british army trieste italy

My late mother and I arrived This information will help us make improvements to the website. The area between the city and the Timavo river to the North was to be defended by the Cavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli"'s Regiment "Piemonte Cavalleria" (2nd), which fielded two armored squadrons groups equipped with a mix of tanks and armored personnel carriers in Villa Opicina and Sgonico. It remained in the Anzio beach-head until the breakout. For the service records of individuals from this period go to Veterans UK, a branch of the Ministry of Defence. As a matter of interest, the US 5th Army landed on the 9 th September 1943 against heavy German resistance at Salerno in operation "Avalanche". In Trieste, Investigation of Brutal Era Is Blocked, https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/20/world/in-trieste-investigation-of-brutal-era-is-blocked.html. For my own peace of mind I asked him to tell me, in all confidence, how hed organised this massive theft, but he merely laughed and said, 'It wasnt me mate !'. Most of the content on this site is created by our users, who are members of the British Military History is the online resource covering British Army, British Indian Army and Britains Allies. In early January 1945, the British 1st Infantry Division was sent to Palestine and at the end of the month the I Canadian Corps and the British 5th Infantry Division were ordered to north-west Europe. For pertinent records please consult the finding aids and reference staff in the consultation area in Room 2400. Finding gainful employment was an impossibility for all Yugoslav nationals. For almost three months I then kicked my heels until in March I was finally released to return to civilian life. [12] In Phase I, the Eighth Army would cross the Senio and Santerno rivers and then make a dual thrust, one towards Budrio parallel to the Bologna road, Route 9 (the Via Emilia) and the other northwest along Route 16, the Via Adriatica, towards Bastia and the Argenta Gap which was a narrow strip of dry terrain through the flooded land west of Lake Comacchio. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. I had been overseas since April 1943 and it was therefore getting near the time for me to be sent home to England under the Python scheme. Italian Government normally housed 400 prisoners. 78 Infantry Division (1944-45). But I don't remember losing any sleep over the matter! After the war I wrote to him and his delightful reply is at the back of my album. Italian-speaking and Slovenian-speaking The Piemonte Cavalleria was supported by the II Self-propelled Field Artillery Group in Banne, which was part of the 8th Self-propelled Field Artillery Regiment of the "Pozzuolo del Friuli" brigade. These seemed idiotic and insuperable difficulties that we encountered, but in the thick of this maelstrom of chaos we found individuals with whom we could share our common fate as we waited to re-enter Canada. Back in Trieste after my leave I found that the riots were still in full swing and that many more of the old-timers had left. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. October 1945: On board a mine-sweeper in Trieste Harbour From the Regimental Diary for 1 October 1945: 'Major JJ O'Brien left to go on a course in UK, also 14 days leave. at the rate of 800 a day. But attempts to investigate have gone nowhere. Warning order received that the Regt will move to TRIESTE to become Recce Regt in 56th (Lon) Div in lieu of 44th Recce Rgt.'. We were at a rifle range that took your photograph if you hit the target and, much to our surprise, it actually worked! [23] On all fronts, the German defense continued to be strong and effective, but Bondeno was captured on April 23. The A.M.G. It moved onto into Austria on the 12 May. On one occasion the navy decided it would be a good idea if they were to send some of the matelots stationed in Trieste to our barracks for a day's leave. The cavernous pits and gorges scattered throughout the hills above this port city hold dark secrets from the twilight days of World War II, secrets that still disturb Italy and its Balkan neighbors. It sustained heavy casualties during the battle for Anzio. GIs (TRUST) took me along with two of my friends to their mess hall to feed In 1948-51, my mother worked in several camps in Austria and Trieste and brought with her to Australia photographs, monthly reports, refugee art and handcraft. The division left for Egypt on 3 July 1944. it has been gaining influence as Italy's window to the East. Trieste's location at the top of the Adriatic has always defined it. In March 1943, it was deployed to Tunisia and then used to secure the Island of Pantelleria. Sabba Annex DP Camp, Trieste. In early January 1945, the British 1st Infantry Division was sent to Palestine