Name: Canadians in Cassino Battlefield Tour
Brand: Monte Cassino War Tours
SKU: Canadians1
Price: 90 Eur
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Table of Contents

Canadians in Cassino Battlefield Tour: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Canadians in Cassino Battlefield Tour: The Canadians’ Role in the Cassino Area

As Mark Zuelcke recalls in his book The Liri Valley: Canada’s World War II Breakthrough to Rome (July 1943), about 26,000 Canadians landed in Sicily. When the Allies invaded Italy in September, the Canadians, alongside the 8th Army, fought in battles at the Moro River, Villa Rogatti, San Leonardo, Casa Berardi, Cider Crossroads, and Ortona, facing the 90th Panzer Grenadier and the 1st Parachute Division. Due to the challenges the 5th Army encountered on the Winter Line, General Harold Alexander decided to concentrate all Allied efforts on the Gustav Line, stretching 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 began on May 11, 1944, with the 1st Canadian Corps playing a crucial role in the operation’s success. On April 18, 1944, the 1st Canadian Corps ceased all radio traffic to maintain secrecy about their location. As a result, the German 10th Army was unable to detect their movements and failed to anticipate the upcoming offensive. Radio communication resumed near Salerno, deliberately 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 provided 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 the troops. The attack was about to begin! That night, starting at 11:00 PM, the troops were tasked with establishing a bridgehead, expanding it, and clearing a large 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 construction of the Cardiff Bridge to assist the 8th Indian Division in building the Oxford Bridge. Captain Anthony Kingsmill was already scouting for the best location to build another bridge, which he named Plymouth Bridge. By 9:50 AM, despite numerous difficulties, he came up with 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 advance 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, then position it across the river using a second tank as a pusher to steer the bridge into place. This ingenious idea proved 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 far 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 regarded by General Oliver Leese as the best tank brigade in Italy. Having landed in Italy in July 1943, it played a crucial role in the Battle of Ortona in December 1943 and was later sent to Cassino in May 1944.