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MONDAY, APRIL 19; 1948 PAGE FIVE |Ontario Regiment History CHAPTER XIX "THE GARI SHOW" _ Although the weather conditions in Italy had not changed perhaps since Hannibal's time, modern war- fare did not allow the luxury of re- {iring to winter quarters, and so the relentless pattle moved on. While the Canadians of 8 Army Were throwing the enemy out of Ortona, the American and French troops of 5 Army in the central sector continued their slow but ex- hausting task of clearing one mountain strongpoint after an- other. On 5 Jan, the Americans, in conjunction with the British on their lefty flank, launched an attack 5 front of some 10 miles. San Vittore was captured after two days of bitter street fighting. The Ger- mans, naturally sensitive about this threat to their Cassino defences, reacted vigorously, On 13 Jan., the Americans took Cervaro, disposing their forward troops less than 3 miles from Cassino. On the follow- ing day the French occupied Aqua- squadron of tanks, were required to " the job. "A" and "B" companies of 2 Sam. LI assembled in the area with "A and "B"' squadrons. Lt.-Col. R. L. Purves gave an intro- ductory lecture on the tank. This completed, the infantry, except of- licers, assembled in the tank park, where they were given detailed in- structions on the tanks by the tank crews. conducted a discussion among all the officers on all points pertinent to infantry-tank 1100 Lirs the C.0. of 2 Som. L.I. held orders group for his company com- manders on the ground. This was attended by squadron commanders. The respective company and squad- ron commanders then tied in their plans, and at 1400 hrs held order groups oh the ground for platoon on troop commanders, These in turn carried out their recces and tied in their plans. "B" companies of 2 Som. L.I. mar- At 0800 hrs 10 April regimental At the same time the C.O. operations. At On 11 Apr at 0400 hrs "A" and miles all' along the line. mountain feature blocking the way vanced into the lower ground be- yond to encounter a further obsta- cle in the Rapido river. launched an at- tack across the river Garigliano, on the night of 17/18 Jan., to capture Minturno. Heavy bombing of com- munications was carried on north and south of Rome to prevent any large scale movement of enemy to the Anzio area, where British and early morning of 22 Jan. The An- zio-Nettuno bridgehead, in spite of its initial surprise and success, was indeed ill-fated. The French and Americans en- gaged in the bitterest fighting, the possession of the heights north of Cassino and the latter in an attempt to force the crossing of the river Rapido. Americans who, by the 22 Jan. had established two small across the Rapido north and: south of S. Angelo, suffered considerable casualties and were forced to with- draw. By 3 Feb. it appeared that substantially ' out- | Di former for the flanked from the north, An Ameri- can Inf Regiment, in the northern outskirts of the town, was fighting house to house. Despite the in- creasing efforts of our forces, the The strategic airforce the monastery at Monte Cassino on 15 Feb. Tue inhabitants were warned that the high com- ried up with "A" and "B" squad- rons in the assembly area. By 0600 firs they had arrived at the D.P. where the infantry debussed and moved, independently by platoons, Win 16 Imo Every MEAL JUST FOR HUBBY TURNS OUT TO BE A CULINARY TRIUMPH. AND BLOOIE !-. EVERYTHING GOES HAYWIRE! "Thnk MSP MARR, FEMMLE MICH, and MOS RREN lH, LOWBARD, 1. THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW ET CTURE II .| constructed by first on the pre-arranged troop in the P.UP. 'At first light the infantry moved forward across the start line and the attack was underway. For three hours the peaceful Vol- urno countryside acquired all the grim semblance of a battlefield; the rumble of tanks; "the spitting of machine guns; the crack of ri- fles; all to the steady beat of the tank guns as they poured smoke onto an exposed right flank. A dis- cussion of all phases of the attack ensued. It should be remembered that an infantry tank battle includes many other supporting arms such as mor- tars, field and medium artillery. Co-ordination of all arms is abso lutely essential. On the 24 April Brig. Boucher; Cmdr of 17 Ind. Inf. Bde, 8 Ind. Div, tieq in arrangements for training with the unit. With the exception that each squadron was allocated to an infantry bn. the training took the same form as that carried out with units from 4 Br. V. The enthusiasm of the Indian troops, who were immensely im- pressed by the versatility and co- operation of the tank lads, was re- flected throughout camp. That thrilling spirit of anticipation was in the air. Great days were ap- proaching. A pile of rubble, the continental fotel, had been the Hotel Exelsior, the best hotel in town. The hotel Des Roses was a private house be- decay. The combined school and town hall had been converted into a hospital by the Germans. The crypt belonged to the Carmelite church, which was the centre of the town. nothing south of rite six to differ- entiate the new quarter from any- thing else in that hell of deathly smell and dust. To sum up the sit- uation at Cassino: -- the enemy seemed reconciled to our possession of the larger portion of the town but was indeed sensitive about the station and the castle, which provided possible off places for a renewal of our of- fensive. in