and at the end of the month the I Canadian Corps and the British 5th Infantry Division were ordered to north-west Europe. The Cavour entered the Chesapeake Bay on February 13 and docked at Norfolk, Virginia,. It led to a joint allied victory for the Yugoslav Partisans and 2nd New Zealand Division and a joint occupation of Trieste, but relations soon deteriorated and led to a nine-year dispute over the territory of Trieste. And so I come to the end of this unlikely saga. What an extensive experience you had! November 27, 2019. The Eighth Army plan (Operation Buckland) had to deal with the difficult task of getting across the Senio, with its raised artificial banks varying between 6m (20ft) and 12m (40ft) in height and honeycombed with tunnels and bunkers front and rear. British troops were deployed to north east Italy post-war, one of the primary reasons being the city of Trieste, on the border of Italy and Yugoslavia, and subject to competing claims. Through a long period The 56 (London) Infantry Division was a pre-war, first line Territorial Army formation. The 78th Infantry Division was also held up that same day on the Reno River at Bastia. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not This guide will help you find records at The National Archives relating to military operations planned and carried out by the British Army since the end of the Second World War up until around twenty years ago. I would be more than happy to share my ), with hundreds of other refugees who came streaming [9] Allied strength amounted to 17 divisions and eight independent brigades (including 4 Italian groups of volunteers from the Italian Co-Belligerent Army which were equipped and trained by the British), equivalent to just under 20 divisions. At the same time the divisions were reorganized and their areas of responsibility were redefined. The short story is that the tyres were never recovered but all the evidence pointed to one Trooper X. At the same time, the British 56th (London) Infantry Division would launch the amphibious flank attack along Lake Comacchio. I remember the dances at the Four Aces and sometimes confined to barracks because of disturbstances in the town. On 16 April my very good friend Leslie Gilbert and I attended a Passover service at the Marittima ballroom on the harbour front of Trieste. For both his peace of mind and my claim to accuracy I am glad to admit my error. Rail travel ground to a halt. The Chinese are said to have a curse that goes ' You should be born in interesting times '.I think I can safely own to an extensive wartime experience! "[30], Including lines of communication and support troops. On 1 September 1962 151st Infantry Regiment "Sassari" and the 14th Field Artillery Regiment entered the newly raised Trieste Military Command, which was tasked with the defence of the city. I had packed a lot into the years between 1923 and 1947, and at the age of 24 was ready to start my life all over again. The 10th Mountain Division was directed to bypass Bologna on the right and push north leaving II Corps to deal with Bologna, along with Eighth Army units advancing from their right. Fortunately for good sense he was soon told in no uncertain terms that all those present would refuse to eat if the newcomers were not allowed in, and the evening proceeded without any further problems. The Best of luck Eric Simmonds ex 31st field regt. I was a young soldier with the R.A.first we were at La Farra then moved to the Morgan Line,from there for the Victory Parade. Its particularly interesting to me today as it shows Busty, Loopy and Chesty Reed, the RSM. The battle concluded on 21 September and the division returned to V Corps on 1 October 1944. It remained in the U.K. re-equipping and refitting until leaving for North Africa on 6 January 1943. Two other British divisions were to follow them to north-west Europe, but Alexander kept them in Italy. The German Army surrendered to New Zealand army on May 2. International pressure made the Yugoslavs leave the city on June 12. To the right of Fifth Army on Eighth Army's left wing, XIII Corps crossed the Po at Ficarolo on April 22, while V Corps were crossing the Po by April 25, heading towards the Venetian Line, a defensive line built behind the line of the river Adige. The system for release from the army at that time was based on a combination of age and length of service. earlier. A word about Eddy. For 300 years, Trieste has been where the bulk of Italy's green (unroasted) coffee beans arrive, and it's rumoured that Triestini drink twice as much of the brew as their countrymen. By late morning of April 12, after an all-night assault, the 8th Indian Infantry Division was established on the far side of the Santerno and the 78th Infantry Division started their pass through to make the assault on Argenta. Almost