Richard Doherty - Eighth Army in Italy 1943–45: The Long Hard Slog

EIGHTH ARMY
IN ITALY

By the same author

Wall of Steel: The History of 9th (Londonderry) HAA Regiment, RA (SR), North-West Books, 1988

The Sons of Ulster: Ulstermen at War from the Somme to Korea, Appletree Press, 1992

Clear The Way! A History of the 38th (Irish) Brigade, 194147, Irish Academic Press, 1993

Irish Generals: Irish Generals in the British Army in the Second World War, Appletree Press, 1993

Only the Enemy in Front: The Recce Corps at War, 194046, Spellmount Publishers, 1994

Key to Victory: The Maiden City in the Second World War, Greystone Books, 1995

The Williamite War in Ireland, 16881691, Four Courts Press, 1998

A Noble Crusade: The History of Eighth Army, 19411945, Spellmount Publishers, 1999

Irish Men and Women in the Second World War, Four Courts Press, 1999

Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (with David Truesdale), Four Courts Press, 2000

Irish Volunteers in the Second World War, Four Courts Press, 2001

The Sound of History: El Alamein 1942, Spellmount Publishers, 2002

The North Irish Horse: A Hundred Years of Service, Spellmount Publishers, 2002

Normandy 1944: The Road to Victory, Spellmount Publishers, 2004

Irelands Generals in the Second World War, Four Courts Press, 2004

The Thin Green Line: A History of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC, 19222001, Pen & Sword Books, 2004

None Bolder: The History of the 51st Highland Division in the Second World War, Spellmount Publishers, 2006

The British Reconnaissance Corps in World War II, Osprey Publishing, 2007

The Long Hard Slog

by

Richard Doherty

First published in Great Britain in 2007 by
Pen & Sword Military
an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
47 Church Street
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S70 2AS

Copyright Richard Doherty, 2007

ISBN: 978-1-84415-637-5

The right of Richard Doherty to be identified as Author of this Work has
been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright,
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To the memory of
Joe Radcliffe,
Royal Corps of Signals
19202005
and with thanks to
Lucia, Marina and Danilo

It has become a tradition for authors to include in their acknowledgements the comment that any errors are attributable solely to the author, thereby excusing from blame all those who have assisted. I do so willingly with this book since it would be invidious to try to blame any of my errors on those many individuals and organizations who have helped with the research and production of the book. Owing many debts of gratitude, I acknowledge them readily.

As always, I made considerable use of the facilities of the National Archives at Kew where the staff of the Reading Room, the Search Room and the Library provide an excellent service that is friendly, professional and capable of dealing with even the most obscure enquiries. At the Imperial War Museum, Lambeth, I used the Departments of Documents and Printed Books as well as the Photograph Archive. Once again the staff members of each department were always keen to help and demonstrated knowledge of their resources that showed the high level of their own commitment and professionalism. No one could ask for better cooperation than that to be found at Kew and Lambeth, and I am most grateful to all who assisted me at both institutions.

For much of the Italian campaign, Eighth Army included a very large proportion of Canadian soldiers and the National Archives of Canada hold an invaluable collection of photographs from Italy, some of which are reproduced in this book. Thanks are due to the Archives for their excellent service. Polish soldiers also played a major role in Eighth Army and I thank the Polish Museum and Sikorski Institute, especially Mr K. Barbarski, for their invaluable help. David Fletcher, Librarian of the Tank Museum at Bovington in Dorset, was patience personified when it came to dealing with my several enquiries about armoured warfare in Italy. The library of the Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum in Armagh was able to provide a long-term loan of important volumes and my thanks go to the curator, Amanda Moreno, while the Linenhall Library in Belfast tracked down several obscure titles that were also of great help in my research. Closer to home, the Central Library, Foyle Street, Londonderry provided a similar service. To each of them I offer my sincere thanks.

The reader who perseveres to the end of this book will realize that its gestation was lengthy with chapter notes indicating that information came my way over a period of some twenty years. I have always been interested in the Italian campaign and several of my earlier books have featured either the campaign or individuals who served in Italy. It has been a privilege for me to have known so many who served in Eighth Army in Italy, and although it would be impossible to name all of them special mention must be made of several individuals: Major General H.E.N. (Bala) Bredin CB, DSO** MC*, who commanded two battalions in Italy; Colonel Kendal Chavasse DSO*, who commanded 56th Reconnaissance Regiment for most of the campaign; Colonel John Horsfall DSO MC*, who also commanded two battalions; Lieutenant Colonel Desmond Woods MC*, who commanded a company for much of the campaign before serving with the Gruppo Cremona; Lieutenant Colonel Brian Clark MC GM, who was Adjutant of 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers for most of the campaign; Major John Duane MC, who was also a company commander; and Captain Alan Parsons MC, who served with a Gunner regiment as a Forward Observation Officer (FOO). Sadly, all have since died but each provided me with remarkable insights into the campaign.

I must also thank Mr Bobby Baxter BEM, Major Neville Chance, Major Geoffrey Cox, Major Sir Mervyn Davies, Mr George Doherty, Mr John Ledwidge, Mr Joe Robinson, Mr John Skellorn, Mr Len Trinder and Lieutenant General Sir James Wilson for their assistance. John Skellorn, who served in 16th/5th Lancers, was kind enough to lend me a copy of his Memoir of his wartime service. Lieutenant Colonel Val ffrench-Blake DSO, who commanded 17th/21st Lancers in the final months of the campaign, also allowed me access to a personal diary of the campaign which, coupled with his history of his own regiment (one of the best written regimental histories I have ever read), provided a wonderful picture of the role of an armoured regiment, especially in the final days of the campaign.

My fellow historian Ken Ford, who shares my keen interest in the war in Italy, was not only generous with both his time and notes but also did me the great service of putting me in touch with Colonel Val ffrench-Blake. Very warm thanks are due to Ken who, in addition, provided a number of photographs from his researches in the US Armys archives.