Canadians in RCNVR and Combined Operations in Sicily, 1943
British Pathé and Associated Press (AP) Archives are Excellent
NA4186. Operation Husky: The Sicily Landings 9 - 10 July 1943: British
troops manhandle vehicles and equipment on the beaches as they are unloaded
from landing craft. Photo - Sergeant Frederick Wackett and IWM
[Click here to view a collection of still photos re Sicily Landings]
The links to healthy archives of two film services - British Pathé and Associated Press (AP) - are alive and well at this time. I encourage readers to ply the search engines with different key words to get an idea of how extensive their libraries are, re WWII and more. Some titles appear without audio but are accompanied by slightly different videos with audio. Suggestion: Watch the title with audio first to get acquainted with the setting and significant events.
Below I will share a number of links to videos related to the invasion of Sicily (Operation HUSKY) that began on July 10, 1943. If readers come across other excellent examples, please feel free to contact me with titles or links so that I may include them here or in a future post. Email me at gordh7700@gmail.com
1. Title - Building Up The Attack On Sicily by British Pathé
Time - 01min:38sec
Story Line - Final preparations in Africa before the attack in Italy
Shot List - Preparations for invasion of Sicily in N. Africa... Paratroops inspected by General Montgomery...Silhouettes of same... Paratroops rehearsal - get into planes and take off. Canadians in Combined Operations may be turning the winches to raise the ramp of an LCM or LCT, says GH : )
2. Title - To the Shores of Sicily (with Audio, by Associated Press)
Time - 08min:30sec.
Story Line - The invasion of Sicily has begun - anxiously we heard the news that day; then with proud relief we learned of the operation's success. ® ® First pictures of the great Allied achievement.
Shot List - KS shot of sea and part of convoy. GS convoy & large transport, in line ahead. Various convoy shots, includes battleship of Rodney class & cruisers, destroyers etc aircraft carriers. Hoisting signal flags. GS island of Sambra, destroyer passing. Shot of Cape Bon. Cruiser & destroyer transfer military expert in bosun's chair. Elevated shot of him pulled over side of ship, sailor throws rope from ship to ship VG. Elevated shot, troops sunbathing, swimming, mending boots, washing clothes & reading about Sicily on decks of ships. Barrage balloon out of control, various shots. GS sailor signalling with lamp, also at 'the ready' by the pom-poms. Pom-poms pivoting. Sea gets rough and wind to gale force. Landing craft, small craft & large transport plough their way through. Swell abates & calm sea with convoy on its way. LS coast of Sicily. Night bombardments, various shots, silhouettes of ships can be seen during firing. Dawn shot of coast, Canadians landing (silhouettes) on beaches, various troops wading ashore. Sun rising at sea. Pan of convoy & shore batteries fire (unseen), hits fall in water, supply-ship hit, GS of same. Also three oil fires burn on water. Elevated shots troops landing, all angles. Troops leave side of ship (elevated) LCI leaves side of ship. GS of LCI & LCTs. CU Bows of transport. GS of beach, troops march into camera along same. Lorries & Sherman tanks coming ashore (Sherman's have twin exhausts). Moving over cobbles. 'Duck' [sic] comes ashore, also another with camera aboard shooting, the result is everything topsy-turvy. CU types of POW. Give 'V' sign. CU types of our troops.
3. Title - Allied Troops In Sicily Capture Towns by British Pathé
Time - 08min:26sec.
