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HistO[Y ,Q[ganization Tactical ~giments Corps/Branches Ranks Uniforms Insignia Equipment Weapons Vehicles Other Media Enerries Procedures Glossanr Researchers & Colle

Histo!)I Wars & Campaigns

► Boer War ► First World War ► ► Western Front ► ► ► Trench Warfare: 1914-1916 ► ► ► Allied Offensive: 1916 ►►► Allied Offensives: 1917 ►►► German Offensive: 1918 ► ► ► Advance to 1/icto,y 1918 ► ► Siberia ► SecondWorld War ► ► War ~ainst JaQan ► ► North Africa ► ► Italian Cam~g.Q ► ► ► Sici lY. ► ► ► Southern ltalY. ► ►►The Sangro and M>ro ► ► ► Battles of the FSSF ►►► Cassino ► ► ► Liri \/alley ► ► ► Advance to Florence ► ► ► Gothic Line ► ► ► Winter Lines ► ► North-West Euroi:,,:, ► ► ► NormandY. ► ► ► Southern France ► ► ► Channel Ports ►► ► Scheidt ► ► ► )'!ijm~en Salient ► ► ► Rhineland ► ► ► Final Phase ► Korean War ► Cold War ► GuWWar

Operations

► GAUNTLET Aug.JJ!il (Spilsbergen) ► HUSKY Jul 1943 (Sic ily) ► COTTAGE Aug 1943 (Kiska) ► TIMBERWOLFOci1943 (Italy) ► OVERLORD Jun 1944 (Normandy) ► MARKET-GARDEN SeR 44 (Arnhem) ► BERLIN Nov 1944 (Nijmegen) ► VERITABLE Feb 1945 (Rhineland)

Battle Honours Boer war

► Paardeberg 18 Feb 00 First World War Western Front

Trench Warfare: 1914-1916 ►YQres , 1915 22 Apr-25 May 15 ► Gravenstafel 22-23 Apr 15 ► St. Julien 24 Apr-4 May 15 ► Frezenberg 8-13 II/lay 15 ► Beiiewaa'rde 24-25 May 15 ► Festubert, 1915 15-25 May 15 ► MounlSor~ 2-13 Jun 16

Allied Offensive : 1916 ► Somme, 1916 1 Jul-18 Nov 16 ►Albert .1-13 Jul 16 ► Bazenti n .14-17 Jul 16 ► Pozieres .23 Jul-3 Sep 16 ► Guillemont .3-6 Sep 16 ►Ginchy .9 Sep 16 ► Flers-Courcelette 15-22 Sep 16 ► ThieQval 26-29 Sep 16 ► Le Trans loy 1-18 Oct 16 ► Ancre Heights 1 Oct-11 Nov 16 ► Ancre,~ 13-18 Nov 16

Allied Offensives: 1917 ►Arras 1917 8 Apr-4 May 17 ►\limy, 1917 .9-14 Apr 17 ►Arleux-- 28-29 Apr 17 ► Scarpe , 1917 .3-4 1Vlay17

Landing in Sicily

Landing in Sicily was a Battle Honour granted to Canadian regiments that participated in the assault landings on the island of Sicily during the Second World War. The battle honour officially recognizes actions fought from 9 to 12 July 1943.

Background

The background to the assault landings in general are given in the article on QReration HUSKY. That code name was applied to the plan for the invasion of Sicily, which was finalized early in May 1943 and remained for the most part unchanged by D-Day, set for July 10. A significant feature that would change on D-Day was the name of the formations landing; Force 343 became the U.S. 7th Army and the British 12th Army, temporarily designated during the planning phase, reverted back to its historic designation of 8th Army.

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► Hill 70 15-25 Aug 17 Overall Plan ► lv\essines , 1917 .7-14 Jun 17

Sicily

Jul - Aug 1943

Landing in SicilY. - Grammichele- Piazza Anmerina- ~gg Assoro- Leonforte -i)gi@-Adrano Catenanuova - &19.

