Name: Canadians in Cassino Battlefield Tour
Brand: Monte Cassino War Tours
SKU: Canadians1
Price: 90 Eur
Availability: InStock

Table of Contents

Canadians in Cassino Battlefield Tour: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Canadians in Cassino Battlefield Tour: the Canadians must help in Cassino area

As Mark Zuelcke remembers in his book The Liri Valley: Canada’s World War II Breakthrough to Rome (July 1943), about 26,000 Canadians landed in Sicily. When, in September, the Allies invaded Italy, the Canadians were involved with the 8th Army in the battles of the Moro River, Villa Rogatti, San Leonardo, Casa Berardi, Cider Crossroads, and Ortona against the 90th Panzer Grenadier and the 1st Parachute Division. Due to all the difficulties the 5th Army had on the Winter Line, General Harold Alexander decided to concentrate all the Allied efforts on the Gustav Line, from Monte Cassino to Minturno.

Monte Cassino Battlefield tours for Canadians some soldiers — Private W. Sutherland (left) of The Westminster Regiment (Motor) and Private V.A. Keddy of The Cape Breton Highlanders repacking compo rations at a supply depot, Cassino, Italy, 18 April 1944. (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3210988) here

Monte Cassino Battlefield tours for Canadians Canadian cemetery

Operation Diadem on the Gustav Line

Operation Diadem started on May 11, 1944, and the 1st Canadian Corps played a crucial role in determining the success of this operation. On April 18, 1944, the 1st Canadian Corps ceased all radio traffic in an effort to maintain secrecy about their location. The German 10th Army could not detect their movements and failed to understand what was about to happen. Radio traffic resumed near Salerno, misleading the Germans into believing that the Canadians were preparing an amphibious operation.

On the Gustav Line for the last battle

During the final battle of Monte Cassino, the role of the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade (1st CAB) was to assist the 8th Indian Division in crossing the Gari River. The 17th Brigade and Ontario Tanks would provide direct fire support for the crossing. At 6:00 PM on May 11, Sir Oliver Leese sent a message to all 8th Army regiments, wishing good luck to all the troops. The attack was set to begin! That night, starting at 11:00 PM, the troops were tasked with establishing a bridgehead, expanding it, and clearing an extensive area around Sant’Angelo.

Monte Cassino Battlefield tours for Canadians kingsmill's bridge

Canadians in Cassino Battlefield Tour: the Canadian bridges on the Rapido River

But at around 3:00 AM, the Calgary Regiment had to abandon the construction of its Cardiff Bridge to assist the 8th Indian Division in building the Oxford Bridge. Captain Anthony Kingsmill was already scouting for the best location to construct another bridge, which he named Plymouth Bridge. By 9:50 AM, despite facing many difficulties, he had a brilliant idea and found a solution to all the problems. On May 13, the soldiers completed the fourth bridge, named London Bridge. This allowed the Canadian tank regiments to cross the Gari River and head north toward Rome!

Canadians in the liri Valley: Kingsmill bridge

“In May 2007, a new commemorative plaque was placed along the Gari River (known to the Allies as the Rapido River) to honor a very special person, Captain Tony Kingsmill of Vancouver. The codename of the bridge, built during the Fourth Battle of Cassino in the middle of the Liri Valley, was Plymouth Bridge. However, on this occasion in 2007, it was renamed Kingsmill Bridge in honor of this great man and his actions during the battle. Tony served in the 61st Light Aid Detachment, Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, of the Calgary Regiment.”

Remembering the Canadians in the Liri Valley

His remarkable achievement was devising a method to transport an 80-foot Bailey bridge on top of a turretless Sherman tank and then position it across the river using a second tank as a pusher to steer the bridge into place. This ingenious idea was successful, allowing the Calgary Regiment to make the first armored vehicle crossing of the Gari River. It also enabled them to support the infantry of the 8th Indian Division, which had suffered devastating losses and urgently needed a bridgehead on the other side of the river.

Monte Cassino Battlefield tours for Canadians taking pictures — The veterans’ testimonies will guide us through the story of Montecassino battlefields

Canadian Armoured Brigade of the Calgary Regiment

Kingsmill was responsible for a 30-man unit experienced in repairing and maintaining tanks of the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade of the Calgary Regiment. This armored brigade was considered by General Oliver Leese to be the best tank brigade in Italy, having landed in Italy in July 1943, played a crucial role in the Battle of Ortona in December 1943, and later been sent to Cassino in May 1944