Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily was launched on the 10th of July 1943 with amphibious and airborne landings by the British 8th Army and 7th US Army. In bad weather a substantial portion of the airborne force failed to get to Sicily, and many of those who did arrive were off course and missed intended landing grounds. Nevertheless the Italian coastal units were caught off-guard by the sea-borne forces and many coastal gun batteries were rapidly captured intact. The scattered paratroop landings actually served to confuse the Italian defenders who were unable to make a coordinated stand, and by the end of the first day the town of Syracuse was in British hands. Meanwhile American troops, backed by a heavy naval bombardment, had secured 40 miles of coastline creating a landing area for more sea-borne troops to follow.
The German forces organised a major counter-attack on the 13th July, but by that time the Allies had been able to land 478,000 troops and artillery, as well as securing airfields and bringing in air forces. On the 22nd July the Americans secured the capital of the island, Palermo, and in two weeks the Allied troops had occupied the entire western end of the island. The following day Mussolini was deposed in Rome.
Progress along the eastern side of the island was much slower with strong rearguard action by retreating German defenders, but with the fall of Mussolini, and lacking directions from above, many Italian troops were reluctant to continue the war. On the 8th August the Americans made an unsuccessful attempt to outflank the Germans with an amphibious landing. Three days later the Germans organised a massive withdrawal of their own forces. Over a two-day operation they took 100,000 men out of Sicily to the Italian mainland. The way was then left clear for the US 3rd Division to move into Messina and complete the conquest of the island. Operation Husky was declared complete on the 17th August after 38 days.
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Want to know more about Operation Husky - Sicily?
There are:151 items tagged Operation Husky - Sicily available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.
John Rosendale 179th Infantry Regiment
This is my uncle Jack Rosendale. I’ve been working to get a plaque for the 45th Infantry Division at Dachau which will be installed on May 4th 2025. More of Jack's photos
Thomas Sullivan served with the 8th Royal Ulster Rifles and sailed from Greenock to Algiers. They joined 1st Army and became 117th L.A.A. Regiment, RA and went on to Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, Greece, Italy, Austria
Thomas was a PoW for one night as the Germans had gone overnight due to the approach of the Royalist Russians.
L/Cpl. Robert Walmsley Richardson 46th Btn. C Sqn. 12 Trp. Royal Tank Regiment
Robert Richardson fought in the Western Desert in North Africa in the tank war. He the landed in Sicily on 10th of July 1943, and was in Salerno for Christmas 1943 with training, in anticipation of Anzio. In November 1943 he was at Capua in an operational role. Landed at Taranto with 4th Armoured Brigade, re-embarked from Manfredonia in an operational role, moved up from south of Foggia through Termoli and finaly to Sangro River in a fighting role. The First tanks across river Frigno and were spearhead in San Salvo battle. Les Iliffe was wounded here. It was reputedly the largest tank battle in Italy.
On 22nd of January 1944 he landed at Anzio as assault troops at 1hr after H hour on 22nd. They held the line facing Aprilia after our withdrawal from it until they finally assisted in the breakout and subsequent advance to Rome. Bob's tank was one of the tanks which did point troop in the vanguard and they were the first British troops to reach Rome.
Les Iliffe received his second wound at Anzio. He was the only member of Bob's tank to be injured at any time. Other tanks in the troop were not so lucky. Bob then moved into Greece for the civil war
Tank crew were:
Beckett, Kennedy, Richardson, Iliffe
and Floyd. Replacements were:
Tpr Precious, Huddy and Hancock.
Cpl. William Lundie 5th Battalion Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
William Lundie saw heavy fighting with the 5th Battalion, Queens Own Cameron Highlanders in North Africa, El Alamein and Tobruk against Rommel's forces.
Also taking part in campaigns in Sicily before taking part in the Gold Beach landings on D-Day. He made it through the landings and advanced through Caen with the 51st Highland Division and on to Germany. Encountering heavy resistance along the way before the German surrender in May 1945. While guarding POWs, Cpl Lundie was transferred to the regimental police and promoted to Sgt before returning home to his family.
Dvr. John Edward Potter 4th Field Squadron Royal Engineers
Jack Potter joined up in July 1940, after the fall of France.
He was sent to Egypt, completing his basic training while on board ship.
He was posted to the 4th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers.
Jack served against the Italians in the Western Desert in 1940, then Rommel and the Afrika Korps.
He was then detached to the Australians and sent to Greece, in 1941. The evacuation from Greece saw him twice sunk in Piraeus harbour aboard Navy ships, before escaping on a liner commandeered by the Australian Army in Alexandria. Back to the desert war, and the battle of El Alamein, the capture of Tunis, and the surrender of the Afrika Korps in 1943.