Centurii:,,:,- Troina \lalleY.- Pursurt to Messina

:~~~~:~917 3~/~~1~~ ~~~ ~; The 2d U.S. Corps was to land the 1st and 45th Divisions in the Gulf of Gela, with the 3rd Division and 2d Armored to lane

► Langemarck, 1917 .16-18 Aug 17 west and seize Licata and both the port and airfield there. Paratroops of the 82d Airborne Division were to land four miles frc ► IVlanin Road .2o-25 ~ep ~; to assist the 1st Division. The 8th Army's ambitious plan was to make five simultaneous landings on two coasts; on the ri ::~!,~~::~od

26 Sep-! o~: 17 13th Corps was to land the 5th and 50th Divisions, preceded by the 1st Airbome's gliders and amphibious landings by con

► Poelcapelle .9 Oct 17 troops. Their goals were Syracuse and Catania. ► Passchendaele 12 Oct 17 ► Cambrai.1917 20Nov-3Dec17 0 ft C I d h 1 C ct· D'.. d h 51 (H' hi d) D'.. I " h h . d d German Offensive: 1918 n the le , 30th orps was to an t e st ana 1an 1v1s1on an t e st 19 an 1v1s1on a ong wit t e 1n epen e1 ► Somme, 1918 .21 Mar-5 Apr 18 (Malta) Brigade astride the Pachino peninsula. The Highland Division was to land at BARK SOUTH beach and occupy Pachir ► St Quentin 21:2; ::; ~~ with BARK EAST designated for the Malta Brigade and the Canadians, driving for Pachino airfield, landing at BARK WESl :~~~fi;:· 1918

:~:-~7 Mar 18 Special Service Brigade under command, comprised of No. 40 and No. 41 Royal Marine Commandos. It was expected the 8

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► Avre .4 Apr 18 would meet the U.S. 45th Division in the vicinity of Ragusa. ► Lys .9-29 Apr 18 ► Estaires .9-11 Apr 18 ► Massines , 1918 .10-11 Apr 18 Naval Forces ► Bailleu! .13-15Apr 18 ► Kemmel .17-19Apr 18

Advance to Victory: 1918 ► Amiens 8-11 Aug 18 ► Arras . 1918 .26 Aug-3 Sep 18 ► Scarpe, 1918 26-30Aug 18. ► Drocourt-Queant .2-3 Sep 18 ► Hindenburg Line .12 Sep-9 Oct 18 ► Canal du Nord .27 Sep-2 Oct 18 ► St.Quentin Canal .29 Sep-2 Oct 18 ► Epehy 3-5 Oct 18 ► Cambrai, 1918 .8-9 Oct 18 ► \lalenciennes .1-2 Nov 18 ► Sambre .4 Nov 18 ► Pursuit to Mons .28 Sep-11 Nov

Second World War War Against Japan

• Force "H" - four battleships, four cruisers , two aircraft carriers, and eighteen destroyers - concentrated in !ht Ionian Sea as a deception plan , feigning an invasion of western Greece.

• Force "Z" - in reserve in the western Mediterranean, to reinforce "H" or replace casualties at Sicily, a, necessary.

• Western Task Force - mainly U.S. Navy forces, divided into a Control Force and three Task Forces tha corresponded to the three American beach landings.

• Eastern Task Force - mainly Royal Navy forces , divided into Force "A" (13th Corps/231st Brigade) arrivin! from the Middle East) , Force "B" (51st Division, arriving from Tunisia) and Force "V" (1 st Canadian Division arriving from the U.K.) Force "K" consisted of four cruisers and six destroyers tasked with close gun suppor for the landings.

South-East Asia Air Support ► HongJSQ[!g 8-25 Dec 41

Italian Campaign Battle of Sicily RAF fighter support from Malta and US fighter support from Tunisia was expected to operate with little opposition ; enemy g.

► Landing in Sicilv. 9-12 Jul 43 on Pantelleria and Lampedusa - small island garrisons lying between Allied-held Africa and the invasion beaches - were red ► Gramm ichele 15 Jul 43 . d b b' d d h I f . h I f p II . b h All' d fi h d ► Piazza Arm erina 16_17 Jul 43 Alhe om 1ng an assure t e e ement o surprise to t e nava orces. ante ena ecame ome to 1e 19 ter squa re ►'>@!guarnera 17-19 Jul 43 100 miles from the invasion beaches. In all , over 4300 aircraft from 250 Allied squadrons were available to operate against ► Assoro 20-22 Jut 43 smaller Axis force. ► Leonforte 21-22 Jul 43 ► t9!@ 24-28 Jul 43 ► Adrano 29 Jul-7 Aug 43 1st Canadian Division ► Catenanuova · 29-30 Jul 43 ► E._egalbuto 29 Jul-3 Aug 43 . ► Centuri~ 31 Jul-3Aug43 Terrain ► Traina \la llev. 2-6 Aug 43 ► Pursuit to lv'essina 2-17 Aug 43 The Amber Coast (Costa dell' Ambra in Italian) extends from a point two miles west of the extreme end of the Pachino pe ► Landing ats;:;~rn Italy 3 Sep 43 running five miles to the north-west in an arc, bounded by two headlands , the Cape of Ants (Punta de/le Formiche) in the so ► Potenza 19-20Sep43 Castle Point (Punta Castellazzo) in the north. The long beach is divided in two naturally by ''the Caves" (le Grotticelle), ► Motta Montecorvino

