Photographs: Operation Baytown, Invasion of Italy, 1943 (1)

 Invasion of Mainland Italy, September 3, 1943 and Landings

at Charlie Beach, by Canadian 80th Flotilla Landing Crafts

NA 6149 - Original wartime caption: A picture which shows the complete

accord with which Allied soldiers have been received by the people of Sicily.

This Sgt. Major of the Highland Division held no terrors for this charming

Sicilian who greeted him with grapes, and a ready welcome to Messina.

Credit - Photographer Chetwyn, Leonard Production date - 1943-08-30

No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit

Imperial War Museum (IWM)

Introduction:

According to news reports of the time the Canadian Navy was represented in the Mediterranean in 1943 (serving in Operation HUSKY, the invasion of Sicily beginning July 10, and Operation BAYTOWN and AVALANCHE, the invasion of Italy beginning September 3 at the toe of the boot and September 9 at Salerno on the shin) by 400 Canadian sailors, many in RCNVR and Combined Operations. The Imperial War Museum (IWM), London, England, claims to possess over 11,000,000 WWII photographs and I was very happy to locate a good handful related to Operation BAYTOWN taken by productive photographers, a few of whom will already be familiar to readers who have found good collections of pictures shared on this site re Operation TORCH and HUSKY already. 

Lt. L. Chetwyn (link to his collection - Chetwyn, Leonard) provides the first and last two photographs in the series in this post and Sgt. Palmer, also a member of No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit, provides the rest. More photographs will be shared from this series in a second post.

Based on the first two photographs the series looks like 'all sweets and goodness' but that's before the bombardment of the toe of the boot began in the early morning of September 3rd.

"(We) attacked Italy at Reggio di Calabria across Messina Straits... there was no resistance. The air force had done a complete job and there wasn’t a whole building standing and the railroad yards were ripped to shreds. How long we worked across the straits I cannot really recall, but perhaps into October." (From "Dad, Well Done" Navy memoirs by Doug Harrison, RCNVR/Combined Operations, page 35)

And now for one last look at the "sweets" before the bombardment. All photographs are found at the Imperial War Museum (IWM):

Heading - SICILY : "SWEETS" FOR THE SERGEANT MAJOR

NA 6150 - A picture which shows the complete accord with which the

Allied soldiers have been received by the people of Sicily. This Sgt. Major

of the Highland Division held no terrors for this charming Sicilian who

greeted him with grapes, and a ready welcome to Messina. 

Photo - L. Chetwyn, No. 2 AFPU (IWM)

Heading - FIRST PICTURES OF THE INVASION OF THE ITALIAN MAINLAND

NA 6151 - From Messina, Sicily, medium guns of the Scottish Horse

bombard the Italian mainland prior to the initial landings. Photographer -

 Sgt. Palmer Production - 1943-09-03 No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section,

Imperial War Museum (IWM)

About 'the Scottish Horse' as mentioned above on side B of photo NA 6151. At Wikipedia we can glean some details re so-named artillery regiment:

"The Scottish Horse was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army's Territorial Army raised in 1900 for service in the Second Boer War. It saw heavy fighting in both the First World War, as the 13th Battalion, Black Watch, and in the Second World War, as part of the Royal Artillery." (More details @ Wikipedia)

Howitzers of the 79th (The Scottish Horse) Medium Regiment during a

training exercise, Banffshire, Scotland (May 1941) Credit - Wikipedia

Please click here to read more from the Regimental Scottish Horse Archives.

Heading - THE ALLIED LANDINGS IN ITALY, SEPTEMBER 1943: REGGIO, TARANTO AND SALERNO

NA 6152 - Reggio, 3 September 1943 (Operation Baytown): British

artillery bombards the Italian mainland from Messina in Sicily prior to

the initial landings at Reggio. Photo - Sgt. Palmer No. 2 AFPU. IWM

Heading - FIRST PICTURES OF THE INVASION OF THE ITALIAN MAINLAND

NA 6153 - From Messina, Sicily, medium guns of the Scottish Horse

bombard the Italian mainland prior to the initial landings.

Photo - Sgt. Palmer No. 2 AFPU. IWM

NA 6154 - Seated on a wall overlooking the harbour (at Messina)

troops watch the Invasion craft leaving for Italy.

Photo - Sgt. Palmer No. 2 AFPU. IWM

About the invasion craft leaving for Italy, one sailor manning a landing craft mechanised (LCM) as a member of the 80th Flotilla of Canadian LCMs writes: 

 It was no different touching down on the Italian beach at Reggio di Calabria at around midnight, September 3, 1943 than on previous invasions.

Naturally we felt our way slowly to our landing place. Everything was strangely quiet and we Canadian sailors were quite tense, expecting to be fired upon, but we touched down safely, discharged our cargo and left as orderly and quietly as possible.