rather as more positioin than ourselves, in spite of his possession of the high ground behind and the fortress monastery on it. was exposed from the flank, and in the northern end of the town he wag surrounded on all but one side. religious There was both of jumping In the town itself, he was uncomfortable His line of communication Two troops from "A" Sqn. one from "B" and one from "C" Sgn. their packs loaded with faces blackened, across the Rapido Bridge, on the light of a full moon on the 30 April, to relieve a squadron of the Three Rivers Regiment tanks that dare not move. was a. terrifying silence, relieved only by an occasional machine gun-fire and the swish of 25-pounder smoke shells rations, crept stealthily the There and man burst of passing mand was compelled to adopt' this course in view of the Germans' use of the place as a military strong point. The monastery founded by St. Benedict in 529, from the site of overhead, as the lads walked that longing to a rich lawyer, converted into flats two yéars before the war. The Barons' palace was an old monastery, long since fallen into long mile days the men sat in their ianks at such close, quarters with the Ger- into the town. For 3 mans that to change the position of a periscope was to call down a merciless barrage of enemy fire, It was a much lighter step that took them back from that mess of un- buried dead, on relief by New Zea- landers. On 8 May, "B" Squadron and 1/12 Frontier Force Regiment wound up their training with a battalion run. And so ended a period of the most intensive and constructive training ever under- taken by the 8 Army units. A period where Indians, Canadians, New Zealanders, 'English and Polish were moulded into a mighty fight- ing machine. It was not a period of drudgery--far frcen it--it was spot- ted with unforgettable incidents. There was that morning before light when Gen. Leese, the com- mander of the Eight Army, was crossing by a foot bridge to watch the unit in jts manoeuvres. A sen- try challenged the intruder and upon hearing the reply: "I am the Army Commander," said -- "Come off that stuff, I am getting tired." Lt.-Gen. Sir Oliver Leese made two informal visits to the unit dur- ing that period. Other visitors in- cluded Lt.-Gen. Burnes, comman- der of 1 Cdn Corps and Maj-Gen. Russel, commander of 8 Ind. Div. On the same day that the inten- sive training ended, the C.O. at- tended an orders group at HQ. 17 Ind. Bde. On the 9 May he attend- ed a final orders group at HQ: 1 C.AB, and at 1400 hrs on the fol- fowing day, held his regimental group. By 0300 hrs on the 11 May, the regiment had moved from its Volturno harbour to an assembly area just behind Mount Troecchio, three miles southeast of Cassino. At 2300 hrs on that same memor- able day the whole Liri Valley lurched with the thunder from the hundreds of guns, so well concealed that the enemy was taken by com- plete surprise. The sky was ablaze; --ithis was our signal that 5 and 8 Armies had renewed the offensive against the Gustav line. That long period of preparation, training and regrouping had all been designed toward this day, when our attack on those German defensive posi- tions could. bé opened. The mighty fortress . monastery hill, tower: above Cassino, back- ed by Mount Cairo, dominated the entrance to the Liri Valley, The Rapido River, running from the impregnable mountains through the 8.W, outskirts of Casino to form the Gari, was the entrance. Eight miles south of Cassino the Gari has junc- tion with the Liri, flowing in from the west, to form the Garigliano, which winds southward to the Gulf of Gaeta. The Liri Valley then runs N.W. from the Gari River, bounded on the left side by the Liri itself and the mountains to the south, and on the right by Route 8 and the Appenines. For miles south of Caino. on the road to 8S. Giorgio, was the little town of S. Angelo. From S, Angelo to Pig- nataro, four miles west, and north to the Rio Piopetto, and south to the Liri, the country was rolling and well {ringed witlx corpses. a temple of Apollo, was the cragle of the Benedict order. Af the sup- pression of the monas*eries in Italy in 1866, Monte Cassino was declared a national rhonument and became an educational establish- ment with about 40 monks and 200 pupils. 4 The wiles of the enemy were not all our forces had to contend with. The vagaries of nature Bjessiiad. from time to time, an equally diffi- cult and equally unwelcome chal- lenge. The Rapido overflowed its banks north of Cassino; the low- land was flooded and the Liri Val- ley was a sea of mud. y On the heels of the heaviest air effort in the campaign to date, "when 2,000 tons of bombs screamed on Cassino, the New Zealand corps went in to attack. The railway station was captured and the town was almost cleared. Some Indian troops did manage to get within 200 |. --300 yards of the monastery but were forced to withdraw on the night «of 24/25 March. Enemy strongpoints in louses and other fortified points defied capture. 