31--63 0

0cctt 4

433

outcropping of limestone. It was this stretch of sand that became BARK WEST, the left half code named SUGAR and t ► Termoli ► Monte San Marco 6-7 Oct 43 ROGER. ► Gambalesa 7-8 Oct 43 ► Cam122basso 11 -14 Oct 43 The beach itself offered no real obstacle; behind lay a limestone ridge with a maximum rise of 10 feet, with gently sloping

: ~chise ~ :~: g~; :; behind covered in sand and patches of poor soil. Behind SUGAR lay marshy terrain , including the Pantano Longarini, a large ► Tarella 24-27 Oct 43 impassable to motor vehicles. Farmer's fields were bounded by "dry stone" walls , and a rough cart track connected the p1

The Sangro and Moro road running Pachino- lspica to a point a mile inland from Grotticelle. Pachino's airfield sat at the junction of these roads - I ► The Sangro 19 Nov-3 Dec 43 . . . . . ► Casteldi Sang!Q _23_24 Nov 43 such a1rstnp on the peninsula - and the town lay a mile further east, home to 22,000 people, some three miles beyond ROGE ► The Moro 5-7 Dec 43 ► San Leonard0 8-9 Dec 43 The real obstacles lay to sea, where false beaches were discovered offshore, meaning infantry disembarking from landi

: ~:Cardi :: ~~:~; g:~ :; might find themselves marooned on sandbars, on the wrong side of lagoons too deep to wade through to get to the island its• ► Ortona 20-28 Dec 43 such sand bar was found off ROGER by a submarine patrol , over 600 yards long , 18 inches under the water, and with a n ►~cola-San -31 Dec 43 drop-off on the landward side. A shallower sandbar at SUGAR still had a five-foot drop. To meet this contingency, the Canad

Tom maso. ► Point 591 29 Dec 43- three assault companies into LCT landing craft carrying DUKW amphibious trucks.

Torre M.Jcchia 4 Jan 44 Battles of the FSSF Enemy Defences

► Monte Camino .5 Nov-9 Dec 43 ► Monte la D ifensa- 2-8 Dec 43

Monte la Remetanea. Italian defenders from the 206th Coastal Division had an array of pillboxes, machine guns and two batteries of 6-inch gu 25 Dec 43 Canadian official history described the defences all along the coast as "not very formidable." In the BARK WEST sector, the

3-84 JJaann ~ fifteen pillboxes and about 20 machine gun posts, "some barbed wire" on the beach, and suspected anti-tank mines. Other dt 8 Jan 44 positions lay inland , particularly towards the airfield. The two coastal batteries lay 1-1/2 miles north-east of ROGER, and I\\

22 Jan-22 1v1ay 44 east, the latter in the sector of the 51st Division. A third battery (found to include four 6-inch howitzers) was sited on P,

_2;~!;:'2~ ~~~:: northern outskirts, able to cover the approach to the airfield. Manned by determined troops, all of these defences would ha1

troublesome; as it was, the Canadians counted on enemy inexperience as well as aerial superiority and naval gunfire to help

► Hi ll 720 ► Monte MajQ ► Radicosa ► Monte Vischiataro ► Anzio ► Rome

► Advance to the Tiber.

► Monte Arrestino ► Rocca Massima ► Colle Ferro

Cassino

25 May44 1 27 May 44 day.

2 Jun 44

► Cassino II 11-18 May44 ► Gustav Line 11-18 May 44 ► Sant' Angelo in 13 l\olay 44

Teodice ► Pignataro 14-15 May 44

LiriValley ► Liri \lallev. 18-30 May 44 ► Hitler Line 18-24 May 44 ► Aquino 18-24 May 44 ► Melfa Crossing 24-25 May 44 ► Ceprano 26-27 May 44 ► T orrice Crossroads 30 Ma\' 44

Advance to Florence ► Advance 17 Jul-10 Aug 44

to Florence. ► Trasimene Line 20-30 Jun 44 ► Sanfatucchio 20-21 Jun 44 ► Arezzo 4-17 Jul 44 ► Cerrone 25 - 31 Aug 44