In the morning light on our second trip to Italy across seven miles of the Messina Straits (7 miles equals a round trip? GH Editor) we saw how the Allied artillery barrage across the straits had levelled every conceivable thing; not a thing moved, the devastation was unbelievable and from day one we had no problems; it was easy come, easy go from Sicily to Italy. (From "Dad, Well Done" by Doug Harrison, page 114)

NA 6155 - The scene as amphibious "Ducks" enter the water at Messina,

loaded with men and equipment. Photo - Sgt. Palmer No. 2 AFPU. IWM

NA 6156 - The scene as amphibious "Ducks" enter the water at Messina,

loaded with men and equipment. Photo - Sgt. Palmer No. 2 AFPU. IWM

Please note the large stone or cement blocks at the lower left corner of the above photo. There were such blocks in a photo re WWII and landing crafts in the Allied Invasion of Sicily WWII Museum in Catania when my son and I visited Sicily in 2023:

The landing craft above seem to be going in the same direction as those

in Sgt. Palmer's photos. Same day (Sept. 3, 1943)? More details needed. 

Below are my own photographs taken from the beach at Mili Marina, south of the city of Messina, Sept. 2023, 80 years later:

Was this spot in Mili Marina used by Allied forces to embark to Italy's

mainland on Sept. 3, 1943? It's very possible. (Or a spot close by).

Compare the coastline and background hills of Italy at Reggio di Calabria (straight across the strait) in the following photos and that of the children with the best (stone) seats in town:

I am opposite Reggio di Calabria in late September, 2023. GH

Photo Credit GH

Pictures taken by Sgt. Palmer continue:

Heading - THE ALLIED LANDINGS IN ITALY, SEPTEMBER 1943: REGGIO, TARANTO AND SALERNO

NA 6157 - Reggio, 3 September 1943 (Operation Baytown): Amphibious

DUKWs loaded with men and equipment, enter the water at Messina in Sicily

to cross to the Italian mainland. Photo - Palmer, Roy H. No. 2 AFPU. IWM

NA 6158 - The scene as amphibious "Ducks" enter the water at Messina,

loaded with men and equipment. Sgt. Palmer No. 2 AFPU. IWM

NA 6159 - The scene as amphibious "Ducks" enter the water at Messina,

loaded with men and equipment. Sgt. Palmer No. 2 AFPU. IWM

Heading - THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH AFRICA, SICILY, ITALY, THE BALKANS AND AUSTRIA 1942-1946

NA 6160 - Infantry marching through the streets of Messina to embark

on Invasion craft. Photo - Leonard Chetwyn, No. 2 AFPU. IWM

NA 6161 - Infantry marching through the streets of Messina to embark

on Invasion craft. Photo - Chetwyn, Leonard, No. 2 AFPU. IWM

My son and I marched "through the streets of Messina" as well! It is a city that demands a return visit.

Literally from "the streets of Messina." GH

More photographs will follow in the near future.

Please click here to view Articles re Combined Operations, "Norwich Sailor Sees Action"

Unattributed Photos GH

Editor's Research: Three Months in the Mediterranean, 1943 (32)

Montreal Gazette News Clippings Provide Context for "How

Goes the War" and "Where's Your Dad At in Malta?"

The (Montreal) Gazette, August 11, 1943. The series starts here.

Introduction:

This series of entries related to news clippings from The Gazette, providing some context for the three months that Canadians in Combined Operations served with Allied forces in Sicily (beginning July 10, 1943) and Italy (beginning September 3, ending in early October at the 'toe of the boot') will one day - not soon apparently!* - include 60-plus offerings, ending with the members of the 80th Canadian Flotilla of Landing Crafts (LCMs) returning to England for a well-earned leave. And since my father's memoirs touch on numerous instances of fun and frolic (and provide the names of several pubs in London where some of the fun and frolic took place, e.g., The Lord High Admiral) I will share a few stories in the "On Leave" section of the 'Directory A - Z' found in the right-hand margin.

*not soon - I have a few more issues of The Gazette on a handy USB-stick and will, hopefully, after sharing those issues return to my habit of visiting the dust-covered rolls of micro film still available to me at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada

Unfortunately this lovely building no longer exists but there are still

a few other pubs that do... from the WWII era. Photo Credit

The clippings shared below are from August 11, 1943, at which time my father and mates in the 80th Flotilla - now all on the island of Malta - were recovering from dysentery at Hill 10 hospital (in my father's case), or resting in a 'tent city', relaxing on leave and/or repairing their landing craft, mechanised (LCMs) prior to going back into service for Operation Baytown, the invasion of Italy at 'the toe about three weeks away.

About Malta my father writes (in part):

After approximately 27 days (of hard work in Sicily, with a poor water supply) I came down with severe chills and then got dysentery. I was shipped to Malta on the Ulster Monarch and an intern came around and handed me 26 pills. I inquired how many doses was that? “Just one,” he replied. 

At Malta I was let loose on my own to find Hill 10 Hospital. I did after a while and they asked me my trouble. I said, “Dysentery.” “Oh, we’ll soon cure that,” they said. How? “We won’t give you anything to eat.” So for four days all I got was water and pills and soon I was cured, though weak. I thought of those poor devils in the desert (i.e., his mates who got dysentery at HMS Saunders in Egypt prior to the invasion of Sicily).