Story Line - Troops capture prisoners and invade several towns in Sicily
Shot List - U.S.troops in donkey-cart... at AVOLA, Sicily. Amphibian lorry lands in Sicily. ASSAULT LANDING CRAFT land troops & being bombed off SICILY... smoke from one. BREN-CARRIERS - Brens land in Sicily... enter Avola. ITALY MILITARY prisoners in Sicily embarking for Africa... & on roads, marching. MAP. Relief map Sicily. MILITARY BRITISH. ASHORE IN SICILY... troops wade ashore... brens & lorried infantry... enter AVOLA, ROSOLINI, SYRACUSE. MONTGOMERY LT. GENERAL - Looks during SICILY campaign. Close Up - rather dark. NAVAL BRITISH. A.L.Cs - 1 and troops in Sicily... bombs explode near craft. PRISONERS OF WAR - Italian prisoners on roads & embarking from Sicily P.O.W. Cage sign. SHIPPING. British A.L.C.s land troops & bomb bursts nearby, off Sicily. ASHORE IN SICILY.. troops wade ashore.. enemy bombs A.L.C.s... one ship ablaze... brens & lorried infantry enter AVOLA.. ROSOLINI..SYRACUSE... Italian refugees & prisoners on road... prisoners embark for Africa... Montgomery looks on. TANKS. Tanks land on Sicily shore... wrecked Renault tanks. TRACTORS Bulldozer lands in Sicily... through water.
4. Title - Zero Hour (Sicily) by AP, Associated Press
Time - 07min:09sec.
Story Line - The invasion of Sicily by Allied Forces under the supreme command of General Eisenhower has begun. Fighters and bombers launched the attack, followed by the invasion itself led by Airborne troops. The seaborne landings came next along a wide stretch of coastline. The task of the troops was to secure a bridgehead and then advance in land.
Shot List - GS of landing craft at sea. Map of Sicily. Eisenhower speaking at Washington Club, Winant behind him. Bostons in formations, bombs falling. MALTA - Spitfires take off. SV & into camera VG. Line of Spitfires (11) in straight line in the air. In the field airborne troops fix parachutes to equipment containers, various shots. GS of aerodrome shows Douglas plane starting up engines, causes clouds of dust. GS of Hotspur gliders in air being towed, & CU back view of pilot inside glider. Aerial shots of Bruneval. Interior shot shows parachutists jumping through hole of the plane & various shots of masses of parachutists descending. On ground various shots of troops attacking, over rough & hilly country, through smoke screen. Several shots of Royal Navy including GS of "King George V" shots of convoy. AFU - Few angle shots of landing craft leaving dock (ocean going ALC). Troops can be seen on board. Various shots of landing craft at sea. Map of Sicily with arrow indicators. Dusk shot of OG. ALC. Troops disembarking from ALC. Various naval shots. GS of "Nelson" & "Rodney" Naval Officer (CU) looks through glasses. Jeep coming ashore, barrels of water. CU of Alexander & Monty together. Various shots of Monty in London, seen in Whitehall, & at Wellington Barracks, walking into camera.
Editor: As the following photograph and story reveal, the glider operation created many casualties:
Photograph and story by D.J.L. (David J. Lewis, Officer, R.C.N.V.R./Combined Operations) as found on pages 180 - 182, St. Nazaire to Singapore: The Canadian Amphibious War
And back to the videos:
5. Title - Sicily is Attacked by Allied Troops by British Pathé
Time - 09min:30sec.
Story Line - Navy, Army, and Air join together to attack forces of Europe in Sicily
Shot List - (Alphabetical order for some reason) AEROPLANES R.A.F. Spitfire brought down (in distance)... crashes in sea off SICILY. ANTI-AIRCRAFT. On board ship in SICILY convoy... men at posts. BOMBS Falling near ships off SICILY... (at invasion of). BROADHURST A/V/M (MALTA) W. Montgomery at Malta conference before invasion of Sicily. CANADA. Canadians w. British troops in convoy (INVASION OF SICILY).. go ashore in A.L.C's. etc. CARS. Jeep drives ashore (invasion of SICILY) through 4ft. of water. CHURCHES Service on board troopship en route to SICILY. CONVOYS. Huge convoy inc, A.LCs, in INVASION OF SICILY. DUCKS (U.S. Amphibious 3 ton lorries) Used in invasion of SICILY... shot taken from one as same goes ashore - Camera jerked all over the place. GUNS A.A. gun on board ship in SICILY invasion convoy... guns firing at night & shelling coast daytime tracers from shore at night. HOSPITAL SHIP. Survivors from hit hospital ship in SICILY invasion convoy transferred to other ship in daylight. ITALY MILITARY Italian. P.O.Ws. help to unload supplies for invasion of SICILY.