Gothic Line ► Gothic Line 25 Aug-22 Sep 44 ► Monteciccardo 27-28 Aug 44

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► Montecchio 30-31 Aug 44 31 Aug 44 1 Sep44 1 Sep44

1-2 Sep 44 3-15 Sep 44

VVinter Lines

► Point 204 (Pozzo Alto) ► Monte Luro ► Borgo Sant a Maria ► Tomba di Pesaro ► Coriano

► Rimini Line 14-21 Sep44 ► San Martino- 14-18 Sep 44

San Lorenzo. ► San Fortunato 18-20 Sep 44 ► Casale 23-25 Sep 44 ► Sant' Angelo 11-15 Sep 44

in Salute. ► Bulgaria VIi iage 13-14Sep44 ► Cesena 15-20 Sep 44 ► Piscialello 16-19 Sep 44 ► Savio Bridgehead 2G-23 Sep44 ► Monte La Pieve 13-19 Oct 44 ► Monte S paduro 19-24 Oct 44 ► Monte San Bartolo 11 -14 Nov44 ► Lam one Crossing 2-13 Dec 44 ► Capture of Ravenna 3-4 Dec 44 ► Naviglio Canal 12-15 Dec 44 ► Fosso Vecchio 16-18 Dec 44 ► Fosso Munio 19-21 Dec 44 ► Conventello- 2-6 Jan 45

Cornacchio. ► Granarolo 3-5 Jan 44

Northwest Europe ► Diem,!! 19 Aug 42

Battle of Norrrandy ► NormandY. Landing 6 Jun 44 ► Aulhie 7 Jun 44 ► Putot-en-Bessin

-l'Orqueilleuse ► Le Mesnil-Pat[Y ► CarP-l_<l!!fil ► Caen ► The Orne (Buron) ► Bourguebus Ridg!! ► Faubour~

Vaucelles ► St. Andre-sur-O rne ► Mallet ► Verrieres Ridge-Tilly.::

la-Cam l2§g!J!! ► Fa la ise ► Falaise Road ► Ouesnay Road ► Clair Tizon ► The Laison ► Chambois

8 Jun 44 8-9 Jun 44

11 Jun 44 4-5 Jul 44

4-18 Jul 44 8-9 Jul 44

18-23 Jul 44 18-19 Jul 44

19-23 Jul 44 22-23 Jul 44

25 Jul 44

7-22 Aug 44 7-9 Aug 44

1G-11 Aug 44 11-13 Aug 44 14-17 Aug 44 18-22 Aug 44

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,,;

~~;c\ ( , __ _ ·:·•: .. : ·_ ~

Canadian Assaults on Sicily 10 July 1943

► St. Lambert-sur- 19-22 Aug 44 Canad ian Plan Dives

► Dives Cross ing 17-20 Aug 44 . . . . ► Foret de laLonde 27-29Aug44 The plan called for the 1st Brigade to land on ROGER east of le Grott,cel/e , destroy the enemy battery at Mauc1ni , cap· ► The Seine, 1944 25-28 Aug 44 airfield at Pachino, and make contact with the British 30th Corps. The 2nd Brigade was to land to the west of le Groti< ► Souther,;'~~~;;n Fran~;_28 Aug 44 SUGAR, destroy beach defences, assist the Special Service Brigade and occupy positions north of the Pantano Longarin

Channel Ports from which it could patrol to the northwest. The Commandos of the Special Service Brigade, landing west of Punta Castellan ► Dunkirts, 1944 8-15 Sep 44 given the responsibility of securing the extreme west flank of the 8th Army's assault zone; their landing was to precede H-1 : ~r~;~~g!! ~:;~ ~=~::: ten minutes. The two infantry brigades were scheduled to land at H-Hour, set for 0245. ► Moerkerl<e 13-14 Sep 44 ► Boul29!J!!, 1944 17-22 Sep 44 The monitor HMS Roberts provided gunfire support with its 15-inch guns, assisted by the cruiser Delhi and three destroyer : ~a!~~,:' 25 ~;~~ ~;;::: brigade also had a destroyer and four smaller craft for close escort to shore; the run-in was to be silent unless the enemy ► Antweri:1-Turnhou< 24-29 Sep44 fire, to preserve surprise.

Canal.