overnight, stones were whitewashed, flagpoles were erected and 'bull' was the order of the day. Clark succeeded Alexander as commander of the Allied forces in Italy (renamed 15th Army Group), but without promotion. From Opicina we now moved to the dockyard area of Monfalcone, just a few miles down the road but still in the Trieste Area. The division fought at the Battle for Adrano between 29 July and 3 August 1943 and then crossing of the River Sangro. Thankgoodness for that, I am off to Berwick on Tweed Monday for a few days and if I had suddenly arrived at Barnard Castle would have thought my map reading slightly out. It was invented as a port town and turbo-charged its fortunes after Austrian Emperor Charles VI declared its port "free" in 1719. Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. already crowded with almost 2,400 people of many nationalities, most of whom Trieste's City Hall, in the Piazza Unita d'Italia I was shocked 331.33 Records of Allied Military Government, British-United States Zone, Free Territory of Trieste 1942-54 (bulk 1947-54) 331.33.1 Records of the Office of the Military Governor 331.33.2 Records of the Directorate General, Civil Affairs 331.33.3 Records of the Directorate of Interior 331.33.4 Records of the Directorate of Finance and Economics 1946-1950. The Allied Military Government administered Zone A, which was divided into peacekeeping and law enforcement sectors protected by 5,000 American troops ( Trieste United States Troops - TRUST) and 5,000 British troops ( British Element Trieste Force - BETFOR). very much if you would include "San Sabba DP camp" as one of your many transit The move has been bitterly denounced by many Slovenes and Croats. By Monday we were on our way back, arriving back at camp on Wednesday evening. ''There was a terrible Italian black-shirt commander -- his name was Volpe -- in Istria during the war who killed scores of people,'' said Ettore Poropat, a former Partisan who was in Trieste during the occupation and now lives in Zagreb. In October 1954 the Allied Military Government was abolished and the Territory turned over to the control of the Italian Government. And Italy - which only became a . those of the BBC. set up emergency internment Allied manpower shortages continued in October 1944. Trieste was a very interesting place to be at this time and it was not unknown for a lot of black marketing to be going on between the troops and the civilians. At times, when I found myself signing for half a dozen tanks at a time, I used to say to myself: 'Hold on therethat's 180,000 pounds worth of equipment you've just become responsible for!' In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please click here. ADDRESS Swedish Lutheran Church but newly retired. It was quite common to be sitting in a cinema in town and to have a notice flashed on the screen that said: 'All In January 1944, it was involved in the battles for the Garigliano Crossing. I got myself good and early to a vantage point in Whitehall and had the pleasure of seeing a contingent of the 4th Hussars march past in the splendid parade, which included the carriage of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. [14], Once across the Senio, the assault divisions were to advance to cross the Santerno. The large hall where I made my goodbyes was packed with hundreds of men trying on the latest that Montague Burton had to offer, although if I remember rightly you could have any colour suit providing it was navy or brown and any style providing it was single breasted or double breasted! Associated places Western Desert, Libya, Tunisia, Sicily, Catania, Italy, Austria. On May 1, 1945 the Yugoslav army entered Trieste (see Foibe) one day before before the New Zealand army, in a race to decide who would control the city. to find that this was the welcome for those who, like myself, had given up You should also provide attribution to the original work, source and licence. I clearly state "when we were in Rome I went with him to see "The Song of Bernadette". Many of the records covered in this guide are not available to view online so to see them you will have to either visit usin Kew ororder copies. The final offensive in Italy commenced on 13 April 1945, with the division involved in forcing the Argenta Gap. There is another panaramic virtual site, just as interesting: To the left of the 8th Indian Division, on the left of the salient, the 2nd New Zealand Division would attack across the river to form a pincer. There are countless published regimental histories and these are often a good place to start research into British Army operations. The Trieste Synagogue was built between 1908 and 1912, designed by architect Ruggero Berlam in collaboration with his son Arduino. [5][4], As of 9 April, the Axis in Italy had 21 much weaker German divisions and