It Strikes Me Funny by G. Harrison: 2024

The Allied Invasion of Sicily is Very Well Documented by

Leonard Chetwyn: First Photos From GEORGE Beach??

The actual landing beach (GEORGE BEACH) may be in the sun-drenched

background. Credit - Leonard Chetwyn, 2nd Army Film Unit, IWM

Introduction:

I'll never get to the bottom of the photo files housed within the Imperial War Museum (IWM) in Great Britain. But surely, neither will anyone else. That being said, I do like exploring relevant photographs (e.g., from Sicily), especially while I'm sharing information re Operation HUSKY found, for example, on microfilm from the University of Western Ontario (UWO, London Ontario, home of the Mustangs!).

Hundreds of members of the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR), who were also volunteer members of Combined Operations, participated in Operation HUSKY (manning landing crafts in service to Monty's Eighth Army) beginning July 10, 1943. And one particular Canadian Flotilla of Landing Crafts - the 80th, including my father Doug Harrison - spent three months in the Mediterranean, participating in Operation BAYTOWN, the invasion of Italy at the toe of the boot beginning September 3, 1943.

So I was pretty happy to find a few photos taken by Leonard Chetwyn (a first sighting for me re WWII shots) near the actual beach where the 80th Flotilla delivered all materials of war for Monty's Eighth (i.e., GEORGE Beach).

GEORGE Beach is found between Avola and Syracuse on Sicily's east coast

GEORGE Sector/Beach is found at Fontane Bianche. Canadian sailors

lived in cattle caves at south end of their beach for about 3 weeks.

Modern day GEORGE Beach at Fontane Bianche. Photo by GH

Interested readers can click here to view the most recent news clippings from The (Montreal) Gazette, part of a lengthy series entitled "Three Months in the Mediterranean" (currently running into August, 1943).

Please find below a newspaper clipping shared earlier from The Gazette, for context, by Canadian war correspondent Ross Munro:

Shared below are 2 dozen photographs taken by Mr. L. Chetwyn, a member of No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit. Over 600 of his photos are available at the Imperial War Museum under a variety of headings, including a small handful from GEORGE Beach, taken in the very early days of Operation HUSKY:

Heading - THE INVASION OF SICILY JULY 1943

A Sherman tank comes ashore from a landing ship, 10 July 1943.

NA 4263, July 10, 1943. Credit - Imperial War Museum (IWM)

Heading - INVASION OF SICILY ON BOARD 367 L.C.T. A LANDING CRAFT

Major H.W. Matthews, O.C. Troops, reading General Montgomery's

inspiring message to the men. NA 4253, July 10, 1943. IWM

Heading - INVASION OF SICILY TROOPS AND ARMOUR MOVE INLAND FROM "GEORGE" BEACH

A motor cyclist driving inland from the beach. NA 4372,

July 11, 1943. IWM

Bren carrier leaving the beach. NA 4373, July 11, 1943. IWM

Heading - INVASION OF SICILY

General Sir Bernard Montgomery conferring with his Commanders

in a Sicilian orchard. NA 4415, July 13, 1943. IWM

At many points during the 8th Army's victorious advance street skirmishes were the order of the day. In the outlying districts of Enna, many pockets are being encountered, and these pictures show a wrecked building, used by Axis Forces as a strongpoint, being stormed by Allied forces... (see caption):

A brief return of fire resulted in the surrender of the building and the

occupants are seen walking out under the white flag.

NA 4732, July 19, 1943. IWM

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

A British soldier leaving farmhouse with small arms taken from the

men following behind. NA 4858, July 16, 1943. IWM

From the opening day of the Allied Invasion of Sicily, supplies and reinforcements have moved up steadily in the wake of the victorious vanguard... (see caption):

Here are seen heavy tanks (Shermans) rumbling through the quaint old

towns of Sicily and out on to the winding mountain road which leads to

the battlefront. NA 4726 July 19, 1943. IWM

Heading - FIGHTING MALARIA IN SICILY

The dust blowers at work. These blowers contain copper aceto-arsenite

mixed with common dust. The dust is highly poisonous, and personnel

wear heavy gloves and goggles are used to protect the eyes.

NA 5103 July 22, 1943. IWM

Heading - INVASION OF SICILY DESERT ARMY FIGHT UNDER NEW CONDITIONS.

Fighting against a new background the victorious 8th Army rapidly accustomed itself to the complete change of battle tactics, necessitated by the change of country. Expert desert fighters, they have now proved themselves superior to the enemy in his own country. These pictures show the Desert Warriors storming and mopping up a Sicilian railway station, which had offered fierce resistance while being used as a strongpoint by the retreating Axis forces. The Allied soldiers are shown advancing from a disused rail cutting taking advantage of cover offered by a water tower and railway trucks... (see caption):

After prolonged resistance, Infantry fire silenced the enemy, and the

railway station was rushed and taken. NA 5109, July 25, 1943. IWM

Heading - FREE SPEECH ON ITALIAN SOIL AFTER 21 YEARS

As Allied forces advance through Sicily, prisoners of war readily fall into the 8th Army's 'bag', but are not all going as usual into the prisoner of war cage. All Sicilian soldiers are being released, after interrogation by F.S.S., and returned to their homes... (see caption):

These pictures show Sicilian soldiers being received by their wives and

children after being taken to the towns and villages where they belong.

For them the War is over. NA 5153, July 26, 1943. IWM

Portraits of Mussolini in all Sicilian towns and villages were subjected to

one of the war's most severe barrages today, when following the announce-

ment of the DUCE's downfall, eggs, rotten fruit and tomatoes, were rained

on his likeness ad-lib. NA 5157, July 26, 1943. IWM

In their drive North the 8th Army encountered and silenced many of Jerry's bogey guns, and now very familiar 88mm all-purpose enemy Artillery piece... (see caption):

In these pictures 8th Army men are seen over-running an enemy

88mm gun site previously strafed by RAF fighters.

NA 5170 July 26, 1943. IWM

8th Army men are seen over-running an enemy 88mm gun site previously

strafed by RAF fighters. NA 5171 July 26, 1943. IWM

Heading - THE BRITISH ARMY IN SICILY 1943

Three Italian babies wait to be examined by an RAMC medical

officer. NA 5562, August 4, 1943. IWM

An RAMC medical officer examines babies in a Sicilian town,

4 August 1943. NA 5564, IWM

Heading - THE ADVANCE ON CATANIA

NA 5532 August 5, 1943. IWM

NA 5538 August 5, 1943. IWM

Heading - CANADIAN MINERS ASSIST 8TH ARMY PUSH IN SICILY

Readers may be aware that information concerning small but significant roles for men and women during WWII can sometimes be difficult to track down (e.g., CWACs, RCNVR/Comb.Ops, Medical staff, etc.). And Canadian miners!?

In these shots the miners are seen preparing the drills and ramming home a charge into large formations. It is in these drills that diamonds estimated to cost 100,000 dollars are used.