'The position remained with slight change; -- so it was at Cassino, the heart of the Gustav line. Success in battle can be assured by adequate training and prepara- tion. At this point it had become a well recognized fact that acom- bined infantry-tank operation re- quired. the utmost practice. To this end the regiment went full out te ensure that every tank man under- stood every aspect of infantry tac- tics, and as well, to see to it that the infantry understood thorough- ly how the tanks operated. ; Thus with a perfect degree O mutual understanding as the goal, the Regiment, on the 8 April 1944, commenced liaison with 4 Br. Inf. iv. De uhit was encamped on the west bank of the Voltiwwno river less than a mile from the smelly town of Presenzano. The river was fordable.. Running back from the east bank was 8 good. infantry-tank area. : Some conception of the enthusi- asm and thoroughness of the train< ing can be had from the following account of a mock battle fought on the 11 April 1944. / "at 1600 burs 9 Apr the C.O. with 1t./Col. Platt, CO. of 2 Somerset Light Infantry, went to a conven- jent OP. to recce the ground and make their plan for the attack. They decided that two companies of infantry, each supported by a THIS QUESTION WAS ASKED IN AN INDEPENDENT CANADA-WIDE SURVEY OF DE SOTO OWNERS: "Regardless of price and taking everything into consideration = appearance, comfort, economy, ease of driving and general all-round performance -- what i$ the name of the best car you ever owned?" / THE VAST MAJORITY OF OWNERS 'ANSWERED THE BUILT-IN-CANADA DE SOTO LETS YOU DRIVE WITHOUT SHIFTING BEARE MOTORS, POT PERRY -- PH. 130 4 STINER MOTORS eo 209 DUNDAS ST. WEST e WHITBY e PHONE 653 BELLAMY MOTORS, CANNINGTON -- PH. 22 HOUCK'S CARAGE, UXBRIDGE -- PH. 68 < North of the Rio Piopetto to high- way 6, the country was flat and cultivated, dotted with scattered clumps. In the south, the rolling country dropped into flat, open fields, which extended to the bank of the Liri. It was the responsibility of 17 17 Ind. Bde, supported by the 11 CAR, to seize and hold a bridge- head across the Gari at 8. Angelo, with 'a view to a further advance. The immediate right and left flanks were the responsibility of 4 ig Div and 19 Ind. Bde respective- y. The initial task allotment placed C and B Squadrons in support of Royal Fusiliers, on the right of the town, and 1/12 Frontier Force Regi- ment, on the left, to seize the bridgehead, then to push out to se- cure it, "A" 8qn. was to cover the right flank of the brigade then to establish contact with 1/5 Royal Ghurka Rifles, in the centre and assist them in any role required. Since the Gari could not be ford- ed, the tanks were to cross by two Bailey Bridges, which were to be light on 12 May. By 0800 hrs the bridge, one mile south of S. Angelo, was com- pleted, but the heavy oppasition at 8. Angelo prevented any work at all on the bridge site there. "B" Sqn. was clear of Oxford, the bridge a mile south, by 0850 hrs and was very busy engaging the enemy, well dqug in along the ridge running along the road, south of S. Angelo. Between the road and the river bank was a low, level waterlogged strip, which gave rise to very awkward circumstances, Before "B" Sqn. reached the road over half the tanks were bogged. MUSIC FOR HOSPITALS New York, April 19--(AP)-- The American Federation of Musicians (AFL) will spend $1,736,721 during the next nine months to provide free music for public service pro- jects, Federation President James C. Petrillo said yesterday the music will be presented in veterans' hospi- tals and other institutions in the Uniteq States and Canada. Dream Realized Boy Meets Girl Soon To Be Wed Montreal, April 19--(CP)--Love's young dream came into practical realization Saturday when Jolana Simkovicova of Czechoslovakia step- ped out of a trans-Atlantic aircraft to be kissed by Henry Goldstein of Ottawa, her hitherto unseen hus- Jband.to-be. - 8 She seemed shy. But so did Gold- stein. Then their self-possession re. turned. They posed for news phoio- graphers and then Goldstein told reporters how he had first seen a picture of Jolana in the home of her aunt in Brooklyn, how he cour- ted her by mail and now planned to marry her mext month. Goldstein, at the airport waiting nervously long before the plane ar- rived, said that beginning last Jan- uary he sent her three letters a day. Previous reports from London that said they were complete stran. gers were incorrect. Actually, both Henry and Jolana come from the same Czech town -- Uzhorod -- al- though, as he admitted ruefully, the difference in their ages pre. vented him from noticing her at that time. Jolana now is 23 while Henry is 3¢. Almost nine years ago, Henry said, he was forced to flee Czechos- lovakia and although he remember- ed the Simkovica family as dis. tant neighbors, never even realized Jolana existed until the time he saw her picture in Brooklyn. BRIDE'S GOWN IGNITES Meaford, April 19--(CP)--Before the horrified eyes of 75 wedding re- ception guests, the gown and veil of Mrs. Roy Peter-bride of less than an hour--blazeq suddenly yesterday when they touched a lighted can- dle. The bridegroom wrapped the bride in his arms and smtohered the flames with 'his hands. NO DIGESTIVE SYSTEM The tapeworm, a parasitic flat- wrom which feeds in the intestines of animals and humans, has no digestive system. LOANS $50 te $1000 FOR EMERGENCIES, OTHER PURPOSES wad When you have overdue bills, medical bills, seasonal or other expenses, come to HFC. You can borrow without endorsers or bankable security for almost any good reason. Up to 24 months to repay. Phone or come in and discuss your money problems with us. Tunein* The Whistler" -- Canada's Top Mystery Show, CBC-- Wednesday nights 15 Simcoe Street South Over Kresge's Phone Oshewa 3601 OSHAWA, ONT. 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