Introduction

 Introduction

    This is not just another story about the Second World War. It is a story about a battle which took place in Italy over a period of three weeks from 17 January to 7 February 1944. The battleground covered an area of approximately 9km2 . This description of the Battle of Monte Natale brings together contemporary accounts showing war, not only at the strategic level involving Corps, Division, Brigade and Battalion, but also the individual level, by extensive use of War Diaries, personal accounts, missing person reports and awards for valour. This is a story of those who fought and died in the Battle of Monte Natale. Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, it shows what happened in these three weeks, the mistakes that were made and the individual heroism and acts of courage and includes German views of the battle. Few books about the Second World War show a battle in such detail. The Battle of Monte Natale was part of the first battle of Monte Cassino. Monte Natale is 25km (15 miles) from Monte Cassino. It is 156m high, 750m in length and 300m wide, with outstanding views of the surrounding area. At this time Minturno, Tremensuoli and Monte Natale were the main battle objectives of 5 Infantry Division and were part of the German winter defensive position known as the Gustav Line.

    A small part of this story relates to my father, Ernest Strafford who died during this battle. He was with 1 York & Lancs. On 20 January 1944 a witness reported that he saw Pvt. Ernest Strafford ‘wounded in the head when a mortar bomb burst among us during our attack. I believe his wounds were serious.’ On 4 February the body of Ernest Strafford was ‘recovered, identified & buried by British Troops’. What happened to Ernest Strafford between these two dates?

    Allied objectives in Italy were to draw German troops from the Russian front and particularly from France, where an Allied offensive was planned for the following year. Progress through Southern Italy was rapid despite stiff resistance, but by the end of October 1943, the Allies were facing the Germans at the Gustav Line, which stretched from the River Garigliano in the West to the River Sangro in the East. The River Garigliano was crossed on 17 January 1944. 

    This book describes the Allies build-up of their forces to this date and what happened to 5 Infantry Division in the Southern sector of the Gustav Line in the three weeks after the River Garigliano was crossed. A beachhead at Anzio was established on 22 January 1944. By early February the Allies were in serious difficulties in maintaining the Anzio beachhead. A decision was taken to halt the advance of X (BR) Corps across the Gustav Line with the exception of Monte Cassino, so that some Battalions could be transferred to the Anzio beachhead. With strong support from the Americans, advance in the Southern sector of the Gustav Line did not begin again until 11 May 1944.

    1 Battalion, York & Lancaster Regiment was part of 15 Infantry Brigade, which was part of 5 Infantry Division, and took part in the Allies invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943. After the Sicilian campaign, on 3 September, the Allies invaded the Italian mainland – the invasion coinciding with an armistice made with the Italians who then re-entered the war on the Allied side. Allied objectives were to draw German troops from the Russian front and more particularly from France, where an Allied invasion was planned for the following year. The York & Lancaster Regiment were among the first troops into Italy and for a time was the leading unit of the Eighth Army moving up the East coast. Progress through Southern Italy was rapid despite stiff resistance, but by the end of October, the Allies were facing the German winter defensive position known as the Gustav Line.

Ernest Strafford joined 1 Battalion York & Lancs. in early November 1943. By this time, the Battalion was battle hardened. They had fought their way through Sicily, taken part in the invasion of Italy and moved up Italy as part of Eighth Army, so Ernest Strafford was joining a Battalion experienced in battle. At the beginning of November 15 Infantry Brigade was in the mountain sector in the centre of Italy around Isernia. During the next fortnight the Brigade, in spite of very bad weather, made considerable progress. On 16 November 1943 1 York & Lancs. arrived at Rionero, near the upper reaches of the River Sangro. Whilst at Rionero the house used as the Battalion Orderly Room received a direct hit by a shell which killed four men. At the same time, the Battalion Second in Command, Major C.H. Nicholson MC was wounded.

1 KOYLI at Rionero. They are climbing a steep slope. Photo 5 Nov 43.

(Sgt Dawson, No 2 Army Film & Photographic Unit, TNA 8508

The advance of the Eighth Army in the east of Italy brought it roughly to the line of the River Sangro beyond which the Germans had constructed a very strong defensive position. The main attack on this was launched on 20 November 1943 by V (BR) Corps in the coastal sector, which had been reinforced with a vast amount of artillery for the purpose. It attempted to make the enemy believe that the real attack was coming in the mountain sector. V (BR) Corps, in one of the bloodiest battles of the war, fought in appalling weather, crossed the River Sangro, pierced the Gustav Line, and by the end of the year had reached the general line of Ortona-Orsogna.

A patrol of 1 KOYLI setting out towards Rionero, a village on the upper reaches of the River

 Sangro. 1 York & Lancs. were at Rionero at the same time, 5 Nov 43. (Photo IWM)

    After a spell in the hills and mountains, 1 York & Lancs. moved East to a line between Orsogna and Ortona, arriving at Crecchio on 10 December. Shortly before Christmas the weather became worse than ever and virtually brought all major operations to a standstill. Just before this, 5 Infantry Division had been moved from the mountain sector to the coastal zone, and 1 York & Lancs. relieved a unit of 8 Indian Division, in the line on 22 December. 1 York & Lancs. then moved on to Lanciano on the 31st. For three weeks it had remained in the line, but few attacks could be carried out owing to the weather. Constant patrolling, however, was maintained.

    Whilst in the hills between Orsogna and Ortona Geoffrey Winter of 1 York & Lancs described how his Platoon rushed a German machine-gun post, captured two wounded prisoners and their guns, wounded four more Germans, and put the rest to flight.

Lieut. Geoffrey Winter, 1 Yorks & Lancs. writes:

 ‘We were going forward with the company to take a series of hill features. While we waited to go into action we saw one of our planes swoop on a hill and five enemy machine guns opened up on it. We were half-way to the hill when bombs began to fall around us. We sprinted forward for about three hundred yards. We saw bare headed Germans on top of the hill. The position was taken at bayonet point when we reached the top. There we found a mortally wounded German Sergeant-major and a soldier hopping about saying in English “I’m wounded, I’m wounded”. The remainder of the Germans had fled leaving their guns but taking four wounded men with them.