Salerno - Operation Avalanche 9th September 1943 onwards

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 10/09/2015 16:13:30

In 3 days time it will be the 67th anniversary of the allied landings at Salerno. Amongst the British Forces were No.2 Commando and 41 RM Commando. The role of No.2 Commando was to capture the coast defence battery at Vietri, and then to threaten the western end of Salerno. 41RM Commando was to land after No.2 Commando and hold the Molina defile. The Commanding officer of No.2 Commando at the time of Salerno was Lt. Col. Jack Churchill, his second in command being Major Lawrie. Major Thomas Lawrie was killed in action during the operation on the 13th September 1943.
In the next day or so I will be posting pages from an account written by Captain H.H. Blissett of No.2 Commando. This was kindly sent to me by his son Michael some while ago. If anybody has any information, accounts, or photos relating to Salerno I would like to see them posted here. There were many Commando casualties there and whilst we have photos of some of the individuals in the No.2 Commando In Remembrance album :

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/

I would obviously like more. Also if anyone reading this intends visiting the area I would ask that they consider visiting the Salerno War Cemetery and Memorial where many of the fallen are buried or remembered. Although we have pictures of the cemetery, we have only one picture of a grave. So if you are there please take some and send them to me. updated - photos of graves now added . Directions to the cemetery can be found in our War Graves album for Salerno on this link. Make sure your pictures clearly show the name and other details on the headstone:

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/Commando+War+Graves+Memorials+and+Plaques/graves/War+Graves+Italy/

We will remember them

This message was edited 22 times. Last update was at 10/09/2015 17:01:55

Details of the 62 Commandos, both Army and Royal Marines, who fell and are buried at Salerno War Cemetery, can now be found by clicking on this link to the
Salerno War Graves album

The following Commandos also fell at Salerno during Operation Avalanche and have no known grave.

No.2 Commando

Remembered on the Brookwood Memorial

Gunner Charles Burns, age 23, who died on 13th September 1943

No.41 RM Commando

Remembered on the Portsmouth Memorial

Marine Harry Brotton, age 22, was died on the 9 September 1943
Marine Alexander Kennedy, age 21, who died on the 10 September 1943
Marine Robert Felstead, age 22, who died on the 10 September 1943
Lance Corporal Henry Smith, age 22, who died on the 11 September 1943.
Lance Corporal Ernest Finch, age 21, who died on the 12 September 1943
Sergeant Major Norman Tierney, Mentioned in Despatches, age 35, who died on the 13 September 1943.
Marine Andrew Harris, age 41, who died on the 17 September 1943 - 18 September 1943.
Marine Peter Toner who died between 17 and 18 September 1943.

Remembered on the Plymouth Memorial

Lance Corporal George Bowering, age 24, who died on the 10 September 1943
Captain, Ronald Stott, age 22, who died on the 10 September 1943
Colour Serjeant, James Twigger, Mentioned in Despatches, age 30, who died on the 10 September 1943
Marine George Wassall who died on the 17 September 1943

Remembered on the Chatham Memorial

Marine Robert Ball, aged 19, who died on the 10th September 1943
Marine Joseph Betts who died on the 13th September 1943
Sergeant Donald Charles Bullock DCM MM, who died on the 13th September 1943
Marine Patrick Joseph Cuff, who died on the 10th September 1943
Marine Arthur Stiles, who died on the 18th September 1943.

We will remember them

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 11/09/2010 15:04:11

I have now posted the Salerno Diary written by Captain H.H. Blissett of No.2 Commando. It was written for a WW2 booklet called War, is issue No. 65 dated March 4th 1944, and published by the Army Bureau of Current Affairs. It should be noted that this is an historical record of events rather than a personal diary as such. It can be found in our Letters, Documents, Reports...album second row down on this link:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/documents/

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 10/09/2015 17:06:44

I have just posted documents provided by Mrs Desiree Roderick MBE that list the No.2 Commando casualties and some of the missing during the action. These were obviously made very soon after the action. They list original burial places and markers. Desiree at the time was married to Captain Richard Broome of 5 troop No.2 Commando who was one of the Casualties and whose name is on the list. My thanks to Desiree for her continuing help in providing information, documents, and pictures.

No 2 Commando casualties at Salerno

There are photos of several of the fallen, including Captain Broome, in the No.2 Commando "In Remembrance" album

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/2/In+Remembrance/

Thank you, Pete and Mrs. Roderick.

Janet

Likewise Thank you Mrs. Roderick, Pete

I read the Salerno Diary of Captain Blissett with great interest . The maps in particular were quite helpful in coming to an understnding of names and places I had heard about over the years...ie: the pimple,
Dragone, Vietre, Pigoletti

In researching another matter for Pete I came across my Dad's diary for 1943 and have copied the pages regarding Salerno

I will post some other pages in a different thread at a later date.

Hi Lindsay - I remember you showing your Dad's diary to Bob on your first visit.

Janet

This message was edited 8 times. Last update was at 09/09/2011 13:20:13

Hi Lindsay

My thanks to 'Dusty' and yourself for sending in the pages from his diary which are now in the 'Letters, Documents, Reports' Gallery. The entry titled RIP dated the 13th September, exactly 67 years ago, is a poignant one. The words he uses at the end of one of the other pages sums up the action he and the others were involved in

" Hell on Earth"

and need no further comment from me other than to say "We will remember them"

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/documents/Letters/

This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 10/09/2015 17:07:29

Just a reminder that today is the 68th anniversary of the Allied landings at Salerno. The above posts from last year give details of Commando casualties. This copy, also mentioned above, of an original report, documents No.2 Commando casualties after Operation Avalanche

No 2 Commando casualties at Salerno

We will remember them

Just a reminder that it was 72 years ago this week that Operation Avalanche took place at Salerno. In memory of all who lost their lives or suffered life changing injuries.

http://www.commandoveterans.org/Salerno

Thanks again, Pete.

Janet