On Saturday 29th the Italy Star Association 1943-1945 to enable us to participate in, and for me to lay a wreath during, the service of commemoration and thanksgiving hosted by the RAF & Allied Air Forces Monument Service Committee. It…
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For those members and friends of the Association who were not able to join us, I thought I would write briefly about the weekend’s events from my viewpoint. Grahame and I travelled from Devon toward West Sussex early on Friday…
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This is an article written by Graham Swain in April 1996. A veteran of the Italian campaigns, Graham (now deceased) summarises the nine days of battle as Allied troops landed at Salerno. ‘D’ Day – an emotive phrase which to…
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Chris Scott (and reproduced here with his kind permission) – 6th April 1997 (since edited) Preparation: King George V dock, Glasgow. It can fall to few Movements Officers to load a ship operationally, sail on it as OC ship, and…
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Edward Carr (aged late-80s) 13th Foot – Somerset Light Infantry I call this narrative, “How I became a “D-Day Dodger”, and it is also my tribute to all the many thousands who gave their lives in this extremely bloody war…
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Fred Collins (deceased) 9th Battalion Royal Fusiliers I was involved in the invasion at Salerno which took place in July 1943. The allies invaded Sicily and from there began preparations for the Salerno landing. The battalion was in Tripoli and…
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Michael John Hyett (deceased) April 1924 – February 2012 Royal Air Force, 601 County of London Squadron The following was written by Michael, as a record of his service during the Second World War and is published with the kind…
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Colonel Dennis Walton, CBC, MC, TD, MA (aged 93) 230 Battery of 58th Suffolk Medium RA I stupidly got involved with Gurkhas at Tavoleto. Even I wondered why the Teds were holding it so furiously. I learned afterwards that it…
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Bob Tong Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion SAS Regiment The 1st Parachute brigade sailed to Tunisia/Algiers and for some months were in fierce battles with the German, French and Italian forces, involving horrendous loss of life. The Royal Warwickshire regiment…
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