► The Scheld~he Schel~toct-8 Nov 44 The 3rd Brigade, 12th Army Tank Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment) , and various artillery and medical units, held as di ► Leoi:1Qld canal 6-16 oct-44 reserve, were to be landed while the assault brigades advanced on high ground astride the Pachino-lspica road. The third ~

► Woensdrecht 91-_21

70 °0 cctt 44

44 the assault landing was to be an advance to the north-west alongside the 51 st (Highland) Division.2 ► Savoiaards Platt ► Breskens Pocket ► The Lower Maas ► South Beveland

11 Oct -3 Nov 44 20 Oct -7 Nov 44 The Landings

24-31 Oct 44 ► Walcheren 31 Oct -4 Nov 44

causewaY. In the words of one historian, '(w)hile the Second Brigade, on the left, encountered only minor difficulties, the First Brigade's Nijmegen Salient came dangerously close to complete collapse."3

► Ardennes Dec 44-Jan 45 ► ]S§Qelsche Veer 31 Dec 44-

21 Jan 45 2nd Brigade Landing ► The Roer 16-31 Jan 45

Rhineland ► The Rhineland 8 Feb-10 Mar 45 The Seaforths and PPCLI were transported to shore in LCA (Landing Craft, Assault) , which were small , flat bottomed assa ► The Reichswald 8-13 Feb 45 capable of carrying a single infantry platoon . . The PPCLI found little small arms fire greeted them; the Seaforth Highlander ► )IVaalFlats 8-1 5Feb45 4 ► Moyland wood 14-21 Feb 45 themselves put ashore too far to the right - in fact, on the wrong side of the Patricias. ► Goch-Calcar Road 19-21 Feb45 ► The Hochwald 26 Feb~ Mar

45 The day was a relatively easy one for the Seaforths;

► Veen

► xanten Final Phase

6-10 Mar 45 8-9 Mar45

► The Rhine 23 Mar-1 Apr 45 ► Emmerich-Hoch 28 Mar-1 Apr 45

The (Carrier Platoon), led by Major Farin, turned westward following the water-line to avoid mines. En route he ran int, some of the Seaforth Platoons from "B" Company which were perplexed as to their location but he directed them to th, right area. By about noon the carriers had met up with the remainder of the unit which was busy consolidating on th,

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Ellen. ► Twente Canal 2-4 Apr 45 ► Q!!~hen 6-8 Apr 45 ► Deventer 8-1 1 Apr 45 ► Arnhem, 1945 12-14 Apr 45 ► t\l)eldoorn 11-17 Apr 45 ► Groning~ 13-1 6Apr 45 ► Frieso)'!he 14 Apr 45 ► ijselmeer 15-18 Apr 45 ► Kosten Canal 17-24 Apr 45 ► Wagenborg~ 21 -23 Apr 45 ► Delfzijl Pocket 23 Apr-2 May 45

intermediate objective overlooking the beaches northwest of the inland Jake.

The addition of the carriers, together with "B" Company's arrival, brought the Seaforths up to strength except for th, administrative echelons which were due to arrive later. At some points on the high ground the men could see Jpsica, , town nestled on a rocky ridge about seven miles to the northwest where the first real resistance was expected afte landing. So far the enemy had been flushed out without too much trouble, and the Italian prisoners were a sorr, looking Jot as they were despatched to compounds set up on the beach area now teeming with men, vehicles an,

supplies.5

: ~:;r Zv.ischenahn 23 :;:; ,:r :; The "silent" run in was abandoned as HMS Roberts bombarded Pachino airfield with its 15-inch guns, an experience the infa1 ►~g 27 Apr-5 Ma~ 45 in the landing craft reported as reassuring . Both units of the brigade reported only scatted small arms fire on the run-in le

Korean War which ceased as the troops reached land. According to the official history: ►!Ssi~Y.QD9 21 -25Apr51

Domestic Missions

► FLO Crisis

► ICCS ► MFO

International Missions

Vietnam 1973 Sinai 1986-

Peacekee~g ► UNMOGIP India 1948-1979

Once ashore, they easily cut through or blew up the few wire obstacles in their path, quickly disposing of a fe~ machine-gun posts manned by a handful of bewildered Italian soldiers. At about three o'clock the headquarters am the remaining companies of each battalion followed the assault companies ashore. An hour later Brigadier Vokes, wh, was still afloat with his headquarters, had received success signals from both his assaulting units. Thereafter the tw, battalions proceeded inland towards their first phase objectives. 6

► UNTSO Israel 1948- .... The Special Service Brigade to their left landed farther west than planned, but the defenders in their sector evacuated their p : ~~~~IL Le;~~~~\

9;:~

196~ as soon as they faced danger, and the Commandos were quickly inland, making contact with the Seaforths in the vicinit

