Photographs: The Invasion of Sicily, July 1943 (1)

 Operation Husky, From the Imperial War Museum Vault

News Articles are Plentiful, Photographs Even More So

Allied troops land in several areas in south eastern Sicily.

Map found in Combined Operations by C. Marks

Some troops and Navy members were in pretty hot action

According to Ross Munro, some had an easy landing!

Full article - The Montreal Gazette, 2nd from bottom

Introduction:

Not only will readers find more entries re news clippings from The Montreal Gazette on this site (please check recent months in the Blog Archive in right hand margin; entries are entitled Research: Three Months in the Mediterranean, 1943)  but many excellent photographs will be shared as well. A link to the last set of photographs re the armada of ships involved in the invasion of Sicily is provided at the bottom of this entry.

With each photo shared below, including one video, a link will be provided to the Imperial War Museum (IWM) for more information, e.g., re the photographer's other photos during the war.

Any questions or comments re the photographs can be addressed to gordh7700@gmail.com

Photos re Sicily Invasion

1. Heading - SICILY: ALLIED TROOPSHIPS ANCHOR CLOSE INSHORE. 10 AND 12 JULY 1943, OFF SICILY, ON BOARD HMS NUBIAN.

[For more information re e.g., 'SICILY: ALLIED TROOPSHIPS ANCHOR CLOSE INSHORE', visit the Imperial War Museum Collections and enter part or all of the heading that comes with each photo.]

Liners right inshore, 4 miles south of Syracuse unloading troops and 

landing craft. Photo - Roper, F G (Lt)  © IWM A 18090 

2. Heading - GOC 50TH DIVISION ADDRESSING TROOPS; CONVOY APPROACHES SICILY; LANDING OF THE INVASION FORCE IN SICILY

Full video re invasion of Sicily is 2min:47sec. in length and can be

found at The 50th Division landing in Sicily. © IWM AYY 502/7/1 

By Baker, Robert Sidney at War Office Film Unit (Production co.)

3. Heading - GREAT ALLIED INVASION FORCE NEARS SICILY. JULY 1943, ON BOARD THE TROOPSHIP WINCHESTER CASTLE, EN ROUTE TO SICILY.

Part of the huge invasion fleet on the way to Sicily. © IWM A 17976 

Photo - Royal Navy official photographer, Priest, L C (Lt)

4. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

The Drive for Messina. American troops pass a wrecked Italian tank at their

first objective, the coastal town of Gela. In the foreground are the residents

of the town, July 1943. Photo by US official photographer © IWM NY 3094

5. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

The Drive for Messina. Italian gunboat GENIERE lies on its side in Palermo Harbor

after being hit by a bomb, 23-26 July '43. The Americans entered Palermo on 22

July, cutting off 50,000 Italian troops in the west of the island. But the mobile Axis

forces, including most of the Germans, escaped to the NE corner of the island

Photo by Whicker (Lt) (Photographer) No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section,

Army Film and Photographic Unit © IWM NA 5132 

6. Heading - THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR: OPERATION HUSKY, SICILY, JULY 1943

Glimpse of the invasion coast as an armoured vehicle was being towed ashore

from landing craft during the landings in Sicily at dawn of the opening day of

the invasion. Photo by Parnall, C H (Lt) Royal Navy official photographer

© IWM A 17918 

7. Heading - THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR: OPERATION HUSKY, SICILY, JULY 1943

Prisoners of war marching along the beach to awaiting ships, watched by Naval

Commandos, one of whom is armed with a Tommy gun at dawn of the opening

day of the invasion of Sicily. A landing craft infantry (large) (LCI (L) 124) and

two landing craft tanks LCT 382. Photo by Parnall, C H (Lt) Royal Navy

official photographer © IWM A 17913 

8. Heading - THE CAMPAIGN IN SICILY 1943: OPERATION HUSKY

Operation Husky: The Sicily Landings 9 - 10 July 1943: Italian prisoners, captured

while manning coastal machine gun posts, board a Royal Navy landing craft before

being transported to North Africa. Photo by Wackett, Frederick (Sergeant) No. 2

Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit 

© IWM NA 4196 

9. Heading - THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR: OPERATION HUSKY, SICILY, JULY 1943

Just after dawn men of the Highland Division are up to their waists in water

unloading stores from landing craft tanks*. Meanwhile beach roads are being

prepared for heavy and light traffic during dawn of the opening day of the

invasion of Sicily. Parnall, C H (Lt) Royal Navy official photographer

© IWM A 17917 *landing craft tanks, aka LCTs

10. Heading - THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR: OPERATION HUSKY, SICILY, JULY 1943

A loaded landing craft tank (LCT 412) taking Royal Air Force personnel

to the Sicilian shores near Pachino during the invasion of the island.

Allen, E E (Lt) Royal Navy official photographer © IWM A 17907

11. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

The Operation Husky, 9 July–17 August 1943. Troops of the 44th Royal Tank

Regiment having a laugh at a duck, possibly their regimental mascot, which

perched on one of their trucks passing through Acireale, 10 August 1943.

Photo by Mott (Sgt) (Photographer) No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section,

Army Film and Photographic Unit © IWM NA 5826 

12. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

A German Panzer III Ausf M (turret number 533) moves along a dusty road

in Sicily, August 1943. German official photographer © IWM MH 6341 

13. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

A Martin Baltimore of the Tactical Bomber Force of the North West African

Air Forces, flying over its target by a road in Sicily, while bombing retreating

German forces heading for Messina, August 1943. Royal Air Force official

photographer © IWM C 3772 

14. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

The Operation Husky, 9 July–17 August 1943. A group of Italian POWs and their

regimental mascot dog awaiting on the beach for evacuation from the island by a

landing craft, 21 July 1943. Note British troops and their Universal Carrier in the

background. Photo by Dawson (Sergeant) (Photographer) No. 2 Army Film and

Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit © IWM NA 4213 

15. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

A British soldier reads up on Sicily, the target for the next Allied invasion,

July 1943. Photo by Keating, Geoffrey John No. 2 Army Film and Photo

Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit © IWM NA 4105 

16. Heading - ALLIED TRANSPORT PASSING NORTH THROUGH SICILY

Transport travelling through Linguaglossa, Sicily, on its way Northward. 

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

© IWM NA 5970 

More photographs related to the invasion of Sicily to follow.

Please visit the following entry related to the world's largest armada in military history as it approaches Sicily - Photographs: Armada to Sicily, July 1943 (3)

Unattributed Photos GH