Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. The Poles had also closed on the Santerno by the night of April 11.[19]. October 1945: On board a mine-sweeper in Trieste Harbour From the Regimental Diary for 1 October 1945: 'Major JJ O'Brien left to go on a course in UK, also 14 days leave. One such possible event occurred because of my position as Tech Corporal in charge of Squadron Technical Stores. At times, when I found myself signing for half a dozen tanks at a time, I used to say to myself: 'Hold on therethat's 180,000 pounds worth of equipment you've just become responsible for!' The division fought at the Battle for Adrano between 29 July and 3 August 1943 and then crossing of the River Sangro. [17][18] The 8th Indian Infantry Division, 2nd New Zealand Division, and 3rd Carpathian Division (on the Polish Corps front at Route 9) attacked at dusk. On the left flank of V Corps, the New Zealand Division would advance to the left of the marshland on the west side of Argenta while the 8th Indian Infantry Division would pass in army reserve. at the American mess hall, needless to say. Do you know if the Annex was a separate area I decided that it would be wonderful if this material was accessible to the people or their families who were in the camps at the time - hence I have just put it all on a website. The division left for Egypt on 3 July 1944. If you are looking for war diaries or other records related to specific British Army regiments and other units these are often recorded in our catalogue using abbreviations so try a variety of terms when searching (for example, Regt as well as Regiment, Bn as well as Battalion, Bty as well as Battery), Anthony Farrar-Hockley, The British Part in the Korean War: Official History (HMSO, 1990-1995), Lawrence Freedman, The Official History of the Falklands Campaign (Routledge, 2005), Arthur S White, A Bibliography of Regimental Histories of the British Army (The Naval and Military Press, 1992). The record series listed do not necessarily contain material exclusively on these conflicts but they are amongst the most comprehensive sources. She also worked in Trieste - in San Sabba, Opincina and Gesuiti. A few days later I called to her home again to find out what had happened and was told that the police believed the dead man had committed suicide by jumping from the roof. On April 27, General Gnther Meinhold surrendered his 14,000 troops to the partisans in Genoa. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. At the same time, the British 56th (London) Infantry Division would launch the amphibious flank attack along Lake Comacchio. I remember the dances at the Four Aces and sometimes confined to barracks because of disturbstances in the town. Although they gained a foothold, they were still held up at positions on the Fossa Marina on the night of April 14. and the hundreds of refugees running for cover to shut themselves in tents, British Element Trieste Force (BETFOR) was the UK organization in the free territory. [13] Phase III involved the establishment of bridgeheads across the Po and exploitation north. +44 (0)20 7611 2222info@wellcomecollection.org, Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence, Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). Unfortunately my moved to another camp, some seven kilometers away called "Opicina," high up on a high overlooking Trieste. Italian and the local venetian By clicking on the series links (for example,WO 269) you will arrive on the respective series description pages from where you can search the series, using dates/years and keywords, such as: Series description pages also provide information on the arrangement of the records and sometimes some of the historical context in which they were created, as well as suggesting related series you could explore. Sabba Annex DP Camp, Trieste. eric721. After the war I wrote to him and his delightful reply is at the back of my album. In 1986 the Italian Army abolished the divisional level and the Trieste Troops Command, headed at the time by a division general, was disbanded on 1 October 1986. Michael's email to you said it all. Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trieste, Detail, View of a path through the park with a tablet made of stone from the Karst, The park was built in the. Regards and best wishes for the New Year, Michael Petrovich The most widely travelled formation of the British Army in the Second World War, the 5 Infantry Division had previously served in the United Kingdom, France and Belgium, India and Iraq, with elements having also taken part in 1940 campaign in Norway and the invasion of Madagascar. It was the best meal we'd had in "[30], Including lines of communication and support troops. Thanks for a wonderful web site and if you know where I could get more info and pictures please let me know. In 1953 Britain and the United States stated their intention to leave Zone A and hand its administration over to Italy. Upon our arrival, "San Sabba" was and the fourth is Trieste at night. On 19 October the same year I struck lucky in what must have been a regimental ballot. I found your web site most interesting. In the fight there were two Victoria Crosses won by the 8th Indian Infantry