► ONUC conga 1960-1964 southwest corner of the Pantano Longarini at 0640, having suffered light casualties. On the extreme left flank came the only ► UNYOM Yemen 1963-1964 resistance of the day, when late in the afternoon an Italian Blackshirt unit stopped the Commandos' advance with anti-I, :~~~~ w N. g~~~~= j;::1964 mortar fire, then threatened to penetrate the junction between the Seaforths and the Special Service Brigade. The 4.2-inch ► DOrvREP o. Republic 1965-1966 of the Saskatoon Light Infantry were brought to bear to support the Commandos, who had no heavy weapons of their own , ; ► UNIPOM Kashm ir 1965-1966 accurate rounds forced a withdrawal of the Italians, who abandoned their guns, horses and large amounts of ammunition . ► UNEFME Egypt 1973-1979 ► UNDOF Golan 197 4-► UNIFIL Lebanon 1978 : 1st Brigade Landing ► UNGOflAAP Afghanistan 1988-90

: ~:~G ~::1;~~ j:~:~~: The 1st Brigade was delayed in its attack because of the switch from LCAs to LCTs/DUKWs due to the discovery of the false

► ONUCA c.America1989-1992 The LCTs were only due to arrive at 1215 on the day of the invasion; as a contingency the attack was to go ahead in L ► UNIKOM Kuwait 1991 ... originally planned if the three LCTs (carrying 21 DUKWs) failed to arrive from Malta as scheduled. Due to radio silence, the : ~~~:!0 is!i~:~~~ ~;~ ~ .:.: commander was thus forced to be prepared to go ahead with two different landing plans on short notice. The LCTs wE ► UNAMIC Cambodia 1991-1992 required to find the troopships in the dark, in rough weather, and in the event arrived late, the first not reaching its rendezvc ► UNAVEM II Angola 1991-1997 0140, when the brigade had already begun embarking into the LCAs. A reorganization was ordered, and the first flight of~ : ~~~:gFOR c:~9

:;:: ~ ;~;:~~~; and Prince Edward Regiment soldiers was ready to lower at 0226, by which time the first RCR companies were loading into I ► UNOSOM somalia 1992-1993 well. Loading was further delayed by the rough seas. Divisional HQ and the naval commanders sent word of their impatiE ► ONUMOZ Mozambiq. 1993-1994 0315 the message "Will your assault ever start?" was sent to the Senior Naval Officer Landing on HMS Glengyle by Rear-► UNOMJR Rwanda 1993 ···· Vian commanding Force 'V" ► UNAMIR Rwanda 1993-1996 ' · ► UNMIH Haili 1993-1996 ► UNMIBH Bosnia/Herz.1993-1996 By this time, the two lead companies of the Hastings were ready to head for shore, in LCAs. The first flight of RCR did no : ~~~1~ Prev~~~ j~~t~gg; until 0400, two and a half hours late. The Maucini battery fired on the craft, but was silenced by return fire from the Allied fie ► MINUGUA Guatemala 1994-1997 regiments landed in good order, though "A" Company of the Hastings, one of the reserve companies, landed 5,000 yards le ► UNTMIH Haiti 1997 ... . the west, coming down in the Special Service Brigade's sector. The regiment suffered only two killed and three wounded du :~:~~~g~ CAfrR~:iti11;~1999 landing, one of the dead being Company Sergeant Major Charles Nutley, killed by machine gun fire at the water's edge as t-► INTERFET E. Tim or 1999.2000 ashore with "A" Company. No serious opposition was reported anywhere on ROGER Beach, and most Italians had fled by 1 ► UNAMSIL Sie. Leone 1999-2005 the Hastings landed proper at 0445 and the RCR at 0530. The 1st Division reported to 30th Corps at 0645 that it was on ► UNTAET E. Timar 1999-2000 objectives.

Exercises

The RCR cleared the buildings at Maucini where a dozen prisoners were taken, and the entire garrison of the battery (three and 35 men) succumbed after a single warning shot was fired by an RCR sergeant. They reached the airfield at Pachino I finding ii deserted and ploughed up; British engineers had the strip in operating condition by early afternoon. British tanks in of the 51st Division made contact with "C" Company in the north-east corner of the airstrip, having passed through Pachir Aided by "A" Company of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, they cleared barracks north of the airfield, and headed the artillery battery north of Pachino. Machine gun fire killed two and wounded two more, but 130 Italians surrendered w advance pressed on, and all four 6-inch guns were taken. Canada's first valour awards of the campaign went to the RCR Distinguished Conduct Medal and a Military Medal granted for this action. "C" Company pressed on northeast of the airfielc