Next was the invasion of Sicily, followed by the invasion of Italy, and the slow pushing back of the Germans to Monte Cassino. After taking part in the opening stages of this battle, his unit was transferred back to the UK for a refit prior to D-Day.
He saw action on D-Day, in the battles for Normandy, the invasion of Holland, Arnhem, and finally the invasion of Germany, before de-mob in Feb 1946.
Not one home leave during his entire service!
Gnr. Tommy Miller Young Jamieson 70th L.A.A. Regiment Royal Artillery (d.11th Jan 1945)
Tommy Jamieson was the uncle I never met. He is buried in the Salerno Commonwealth Cemetery in Italy. At the time of his death the 8th Army had advanced into the North of Italy all the way from Sicily.
His death certificate states accident. He was found at the side of a railway line having been thrown off a train.
I'm interested in understanding why he is buried in the South of Italy.
My father once told me he was on a special mission but I can't evidence that.
I’d love to know why he died nowhere near his unit.
Cpl. Albert Joseph Holtom 2nd Btn. Parachute Regiment
Albert Holtom was attached to the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment at its inception. Initially in HQ Coy as a Cook, he earned his wings and maroon beret when he attended the Parachute Course No 15 at Ringway, before seeing active service in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, where he was awarded the Africa Star with First Army Clasp, and the Italy Star.
On returning from North Africa, he transferred to A Coy, serving under Lt Robin Vlasto of No. 1 Platoon. Accounts differ as to whether he fought at Arnhem, but he was awarded the France and Germany Star, and couldn't have earned it anywhere else. Unfortunately, this was not dispatched along with his other medals when they were claimed, posthumously, by his son in 2019. If he did fight at Arnhem, he was one of the 17 survivors from A Coy to be rescued during operation Berlin on 25th-26th of September 1944.
This was the story he took to his final resting place, peacefully, in 2003.
He was good friends with Cpl Robert Priesley and Cpl Tom Hastings, both of A Coy, and both taken PoW at Arnhem.
I would love to hear from family members of either of them.
William Crosbie Black MM, DCM, BEM. Reina Del Pacifico
William Black was my grandfather. He was born in Ramelton in Donegal Ireland in 1880.
He was a sailor in the Mercantile Marine. He was mobilised into the Lancashire Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery on 25th of May 1915. He received a hand written duplicate letter requiring to report to the Sefton Barracks in Upper Warwick Street together with a detailed list of personal supplies and clothing to which he would receive a gratuity of £5 on reporting for duty.
He served until 12th January 1919.
He was awarded the Pip, Squeak and Wilfred War Medals, but also awarded the DCM and Military Medal. There is a Certificate for the Gallant Act he carried out to receive the Military Medal whilst serving with the Second Army.
He also received a Mercantile Marine Medal from the Board of Trade.
In WW2 he was a Quarter Master on the Reina Del Pacifico, owned by the PSNC, which was converted into troopship. He was 59 when WW2 started. He was in many theatres of the War which included the Second Battle of Tobruk and the Invasion of Sicily.
He was awarded the Africa Star with Clasp, Atlantic Star, Italy Star, Pacific Star and Burma Star.
In the Honours List announced on 9th January 1946 he was awarded the British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service.
He ended his service on SS Orbita when his Sea Service and his War Service Certificate was issued on 29th May 1947 when he was 67.
He was a much loved father and grandfather, and died aged 82 in 1962.
My father, John McLean voluntarily enlisted in the Royal Navy on Thursday 14th of November 1940.
My mother relayed a funny story and said that my father left home early in the morning on the 14th to go to get some milk from a local shop and didn't return until early evening. When my mother, who was obviously upset, asked him where he had been, he proudly told her he had enlisted in the Navy and would be leaving the next day.
His service record shows that his first posting was at HMS Collingwood followed by HMS Pembroke, Northney, Quebec and HMS Copra and was released from service in January 1946. I have little information about my father's service as he passed away in 1955 when I was only 9 years old.
My mother told me that my father had been on a landing craft during the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Normandy.
Sgt. Cyril Vivian Hawke 2nd Btn. Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry
Cyril Hawke was called up in October 1941 on his 18th birthday.
He trained in Bodmin and Northern Ireland.
Serving with C Company 2nd Btn, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry he went overseas to North Africa in 1942, stayed until end of campaign in May 1943.
He then went to Italy landing at Salerno in autumn 1943 and fought through Naples, Cassino, Rome and ended up in Northern Italy by the end of 1944.
He was sent to Greece in December 1944 and then transferred to the 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (reason not known) and served in Greece until end of the war.
He arrived home in 1945 and re-equipped to go to the Far East but whilst sailing through the Med the war in the Far East ended and they were taken to Libya to carry out garrison duties in Benghazi.
Later he went to Palestine for garrison duties there.
He was discharged in Canterbury on 5th of June 1947.
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