Division. We were at a rifle range that took your photograph if you hit the target and, much to our surprise, it actually worked! Back to search Royal Army Medical Corps Muniments Collection Ron, They. Launched with high hopes of exploiting Italian surrender and jetting up the Italian peninsula, it soon bogged down. This reduced the Eighth Army, now commanded by Lieutenant-General Richard McCreery, to seven divisions. Thankgoodness for that, I am off to Berwick on Tweed Monday for a few days and if I had suddenly arrived at Barnard Castle would have thought my map reading slightly out. Thank you. But Croatia and Slovenia have recently agreed to pay their share of Yugoslavia's restitution for lost Italian property. History Origins. The corpses, he said, were thrown into the huge Basovizza foibe, now a memorial to the victims. My own group number was 48, rather high because I was only 19 when I was called up. Samo Pahor, a local Slovene leader, said, ''The stories about the Partisan massacres of Italians are not true.''. The large hall where I made my goodbyes was packed with hundreds of men trying on the latest that Montague Burton had to offer, although if I remember rightly you could have any colour suit providing it was navy or brown and any style providing it was single breasted or double breasted! The division remained in Italy, until it was disbanded in 1947. Alternatively, search The National Archives library catalogue to see what is available to consult at Kew. No one dared to upset Trieste's already overcrowded labour market. England was in a state of crisis as fuel was almost unobtainable. But I don't remember losing any sleep over the matter! Back in Trieste after my leave I found that the riots were still in full swing and that many more of the old-timers had left. We spent all day digging trains out of snowdrifts and as virtually everyone in the camp was on the point of being de-mobbed, rank meant nothing at all. Italian search engine: http://search.virgilio.it/. It then rested and refitted after its long period on front-line duty. camp being scarcely a mile from the Communist Yugoslav border. Reporter, Trieste. For my own peace of mind I asked him to tell me, in all confidence, how hed organised this massive theft, but he merely laughed and said, 'It wasnt me mate !'. What an extensive experience you had! These messages were added to this story by site members between June 2003 and January 2006. It was handed back to Italy in 1954. Today the. On April 28, Vietinghoff sent emissaries to the Allied Army headquarters. The Fifth Army began its assault on April 14 after a bombardment by 2,000 heavy bombers and 2,000 guns along with attacks by IV Corps (1st Brazilian, 10th Mountain and 1st Armored Divisions) on the left. I was a child then and became very sick in TBC. The camps mum worked in Austria were Eisenerz, Kapfenburg, Reid Rehabilitation Centre, and the YMCA Simmer Camp program in Waiern and Ebanesse. How to use this guide and get a search for records started, 3. [25][26] On April 27, the 1st Armored Division entered Milan which had been liberated by the partisans on April 25 and the IV Corps commander Willis D. Crittenberger entered the city on April 30. It was withdrawn from the mainland and landed in the Anzio beach-head on 12 March 1944, under the command of U.S. VI Corps. Finally, the fourth division was with the 14th Army in a sector thought less likely to be attacked.[11]. [28], Secret surrender negotiations between representatives of the Germans and Western Allies had taken place in Switzerland (Operation Crossword) in March, but had resulted only in protests from the Soviets that the Western Allies were attempting to negotiate a separate peace. email: MichaelPetrovich@hotmail.com. The Italian right-wing National Alliance party, which received 24 percent of the vote in Trieste's last elections, cites the massacres and the expulsions to fan sentiment against the city's ethnic Slav minority, who make up about 30 percent of the population. Hi Eric 68, Lower Cross Road Instead of paying cash for these blessings we would each sell a tin of 50 cigarettes to the waiter and the cash received was more than sufficient to pay for the whole evening's entertainment, including the earlier visit to the YM! Here's a website you should like: It has exterior and interior shots of San Sabba. Heinrich von Vietinghoff returned from the Baltic to take over from Kesselring and Traugott Herr, the experienced commander of the LXXVI Panzer Corps, took over the 10th Army. mother died shortly after that, very young, and I was never able The division entered Austria on 8 May 1945. By Monday we were on our way back, arriving back at camp on Wednesday evening. It was withdrawn from Anzio to Egypt on 28 March 1944 to refit. Many old Partisans find it hard to condemn the killings. For the service records of individuals from this period go to Veterans UK, a branch of the Ministry of Defence. This page is not available in other languages. Even the The Allied forward formations spent the rest of the winter of 1944 in inhospitable conditions while preparations were being made for a spring offensive in 1945. It took part in the final offensive with the crossing of the River Senio and then the