sustained for too long.

            On the night of 18 Jan 44, the three Battalions of 15 Brigade were sent in.   Brigadier Martin led the crossing of 1 KOYLI, 1 Green Howards and 1 York & Lancs., on a motley of boats and rafts, as the enemy observation posts directed artillery fire onto them.   Three rafts were destroyed.   The engineers had been unable to construct a bridge because of that same fire, and although they managed to throw a boat bridge across the river by 2am, the first vehicle to cross struck a mine, and the wreckage took 3 hours to clear.

17 Jan 44 New Information re KOYLI

 

                           NEW INFORMATION RECEIVED SINCE BOOK PUBLISHED

                                              From Norway to Burma by Roger Holgate

17 Jan 44

The 5^th and 56^th (Divisions) were told they were to cross the river (Garigliano) in advance, to create a bridgehead that would be four miles deep and eight miles in length.   Once the Bridgehead had been secured, 5^th Division with 1 KOYLI, was expected to capture a gorge, southwest of San Giorgio, an advance of ten miles that would be the key to the Liri valley.   To carry out their tasks the Division was allocated forty-five assault boats, several rafts and pontoons, a kapok foot bridge, and a construction kit for an eighty-foot-long Bailey Bridge.   They were to go in on the left of 56^th Division and attack towards the high ground of San Vito, Monte Natale, and Mount Scauri, with the intention of penetrating as far as Castellonorato.   The attack would be made without a preliminary bombardment, to preserve the advantage of surprise.

    At 9pm on 17 Jan 44 5^th and 56^th Divisions began to cross the Garigliano in assault boats and rafts that had been brought forward and hidden close to the bank, over the previous few nights.   The experience gained in crossing the (River) Volturno now proved vital.   “Beachmasters” were appointed to each crossing place, and controlled the flow of traffic, up to the water’s edge and back again.   The initial assault by 17^th Brigade ran into serious trouble as the assault craft that were intended to support the crossings from the sea were unable to navigate the eleven mile stretch of waterway with sufficient accuracy, mainly due to a failure to set up navigation lights in sufficient time.   The result was that the bridgehead was much smaller than had been envisaged, and the 17^th found themselves trapped in  minefields that stretched from the beaches to the landing grounds.   5th Division ‘s second assaulting Brigade managed to cross, and began to advance towards Tufo, despite some confusion caused by navigation issues, but exhaustion, caused by the fact that they had been required to carry heavy equipment as well as fighting off the German counter attacks was setting in