THE LOSS OF HMS SPARTAN 29th JANUARY 1944 At sunset on 29th January, the Luftwaffe began a glide bomb attack on the ships in Anzio Bay. At the time of this attack, HMS Spartan was anchored providing AA…
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South African Branch – Royal British Legion Dedication of branch standard and Cassino Day parade – Sunday 10 May 2015 The Chairman and Committee of the RBL South African Branch invited The Italy Star Association to attend their service…
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Lt. William Richard Watkins 1913-1944 2nd Monmouthshire Regiment William Richard Watkins was born at the family home in Bryngwn Road, Newport, Monmouthshire on 19th February 1913. He was the only son of William Turberville and Jane Watkins. His…
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I have used the above heading as something that was used to describe the fighting that was going on in Italy during WW2; after the launch of the D-Day Landing on the Normandy Coast in 1944. There were…
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Barbara’s bracelet Returned after 71 years. In late April 2014 I was having a beer in my local discussing the latest arrangements for our villages planned commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the start of World War 1 with my…
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The ‘D Day Dodgers’ Return to Italy. The 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Cassino Back in the cold days of February I received an email from my friend Col. Piers Story-Pugh asking if I knew any veterans from the…
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Graham Swain Esq (deceased) 2/7 Battalion Queens Royal Regiment ‘The Black Cats’ The following summary was written by Graham Swain and found amongst the late Maurice Cheadle’s Italy Star Association papers. Graham was on the Anzio bridgehead referred to below,…
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Graham Swain Esq (deceased) 2/7 Battalion Queens Royal Regiment ‘The Black Cats’ Former National Membership Committee Secretary of the Italy Star Association 1943-1945 following a pilgrimage to Italy in 1990 An article in the spring issue of ‘Copperplate 1990’…
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Last year, at the commemoration of the landings at Salerno, I was the preacher at the ceremony held at the National Memorial in the Westgate Gardens, Canterbury. After the service, I was invited to become the Chaplain of the Kent…
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