100 more prisoners and finally pausing at 1800 to eat their first meal in fourteen hours. 7

Reserve Landings

The reserve battalions of the 1st and 2nd Brigades (48th Highlanders and The Edmonton Regiment, respectively) followed their own landings on ROGER and SUGAR respectively. Following them came the divisional reserve, with a complete sqw The Three Rivers Regiment landing on ROGER from Landing Ship Tanks (LST) by 1015, followed by the 3rd Canadian Brigade. The 142nd Field Regiment (Royal Devon Yeomanry), a British self-propelled field regiment attached to the 1st C. Infantry Division, came ashore as well .

Other assaults on Sicily were equally successful; the 30th Corps had captured Pachino and occupied the eastern ha! peninsula , as well as taken Avola and Cassibile to the east. Syracuse was taken , undamaged, by 0900. The Americans la rougher surf than the 8th Army and taken their D-Day objectives, though their 3d Division faced strong air attacks at Licata's I airfield. While complete surprise had not been possible - enemy aerial reconnaissance had clearly spotted the Allied fleet hours before H-Hour and the enemy concluded that a major invasion was imminent - the attackers were aided by the poor ~ which prevented some enemy units from being alerted, as it was thought invasion unlikely during the storm that was seen on

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Only the airborne attacks had not fared well; 50 of the 134 gliders carrying the British 1st Air1anding Brigade crashed in the : only 12 arrived in the drop zone. The American 82d Airborne Division was scattered over fifty miles between Licata and No winds, inexperienced pilots and anti-aircraft fire from both the enemy and Allied ships firing in the darkness contributed to I placement. The paratroopers nonetheless played a part in preventing the German Hermann Goring Panzer Division from r the American beaches.

Palazzolo

Rosolini ,er,, ttQhrs

pie

,R Pach

Second Phase

After darkness on 10 July, units of the 2nd Brigade moved northwest of the Pantano Longarini towards lspica, continuing le prisoners, while the 3rd Brigade advanced to Burgio, a large winery three miles to the west of Pachino. The West Nov, Regiment captured 25 Italians for no loss, while the Commandos were withdrawn on 11 July back into Army reserve, having their mission. In all the first day had resulted in 7 Canadian other ranks killed , and 25 soldiers wounded (3 officers and ~

ranks). The Special Service Brigade had lost 6 killed and 19 wounded. The 1st Canadian Division reported 650 prisoners in at 1845, mostly Italians but included about 20 German Air Force men, and the total grew during the evening and night. Enen

were estimated at 100.8

On 11 July, the 1st Canadian Division resumed a general advance to the interior of the island as the left flank unit of the 81 the immediate objectives of 30th Corps being the Noto-Pozzallo road , and the lblei Hills commanding roads leading to Palaz2 Ragusa. The 51st Division (with the 231st Malta Brigade under command) and the 1st Canadian Division were ordered simultaneously with the Pachino-Rosolini road as the divisional boundary. The 1st Canadian Brigade was ordered to the ri 2nd the left, with the 3rd in reserve.

Just after noon, the advance on lspica began with The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (still not aware that they had been renan regiment would not actually receive notice of their name change until October) setting off for a six mile march towards th which sat on a 150 foot cliff from which it commanded the coastal plain. Here, too, warning shots from the Edmontons brougl an instant surrender of the garrison, weary from naval and aerial bombardment the night before. The Royal Canadian Artill able to coordinate with naval forces in the early stages of the Sicily campaign , and enemy supply lines on exposed coast, were prime targets. Combined with a weak enemy submarine effort, Allied aerial superiority, and good weather, condition~ navy to operate were unmatched and long-range bombardment by off-shore vessels even caught the notice of the German commander, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring. The first Canadian Military Cross of the Italian campaign went to a Canadian

observer for his exploits in communicating with offshore guns.8

The Canadians were walking everywhere in the hot sun - or scrounging rides where they could be found, from carriers or because the Slow Assault Convoy had been attacked during the trip from Britain to Sicily, and 500 vehicles went to the bottrn

Mediterranean when three ships were sunk by U-Boats.9

The enemy was obviously not intending to make a stand; the 51st Highland Division entered Rosolini unopposed late in the 1

and PPCLI passed through the Edmontons later in the afternoon, marching through the night without opposition to a overlooking Modica. The Seaforths moved to Modica also, detaching a company to Pozzallo which had surrendered to parties of HMS 8/ankney and Brissenden. Distributing food to the locals in the wake of a collapsing government from ti granary, the Seaforths also collected 260 prisoners and a pile of equipment.

