Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 8, 1994, Winnipeg, Manitoba Inside Story 1994 Canadian troops unload Landing Craft during the Allied invasion of the first step in a bitter fight up the italian memories forged in War staff reporter on july members of the Winnipeg based Princess Patricia Canadian Light infantry landed on the Southeast Shore of Sicily in the first major offensive in Mainland Europe of the second world at least half that original unit came from with the rest from As far East As Thunder Bay and As far West As Picu members came to Pride themselves on their ability to take on some of the most difficult and dangerous assignments of the including key Battles in the Bloodbath at and it did not come without a heavy by the time the Pacli was pulled out of Italy in february along with the rest of the Canadian first members estimate 80 per cent of the original Landing unit had been killed or wounded in those who survived say their experiences in Italy changed their lives a q 9 Ive never Felt so alive 1 imagine its like those people who go skydiving or bungee we were at the height of our Mel 80 one of the original Patricia who landed in says he had been eager to get into combat after years of training in but when the Call came to go to Hidlebaugh the lure of combat quickly we were expecting everything to be thrown at we were told to Sicily got troops out of into major action the invasion of Sicily in july 1943 was the first major military action Canadian troops saw in the second world until with the exception of the disastrous Dieppe canadians had been relegated to a training role in which one critic said had made the canadians the first army in military history to have a wartime birth rate that was higher than its death All that changed on july when Canadian troops led in part by a Strong contingent of Manitoban from the Princess Patricia Canadian Light infantry stormed on to the Southern beaches of beginning the italian Campaign july troops land on the Southeast shores of Sicily and quickly move Inland As italian coastal defences surrender in sep tomter 1943 after conquering troops move eastward into main land Italy where they run into heavy opposition from German positions for the next eight May 1944 the Battle for Rome be gins and lasts Over a month until the City Falls to the allies in Early june 1944 Allied troops move slowly northward breaking through the germans vaunted gothic line by sep All Canadian troops Are pulled out of Italy in february 1945 and sent to Aid forces in Northern other Al lied troops remain to stage one final offensive in Northern Italy which ends abruptly at midday Canadian Catu Attis in Italy officers y led406 officers wounded servicemen servicemen wounded total number of canadians involved in italian More than 50 Canadian War veterans Are in Italy for the next two weeks to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the italian reporter Paul Wiecek is following them and retracing the Steps of his late who fought in Italy with the second polish this is the first in a series of Day dodgers no More a1 expect 40 per cent Hidlebaugh i was scared As Ive Ever been in my but instead of giving them the fight of their italian coastal defences that were supposed to protect the Southern sicilian beaches where the Patricia landed july either surrendered in Masse or simply deserted their it was to be a Short within two the Patricia were in Mainland Italy and the germans who held fortified positions there were not nearly As that when things started to get the thing that bothered me most was seeing All our dead just lying in the they were All dirty and their eyes were open and their boots were and i think its the boots that bothered me i Coul Dve shot every civilian i jaw because i knew it was one of them who had stolen q a a looking Back on i think what a stupid thing it was to Frederick 74 Snell was awarded the distinguished conduct medal for his bravery in taking out two German snipers in Snell said he was fighting with his company along the Hitler line when suddenly they were pinned Down by enemy trapped by a minefield on one Side and German fire on the Snell said they did the Best they could to and then a shot rang his officer had been killed by a and then another shot rang another Soldier had been i just did what i did without thinking about there was no time to i saw the sniper on the right and being the Damn fool i i just ran out and shot and then i swung to the and there was a sniper and i got him q q q the last time i saw him he still thought he was going to that always bothered it was Mccowans turn to get water for his platoon one Day during a break in the fighting in november it was a routine task grab a couple of walk a couple of Hundred metres to a water fill them up and bring them Mccowan also had a Chance to get a ride that Day Back to battalion Headquarters about 10 Kilometres from the but he had to leave from Sam Jerry Norm Mccowan and Sandy Scott in front of War memorial in so two of the men dont worry about they get the Mccowan gratefully accepted in a decision that Likely saved his a German mortar Shell landed near the water killing the water truck taking the foot of one of Mccowans volunteers and sending the other to Mccowan visited the injured Man that he was cheerful and he asked me to get a message to his family that hed been but there were complications that night and he died i sent the canadians receive heroes Welcome by Paul staff reporter p Sicily leaning on each other for two old War enemies scaled the stairs of a War Monument Here yesterday and buried a 51yearold Hatchet with a Norm a Winnipeg Veteran of the italian and Giuseppe an italian Veteran who gave up in the moments following the Canadian invasion Here on july exchanged warm smiles and a firm handshake in front of a memorial erected by the italian people to commemorate the Canadian Giani said through an interpreter that he had been waiting decades for the Opportunity to thank the canadians for invading Italy and ultimately bringing Down the fascist strongman Benito the encounter was a poignant Climax to an emotional ceremony organized at the Monument by Canadian and italian officials to commemorate the sicilian about 100 local most wearing their sunday Best showed up to Welcome about so Canadian veterans of the italian who Are in Italy on a two week tour to Mark the 50th anniversary of the the veterans were Given a heroes Welcome by residents of Pachin and neighbouring Spica who then stood in sombre silence As the veterans Laid eight wreaths at the foot of the honouring the first Canadian division that spearheaded the invasion of Italy and played a key role in its said he was in Pachino As part of the italian coastal defences when Canadian troops stormed ashore just before 3 july realizing he and his comrades were overwhelmed and not eager to fight for a cause he didst believe Giani said he stripped of f his italian uniform Only in his in a Garden until the Canadian troops moved family members then outfitted him with a set of civilian clothes and Giani said he contentedly spent the rest of the War As a noted that Many italian troops had been forced into service by Mussolini and were Only too Happy to pack it in once the allies big part of the reason most Canadian casualties in the War didst occur until the troops crossed Over into Mainland Italy and began taking on German ;