Blue arrow points to Don Westbrook, Hamilton (RCNVR/Combined Ops)

in his 'borrowed shorts' after recovering from dysentery while at HMS

Saunders (June - July, 1943). Tents visible (barely) in background.

Photo - Collection of Doug Harrison (RCNVR/Combined Ops)

When I felt better they sent me to a tent where I got regular meals. I saw an air force newspaper and on the front was a picture of Bob Alexander of Norwich, a school chum. But Bob returned to the fray and was lost on one of his bombing missions. How sorry I was to hear that news. He had already done so much.

I suggest that some of the LCMs above might belong to the 80th and 

81st Canadian Flotillas. Some ALCs might be from the 55th and 61st

Canadian Flotillas, all active in Sicily beginning July 10, 1943 

Soon all the boys returned to Malta and we prepared for Italy, though all our barges (not entirely true, some Canadian sailors drove LCMs to Malta) stayed in Sicily. We took a Landing Ship Tank (LST) back to Mili Marina, Sicily, and if memory serves me correctly, attacked Italy at Reggio di Calabria across Messina Straits on my birthday, September 6*, 1943. 

*September 6. That is my father's birthdate but the invasion of Italy began 3 days earlier.

Original caption: "convoy, Sicily to Malta, J Spencer in boat 2nd in

foreground" Photo Credit - Joe Spencer (RCNVR/Combined Ops)

Used with permission. GH

Questions or comments about Combined Operations in the Mediterranean can be addressed to me @ gordh7700@gmail.com

News clippings from The Gazette now follow:

"British Forces Reach Within Six Miles of Randazzo" on their race

to get to the city of Messina before US troops. One week to go!!

Lionel Shapiro, 'War Correspondent of The Gazette' provides our first report of Allied progress for the day:

Will the Germans achieve their goal? Will the "sacrifice companies and road demolitions" allow Hitler's troops - "aided... by the mountainous country and scarcity of roads" - to escape the island in force and then drag out the Allied advance through Italy for another year or more? Read Lionel Shapiro's book ("They Left the Back Door Open") about what subsequently happened in Sicily. Oh! Did I give away the plot line? Drat!

Map of Sicily, 1943 as found at Wikipedia with added 'blue oval'

While some of the Canadian landing crafts are being repaired in the Grand Harbour, Malta, with members of the 80th Flotilla of LCMs  - including my father - preparing (unknowingly!) for the invasion of Italy in early September, some of the German landing craft in Messina are taking a beating from the RCAF and RAF. See below:

Click here for more 'About the Citadel, Quebec' Source

The hugely versatile and high-performance DH98 Mosquito was unquestion-

ably de Havilland’s greatest contribution to the success of the RAF in

the Second World War. Photo Credit and more details here.

More details from the Quebec capital:

Lionel Shapiro has his own byline! Excellent!

Lionel B. Shapiro, war correspondent, off the coast of Sicily

Photo Credit - CAFU, Canadian Army Film Unit, Album 61

Here's how to make YOUR meat ration last even longer!

Another of Canada's prolific war correspondents shares the following:

Canadian artillery is definitely leaving its mark in Sicily against German troops:

And what are you having for supper tonight? (I've got my menu planned!)

"Only thing we want is a spaghetti dinner and a bottle of beer." 

"A can will do." Photo - CAFU (Canadian Army Food Unit) GH

The only reason I added this clip is because my father worked at the Cotton company while training for the Navy at Hamilton Division 1, now known as HMCS Star. He writes in memoirs:

June 21, 1941, I went on probationary strength of HMCS Star in Hamilton, corner of McNab and McNutt streets, a building which was at one time a cider mill. By probationary I mean I went nights from 7 to 10 p.m. and took instructions on semaphore, rifle drill, marching, compass work, bends and hitches, knots and splices etc.

I lived with my late sister Gertrude Stopps on Bay St., Hamilton. During the day I was employed at James St. North Hamilton Cotton Mills where I progressed from one job to another very rapidly. ("Dad, Well Done" page 3)

When some of the Canadians in RCNVR and Combined Operations returned to Canada in December, 1943, they were assigned to Canada's Combined Operations training school at HMCS Givenchy III on Vancouver Island. William H. Pugsley (ex-RCNVR), author of Sailor Remember, includes several photos from that time, e.g., one of a sailor 'swinging the lead':

Sure looks like my father "heaving the lead"!! 

Sailor Remember page 95

Please click here to view more 'Arts of War' including hand drawn illustrations of landing crafts.

"Almost like a holiday... at times?" Raw recruits at a training camp on

Vancouver Is., B.C., Canada.  Diving tower in background. Photo

Credit - Roy Burt, RCNVR, Combined Ops (back, center)

More news clippings from the Montreal Gazette to follow related to providing some context re Canadians in Combined Operations in Malta - after approx. 30 days service in Sicily.

Upcoming: More stories and photographs from Sicily (above) and

Malta and Italy (Operation Baytown, beginning Sept. 3, 1943

Please click here to view Editor's Research: Three Months in the Mediterranean, 1943 (31)

Unattributed Photos GH