Photo - page 185 of St. Nazaire to Singapore: The Canadian Amphibious War
Shot List continues: LORRIES. Lorries (incl. DUCKS) with bren carriers go ashore at SICILY. MALTA Montgomery with A.V. M. Broadhurst & Ad. Ramsey at conference before invasion of Sicily. MAP. Plaster relief map of SICILY. MILITARY BRITISH. British and Canadian troops in INVASION OF SICILY... church service on board troopship... men & supplies land at dawn... wade thro' water along with Bren carriers, lorries etc... men checking equipment on board... Italian P.O.W. one searched & helping to unload supplies. NAVAL BRITISH. Shots of mixed convoy, battleships, destroyers, M.Ls, & merchant ships, invasion barges... night firing from battleships... troops disembark at dawn... daylight scenes of ships off shore... A.L.C's bring supplies & men ashore... aerial shot of men in A.L.C.s... bombs dropping close to ships... more details on video's page.
6. Title - Sicily, the Second Step by Associated Press
Time - 06min:00sec.
Story Line - The second report on the invasion of Sicily starts on the beaches with troops and war materials coming ashore in increasing numbers. The first phase of the operation took the Eighth Army up to Avola, Rosolini and Syracuse.
Shot List - MS ( many shots) of soldiers feet as they came ashore. GS of coast looking out to sea, shows ships off coast, & activities on beach. Various shots of troops disembarking from LCI. Shots of bulldozer coming ashore, also Bren Carriers. Various shots of soldiers wading ashore from LCI. Bren Carrier into camera, SV of "Priest" Gun coming ashore. Various types transport move on beaches. Troops on march across fields & along roads. Soldiers digging in. Bren Gunner covers soldiers working in field. Various shots of troops & transport on road. Signpost "Avola" & troops marching. Union Jack hoisted on top of building in Avola. Bren Carrier through streets of Avola & out of camera. US Troops on carts riding donkeys, various shots. CU (close up) of types of US soldiers. Pan down of 1915-1918 War memorial. White sheets flying from balcony on building. GV of wrecked Italian tanks under trees. CU "Renault" plate on tank. Various shots of POW's being escorted by troops, one of our soldiers is riding a donkey smoking his pipe. Line of POW's along road, also Monty in car looks at same, CU Monty (VG). Italian POW's wade out to LCT & board same for Tunisia. Shots of Tommies past camera along road, Sherman tanks moving quickly along road, also Bren Carriers & "Ducks" passing under trees.
7. Title - Sicily - Nearing the End by British Pathé
Time - 07min:08sec.
Story Line - Allied troops advancing across the island of Sicily
Shot List - Various shots of Spitfires taking off from Malta. Air to air shots of formation of Spitfires patrolling the skies over invasion fleet. Various shots of RAF (Royal Air Force) Squadron coming ashore in Sicily. RAF trucks and equipment arriving ashore by sea - they release a barrage balloon for protection.A good shot at Comiso airfield of a RAF Spitfire taxiing past German Stukas. Various shots of the wrecked hangars and planes at the airport.
Close up shot of map of Sicily. Allied convoy anchored off Syracuse. Close up shot of a sign 'Siracusa'. General Bernard Montgomery driving through Syracuse. Several shots of Monty standing in his car to observe the distant bombing taking place at Augusta across the large bay.
Various shots of the British troops on trucks and tanks moving through Francofonte, the towns people give them oranges and other gifts. On the road out of Francofonte the British troops run into some sniper fire and have to take cover and return the fire. Italians surrender waving white flag.
A Scottish piper leading a line of British troops along the dry dusty road. Several shots of the large canvas water storage tanks being filled with water near the beach.
Various shots of food being handed out to civilians by the allied troops. Several shots of endless line of Italian prisoners.