The 1st Brigade departed Burgio in the wake of the 51st Division; the RCR headed towards Ragusa riding on tanks of thi Rivers regiment as well as making use of captured enemy vehicles. They arrived four miles to the east of the town, waited a, artillery dropped several shells into it, then sent a patrol in to secure its surrender only to find the U.S. 45th Division had taken it. Modica, sitting in a deep gully, was also shelled ear1y on the morning of 12 July by a 15-minute concentration afte PPCLI sent in a patrol to secure the a large number of prisoners. Later in the day, however, after Canadian units moved on. soldiers re-appeared in the town and ambushed both a Seaforth ration and ammo party, and the RCR anti-tank platoon

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drove through what they thought was secured territory. The two parties, under fire, joined forces and called down artill captured eight cannon in the main square of the town, all covering roads converging on the town. Several hundred mon soldiers now flocked out to surrender.

Modica was also the location of the headquarters of the Italian 206th Coastal Division; their commander, Major-General d'Havet had not been pleased to find - according to some reports - that a sergeant of the PPCLI who had been on the initial patrol into the town had been the one to capture him. An apparent stickler for protocol, the general insisted on finding a c suitable rank to whom he could personally surrender. The request went up the chain of command, and he was escortec Brigade Major to the divisional headquarters of 1st Canadian Infantry Division where the first enemy general officer to be c

by Canadian troops in the Second World War formally had his personal capitulation accepted. 10

The 2nd Brigade had dutifully secured the flanks, with a platoon of Edmontons cleaning out Scicli with a troop of tanks in s just three shots fired by the tanks induced 1100 prisoners to surrender. The brigade moved on to Ragusa by nightfall, w~ more Italians waited their turn to give up.

The 1st Brigade advanced north from Rosolini to join the RCR at Ragusa during 12 July also, and by the morning of 13 , arrived at Giarratana, taken without trouble by the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment. The 1st Division was now thirty mil its landing points on the Pachino peninsula, "as the crow flies", and over fifty miles by the circuitous hillside roads. Suppli, becoming stretched, particularly in light of the shortage of transport. Sleep had been at a premium for the men in the batta well. It was noted at higher headquarters also that the 1st Canadian Division was the only formation in the 8th Army not been acclimated to tropical conditions, coming directly from the United Kingdom rather than other points in the Mediterranean

Aftermath

By the evening of 12 July 1 (Canadian Infantry Division) had taken Giarratana at which junction they were given , day's rest by (8th Army commander General) Montgomery who fully appreciated the exhausting conditions they wen undergoing. They were also treated to a series of Monty's ... pep talks. At the end of the day Montgomery confided t,

his diary his confidence in his new Canadians. 11

Divisional headquarters was relocated from lspica to the vicinity of Modica, and new vehicles were obtained to ease tr shortages. General Montgomery was able to visit all units of the division, welcoming them to the 8th Army and expres: confidence in their abilities during the upcoming battles.

Battle Honours

The following Canadian units were awarded the Battle Honour "Landing in Sicily" for participation in these actions:

• 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade

• 12th Canadian Armoured Regiment (The Three Rivers Regiment)

- 1st Canadian Division

• 4th Reconnaissance Regiment (4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards) • The Saskatoon Light Infantry (MG) -- 1st Canadian Brigade

• The Royal Canadian Regiment • The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment • 48th Highlanders of Canada -

- 2nd Canadian Brigade

• Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry • The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada • The Loyal Edmonton Regiment -

- 3rd Canadian Brigade

• Royal 22e Regiment • The Carleton and York Regiment • The West Nova Scotia Regiment

Notes

1. Nicholson, Gerald Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War: Volume II: The Canadians in Italy 2. Ibid 3. Dancocks , Daniel G. D-Day Dodgers: The Canadians in Italy 1943-45 (tv'cLelland & Stewart Inc. , Toronto, ON, 1991) ISBN 0-7710-2544-0 p.32 4. Ibid, pp.32-33 5. Roy, Reginald The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada: 1919-1965 (Evergreen Press, Vancouver, BC , 1969) pp.162-163 6. Nicholson, Ibid 7. Ibid 8. Ibid 9. tvtKay, Donald A Gaudeamus lgitur "Therefore Rejoice" (Bunker to Bunker Books, Calgary, AB, 2005) ISBN 1894255534 pp.4&-51

10. Nicholson, Ibid

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