four Italian National Republican Army (ENR) divisions, with about 349,000 German and 45,000 Italian troops. a donation to keep it going. that they were on a spying mission. Today Im 63 years old and trying to open They had reached the Santerno, 5.6km (3.5mi) beyond, by dawn on April 11. If it was separate, does A TB epidemic had broken out at about that time, and representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) came to monitor the situation, and report on its containment. On April 28, Vietinghoff sent emissaries to the Allied Army headquarters. They were interesting days, indeed, and it's nice to hear from someone who shared that experience. In the first place I was responsible for seeing that all the stores necessary to run a squadron of Sherman tanks were kept up to date and I was the liaison between the mechanics and the Base Store Depots. We showed them around, let them drive our tanks etc, and in short they had a good day's fun. and when it was served, it was awful. [23] Turin was also liberated by partisan forces on April 25, after five days of fighting. Among these items were two huge Staghound Armoured Car tyres. After World War II the city of Trieste and the surrounding territory became the Free Territory of Trieste under direct responsibility of the United Nations Security Council. The division remained on active service in the Middle East until returning to the United Kingdom in 1955. [20], Progress against a determined German defense was slow, but ultimately the superior Allied firepower and lack of German reserves allowed the Allies to break through the mountain defenses and reach the plains of the Po valley. On re-checking my personal diaries I now find that after joining the 4th QOH I never went back to Rome, although I clearly visited there twice whilst in the 49th LAA (once on the 21st of June and again on the 10th of July). Most of the articles that I've posted on this site started life in the Goldstein Family Book that we published privately in 1988. began to resemble a reception center with the influx of new refugees, the Progress was difficult - the rugged terrain of the Apennines, the numerous canals and rivers with destroyed bridges in the low-lying east, and the mud that accompanied winter's driving rain restricted the mobility of the Div. Winterton. family lived at San Sabba Annex in Trieste, Italy between 1950-1952. In October we moved to the Trieste area, to a small town called Opicina, which sat on the top of a hill overlooking the Bay of Trieste. the American Military Government had more than 1,000 single boys and men I recall the heavy rains, chilled by the Borah Subordinate units came from . The spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the final Allied attack during the Italian Campaign in the final stages of the Second World War. everything in Serbia to enjoy the freedom of the West. In both "San Sabba" and "Opicina" we found the same overcrowded conditions, however "Opicina" had slightly better sanitary conditions, and attempts were being made to keep most of the serious T.B. Trieste came under the rule of the House of Hapsburg in the late 14th century, and remained a part of the kingdom all the way until the end of World War I in 1918. It remained in Austria on occupation duties until it was disbanded in August 1946. A secret British-American intelligence report of September 1945, made public a few years ago, is filled with accounts by witnesses to Partisan atrocities. While I was fighting in Italy, somebody who shall be nameless had apparently been a naughty boy back in England and had been sentenced to a term in Lincoln jail. A Roman Catholic priest, Don Sceck, told the investigators that a group of 150 fascists were swiftly sentenced and then mowed down by Partisan troops with machine guns on May 2, 1945, in Basovizza, a small Slovene-speaking village just outside Trieste. Today the. [28], Secret surrender negotiations between representatives of the Germans and Western Allies had taken place in Switzerland (Operation Crossword) in March, but had resulted only in protests from the Soviets that the Western Allies were attempting to negotiate a separate peace. The division returned to Italy on 15 September 1944. 12,411 British, and Commonwealth, Free French and French colonial, Polish, and Brazilian troops, Italian Service Unit members, and Jewish Brigade volunteers from Palestine (who served under British command) killed 54,700 Italian partisans killed (44,720 Italian partisans in combat, 9,980 in Axis reprisals) One such possible event occurred because of my position as Tech Corporal in charge of Squadron Technical Stores. This reduced the Eighth Army, now commanded by Lieutenant-General Richard McCreery, to seven divisions. My responsibilities were twofold. There were a lot like him.''