Sequence showing German and Italian prisoners boarding a ship for England and arriving at British ports and stations. At one station they are given a bun and a sandwich.
Flashback to Benito Mussolini walking past some of his troops. Flashback to Italian King Victor Emmanuel taking salute. Library sequence showing Mussolini in various uniforms and on various occasions. One shot of him with Adolf Hitler standing in open car.
Close up shot of map of Sicily. Allied convoy anchored off Syracuse. Close up shot of a sign 'Siracusa'. General Bernard Montgomery driving through Syracuse. Several shots of Monty standing in his car to observe the distant bombing taking place at Augusta across the large bay.
Various shots of the British troops on trucks and tanks moving through Francofonte, the towns people give them oranges and other gifts. On the road out of Francofonte the British troops run into some sniper fire and have to take cover and return the fire. Italians surrender waving white flag.
A Scottish piper leading a line of British troops along the dry dusty road. Several shots of the large canvas water storage tanks being filled with water near the beach.
Various shots of food being handed out to civilians by the allied troops. Several shots of endless line of Italian prisoners.
Sequence showing German and Italian prisoners boarding a ship for England and arriving at British ports and stations. At one station they are given a bun and a sandwich.
Flashback to Benito Mussolini walking past some of his troops. Flashback to Italian King Victor Emmanuel taking salute. Library sequence showing Mussolini in various uniforms and on various occasions. One shot of him with Adolf Hitler standing in open car.
8. Title - To the Shores of Sicily by AP (No Audio, but lengthier than first showing, no. 2 above)
Time - 19min:50sec.
Story Line - The invasion of Sicily has begun - anxiously we heard the news that day; then with proud relief we learned of the operation's success. ® ® First pictures of the great Allied achievement.
Shot List - Various shots of troops on board ship preparing munitions also repairing ship, preparing equipment. Pan of troops smiling at camera. Shots at sea - various views of convoy, cruisers, destroyers. Officers and men look at plans of landings. Landings. Men exercising on board ship, cleaning their weapons, reading, reading "Soldier's Guide to Sicily", playing cards, sewing, writing letters. Ships at sea - convoy. More shots of men cleaning equipment. Ships at sea, barrage balloon, troop carriers, DUCW landing, men walking through sea to shore, truck being pushed onto shore, man speaks through loud hailer, Italian POWs pass camera - some smile. Flying Fortresses take off. Troops using field telephones and wireless - planning course of action. Troops board ship. Shots of the convoy. Street scenes in Sicily - bombed buildings, troops, military presence, prisoners of war, officer addressing troops (this section is blurred - could be Monty). More shots of convoy.
If you noticed sailors painting their crafts in the video above, you may have watched the same scene my father did when he was aboard the Silver Walnut on his way around Africa on his way to Sicily - and Operation HUSKY - in the summer of 1943:
"Paint Plus Varnish, Eh?"
One hot, blistering day I watched as four of my buddies wrestled a high demi-john in a wicker holder up a gangplank. Somehow, I thought Chief Petty Officer CPO had procured enough money to purchase this container, filled with 25 gallons of varnish. This CPO, with his naval ingenuity, was capable of almost anything. To this day I believe that no money was involved; it was buy now, pay later. I asked the Chief what we were going to do with 25 gallons of varnish and he said it was going to be mixed with the grey paint for our landing craft.
I replied, "Golly, Chief, it will make the paint too thick."
I replied, "Golly, Chief, it will make the paint too thick."
"Yeah, I know Harrison," he replied, "But they sure will shine."
We really had fun with the paint and varnish. Anthony Bouchard from Cornwall said the paint was thick and we suggested he add more varnish. He said that only seemed to make it worse and we said, "Add some more, then."
Finally the painting halted. I don't know where the demi-john went, but knowing a bit about Navy ways I've got a fair idea, but the Chief was none the wiser.
The Silver Walnut remained in Cape Town for two weeks. We all enjoyed ourselves and I purchased a guitar and brushed up on some chords that I knew so my friends could share time singing navy ditties and other songs.