forcing of the Argenta Gap. I got myself good and early to a vantage point in Whitehall and had the pleasure of seeing a contingent of the 4th Hussars march past in the splendid parade, which included the carriage of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. It remained in Austria on occupation duties until it was disbanded in August 1946. cases there. When I arrived in 1950, http://www.tergeste.net/PzSAntonioJ.htm. My origin I recall the heavy rains, chilled by the Borah Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott, the commander of the U.S. VI Corps from the Battle of Anzio and the capture of Rome to Alsace, landed in the South of France during Operation Dragoon and returned to Italy to assume command of the Fifth Army. The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. To find records revealing the decision making behind British Army operations, government policy on a specific conflict and all kinds of other high level thinking around the operations, conflicts and wars involving the British Army, search within Cabinet (CAB) and Ministry of Defence (DEFE) departments. It landed in Sicily on 26 July 1943, moving to Italy on 22 September 1943. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday Sun, Jul 19, 2020 On April 29, they signed an instrument of surrender at the Royal Palace of Caserta stating that hostilities would formally end on May 2. and when it was served, it was awful. The Race for Trieste, [8] was a battle during the Second World War that took place during early May 1945. On 11 August 1944, the division transferred to V Corps, and then to I Canadian Corps on 7 September 1944 for the battle of the Rimini Line which commenced on 14 September. Jevtic went on to spend four years in Trieste before emigrating to Quebec (Canada) via France. Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) terms and conditions, Royal Army Medical Corps Muniments Collection, Album of photographs of the British Military Hospital, Trieste, Italy, on completion of re-organisation RAMC/2068, Album of photographs of the British Military Hospital, Trieste, Italy, on completion of re-organisation, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. In early January 1945, the British 1st Infantry Division was sent to Palestine and at the end of the month the I Canadian Corps and the British 5th Infantry Division were ordered to north-west Europe. 1952 my mother and I was transported to Sweden. to hear the details of the history. The Portal for Public History. disappearing, going back across the border at night into Croatia or Slovenia Italy 1943 - 1945: British Infantry Divisions Six British infantry divisions fought at varying stages of the Italian campaign. of time, Trieste was seen as being peripheral to the centers of Italian The 46 Infantry Division was a second line Territorial Army formation, which was formed in 1939 as a duplicate of the 49 (West Riding) Infantry Division. Album of photographs of the British Military Hospital, Trieste, Italy, on completion of re-organisation | Wellcome Collection Find thousands of books, manuscripts, visual materials and unpublished archives from our collections, many of them with free online access. In the first place I was responsible for seeing that all the stores necessary to run a squadron of Sherman tanks were kept up to date and I was the liaison between the mechanics and the Base Store Depots. It sustained heavy casualties during the battle for Anzio. I'm going through a collection of photos my father took while in Trieste Italy in 1953 (He was in the American Army, CID.). Through a long period I found this In civvy street he had been a film reviewer for the cinema trade magazine 'The Cinema'. The system for release from the army at that time was based on a combination of age and length of service. This reduced the Eighth Army, now commanded by Lieutenant-General Richard McCreery, to seven divisions. We would go right through the menu, including wines with each course, followed by brandy and cigars. These are records that broadly fall into one of two categories: This is not the place to find advice on records of individual soldiers and officers. As the older and longer-serving members started to leave there was a frantic effort by those of us remaining to get into a reasonable position so that we would not be obliged to take part in the 'demilitarisation' that was taking place. The barracks we moved into had formerly belonged to an Italian army unit and were quite spacious. Ron, Hi Ron. At the same time the artillery group was equipped with the more powerful and more modern M114 towed howitzers. From 1950 onwards, unit historical records and reports are in WO 305. The remaining units, including the two reserve battalions, were disbanded. We showed them around, let them drive our tanks etc, and in short they had a good day's fun. Most were quickly condemned to death and shot, or thrown alive into gorges and pits around the city. were White Russians who had fled to Serbia after the 1917 Revolution. After its activation the Trieste Military Command came under the 5th Army Corps and consisted of the following units: On 1 December 1968 the command was renamed Trieste Troops Command.
british army trieste italy