. The photos in my album capture it all. October 1945: On board a mine-sweeper in Trieste Harbour, From the Regimental Diary for 1 October 1945: 'Major JJ OBrien left to go on a course in UK, also 14 days leave. The sights in Trieste include Miramare, a romantic castle built in the 19th century for Austrian Archduke Maximilian and his wife. Scan this QR code to download the app now. At the time in question he was sufficiently satisfied with my services to both him and the squadron to ask me to stay on in the army after I was due for demob. During the same reform the Cavalry Brigade "Pozzuolo del Friuli" was split and the Regiment "Piemonte Cavalleria" (2nd) was used to form the new Armored Brigade "Vittorio Veneto", which took over the defense of the area between Trieste and the Timavo river. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Duino-Aurisina, The Erma has this inscription: 'Respect the field of death and glory' in memory of the First World War. On April 29, they signed an instrument of surrender at the Royal Palace of Caserta stating that hostilities would formally end on May 2. in many of the immediate suburbs. Besides, these three individuals are innocent. A fair number of German-speakers are native The Partisan army seized the Istrian Peninsula, in the southern Adriatic, and raced on toward Trieste. After a period of confusion, during which the news of Hitler's death arrived, Schulz obtained Kesselring's agreement to the surrender and Vietinghoff was reinstated to see it through. frontier, to Trieste's "San Sabba, then "Opicina" and finally to the newly-constructed "San Sabba Annex," where men, women and children were still crammed to the point of suffocation. British Element Trieste Force (BETFOR) was the UK organization in the free territory. In Phase II, the Eighth Army was to drive northwest to capture Ferrara and Bondeno, blocking routes of potential retreat across the Po. I SHOULD have written "Eddy and I both saw the film in Italy on separate occasions, but he sent a review back to his old firm etc, etc, etc.". Subsequent negotiations led to the signing of the London Memorandum on 5 October 1954 by the foreign ministers of the United States, United Kingdom, Italy and Yugoslavia. To find records revealing the decision making behind British Army operations, government policy on a specific conflict and all kinds of other high level thinking around the operations, conflicts and wars involving the British Army, search within Cabinet (CAB) and Ministry of Defence (DEFE) departments. We had just got into the street outside his flat when we literally stumbled over a body in the kerb. The U.S. Fifth Army had been reinforced between September and November 1944 with the 1st Brazilian Division, and in January 1945, with the specialist U.S. 10th Mountain Division. camps to house about four thousand of this tragic army, who were fleeing 1/21/06 Hi, Olga I could either go on a skiing holiday at Cortina, or take a course as a technical storeman. The 1 Infantry Division was a pre-war Regular Army formation, which was sent to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force. On Friday evenings my friends and I would come into town and make straight for the YMCA. They then destroy another 6 tanks from a British counterattack. public. v3.0, except where otherwise stated, 2. Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) terms and conditions, Royal Army Medical Corps Muniments Collection, Album of photographs of the British Military Hospital, Trieste, Italy, on completion of re-organisation RAMC/2068, Album of photographs of the British Military Hospital, Trieste, Italy, on completion of re-organisation, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. From the Regimental Diaries: '8th Oct The Rgt was inspected by the Corps Commander Lt General Sir John Harding.'. v3.0, Cabinet Defence Committee minutes and [papers, Chiefs of Staff Committee registered files, Defence and Overseas Policy Committees and Sub-committees minutes and papers, Mediterranean: central Mediterranean forces, Unit historical records including war diaries and records of operational activity, Caribbean: Headquarters British forces Caribbean, Cyprus: Sovereign base area administration, Cyprus, records created by units of the army itself, records created by politicians, top-ranking officers and other high-level personnel, name of operation or campaign (for example, Operation Corporate), name of a conflict (for example, Suez crisis or Korean War) keyword searches like this work best if you put them in inverted commas, name of army unit. Months later, we were research. This reduced the Eighth Army, now commanded by Lieutenant-General Richard McCreery, to seven divisions. Army Air Corps' operations record books and war diaries, 1957-1969, are in WO 295.

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