The ship left Cape Town on her own and we continued around the Cape of Good Hope. I supposed that I was in the same waters that my dad had sailed when he served aboard a Royal Navy ship as a boy during the Boer War.
The Silver Walnut remained in Cape Town for two weeks. We all enjoyed ourselves and I purchased a guitar and brushed up on some chords that I knew so my friends could share time singing navy ditties and other songs.
The ship left Cape Town on her own and we continued around the Cape of Good Hope. I supposed that I was in the same waters that my dad had sailed when he served aboard a Royal Navy ship as a boy during the Boer War.
More information about the St. Nazaire to Singapore can be found in the 'books about Combined Operations' section in 'click on Headins', right hand margin of this blog/website/archive. GH
And back to the videos:
Please click here to view videos about Operations Baytown and Avalanche (Italy), 1943 (Part 2)
Unattributed Photos GH
9. Allied Troops Move Into Sicily by British Pathé
Time - 01min:18sec.
Story Line - Soldiers of the Allied forces move into Randazzo, Sicily in 1943
Shot List - 8th Army meet U.S. 7th en route to RANDAZZO... shots of town... railway lines wrecked by Huns at ACRIEALE... retreating enemies demolish houses... residents give drinks to tommies... bird on a table drinks beer too!
10. Title - Zero Hour - Sicily (Part Sound) by Associated Press
Time - 22min:36sec.
Story Line - The invasion of Sicily by Allied Forces under the supreme command of General Eisenhower has begun. Fighters and bombers launched the attack, followed by the invasion itself led by Airborne troops. ® ® The seaborne landings came next along a wide stretch of coastline. The task of the troops was to secure a bridgehead and then advance in land.
Shot List - CU (close up) of Alexander & Monty together. Various shots (VS) of troops running onto beach from landing craft. Landing craft returning. Ship with guns firing. Smoke on horizon. VS of ship's guns being fired - seen from on board ship. Posed shots of troops against sky. VS air to air of aircraft and from ground. VS beach showing devastation - Pantelleria. Troop and vehicle movement. At sea - VS convoy. Vehicles driven off landing craft, supplies unloaded. Paratroops boarding planes. VS ships and planes in action. Man climbs up rope. CU paintings on side of ship - glass of beer with words: "Thirstus Magnificus" and another a picture of men playing cards entitled "Army Messdeck". VS ships bringing toops. VS harbour, army vehicles, cargo being unloaded, army vehicles coming ashore from landing craft. Church service being given in the field. Troops on the march. Parachute drop. VS paratroops and supplies landing. LS of religious service. Troops then march from field along a road. Supplies being unloaded from truck. Paratroopers preparing for their mission. Climbing into aircraft. Aircraft starting up. VS of activity on airfield. Bombs and equipment being prepared. Gliders on airfield. Men climbing aboard. Gliders being towed. VS activity on airfield and of aircraft overhead. VS troops on the march. Boarding troopships. Shots of them on board. Includes CUs of lots of men with a puppy. CU of Colonel Walford ? & pan to Sub. Lt Campbell-Ross. Officers discuss plans. VS RAF aircraft preparing for takeoff. Air to air shots of planes in flight. Night shots of planes in flight. CU of a domestic clock - time reads 10.05. CU of little girl asleep in bed beside oil lamp. Air to air shot of aircraft. Pilots seen in half light. VS crew of aircraft. CU of pendulum of clock swinging. CU of little girl asleep in bed. CU of elderly lady asleep in bed. CUs of pilot - CU of hand pushing trigger and bombs being dropped. Air to air day shots of aircraft flying over Sicily.
Help Wanted. If readers find other videos related to the invasion of Sicily please connect with me at <gordh7700@gmail.com>
As well, readers may find some of the same or somewhat similar videos listed in the growing list of videos found under 'videos re combined operations' in the A - Z Directory, 'click on Headings' section in right hand margin.
And finally, more to follow shortly!
Unattributed Photos GH
No comments:
Post a Comment