In July the Allies invaded the island of Sicily and within a few weeks after some hard fought battles they controlled the island. From Sicily the Allies had a wide choice of directions for their next offensive. Calabria the 'toe' of Italy was the nearest and the most possible destination and the "shin" was also vulnerable, the 'heel' was also a very inviting option. The two Army Corps of Montgomerys 8th Army crossed the Strait of Messina and landed on the toe of Italy on September 3rd. While resistance was negligible the progress was slow owing to the terrain.
On the day of the landing the Italian government agreed to the Allies terms for capitulation. The capitulation was announced on September 8th. The next landings on the 'shin' of Italy at Salerno, just south of Naples, began on the 9th. It was a mixed British and US assault involving 55,000 men with 115,00 following up. While the Italians had largely given up the fight the Germans continued and after initial Allied success the Germans made a counterstroke which made the landing precarious for six days and it was not until October 1st that the 5th Army entered Naples.
By contrast the much smaller landing on the 'heel' of Italy, which had been made on September 2nd took the Germans by surprise. Notwithstanding the paucity of its strength in men and equipment, the expedition captured two good ports, Taranto and Brindisi, in a very short time; but it lacked the resources to advance promptly. Nearly a fortnight passed before another small force was landed at Bari, the next considerable port north of Brindisi, to push thence unopposed into Foggia.
4th Parachute Squadron were brought in to support and re-enforce
the landings at Taranto. They
initially operated around the area of
Taranto carrying out the usual sapper duties of clearing road and rail routes and building defences against counter attacks, never far from the front line.
Extract of 4th Para Sqn War Diary September 1943
September 9 At sea. Arrived Taranto in the afternoon. Some men to disembark immediately
September 10 HQ Troop disembark. Troops begin loading onto transport. 2 Troop prepare bridge for demolition. 3 Troop join 156th Btn for Massafra
September 11 Bde HQ at Massafra. 3 Troop at Casa del Duca. 2 Troop to Matera. 3 Troop took up position area of Mottala. 1 Troop embarked ship
September 12 Sqn HQ moved to Bde HQ. 1 Troop sailed at first light
September 13 3 Offrs & 7 ORs of HQ Troop to Mottola. 1 Troop disembarked ship. 2 Troop march Monopoli. 3 Troop constructing AA positions
September 14 1 Troop moved to near Mottola. 2 Troop setting alarms & booby traps. One Spr accidentally shot in thumb. One Spr sick. Officer and men on forward infantry patrols
September 15 Two Officers and half 2 Troop on night patrols. 2 Troop defensive positions completed. Remainder of Sqn arrive from N/Africa
September 16 1 Troop working on water supply. Officer and 3 men on night patrol. Lt Smith and pty returned from night patrol, one man missing. Two Officers and two men on Night patrol. 3 Troop recceing enemy ammo dumps
September 17 1 Troop to Gioia del Colle clearing mines. Two Spr's killed by mine. 3 Troop clearing roadblocks
September 18 Officer and L/Cpl on recce with 10th Btn. 3 troop clearing airfield near Gioia del Colle. 1 Troop recce for stores. 2 Troop march to Taranto
September 19 HQ Troop moves to Casel del Duca. 1 Troop resting. 2 Troop march to Taranto. Recce group at Gioia del Colle. 3 Troop at Gioia del Colle airfield
September 20 1 Troop repairing bridge. 2 Troop lifting mines from roads. 3 Troop recceing south of Gioia del Colle. Jeep and Trailer arrive from North Africa
September 21 HQ Troop moved to Gioia del Colle. 1 Troop repairing bridge. 2 Troop lifting mines from roads. 3 Troop recceing Gioia del Colle to Bari Road
September 22 1 Troop to Bari. One man to Hospital. 2 Troop planned exercise cancelled. 3 Troop as yesterday
September 23 1 Troop returns to Gioia del Colle. One Spr to Hospital. 2 Troop in camp resting and mending. All ranks swimming. 3 Troop return
September 24 1 Troop in camp resting, mending and permitted leave to Gioia del Colle. 2 Troop permitted leave at Bari. 3 Troop attached to Airlanding Brigade
September 25 3 Troop to Canosa de Puglia with Airlanding Brigade
September 26 HQ Troop obtained vehicle. 1 Troop to Bari. 3 Troop to Cerignola
September 27 Heavy rain. Water getting low in well. 1 Troop working on roadblocks. 2 Troop begin march to Gioia. 3 Troop to Foggia area
September 28 CO to MDS. 1 Troop into billets. 2 Troop recceing bridges. 3 Troop move into Foggia
September 29 1 Troop cleaning billets. Sect of 2 Troop march to Taranto station. 3 Troop recceing for mines. Sect of 2 Troop making car park
A large part of the Squadron arrived at Taranto on the 9th at 1530hrs. 2 & 3 Troop were ordered to each disembark three Officers and eighteen men, all equipped to march, fight and work. They were to come under the command of
10th and 156th Battalion. The rest of the Squadron were to disembark with stores and equipment. 1 Troop and half 2 Troop were still awaiting embarkation back at Bizerte in Tunisia.
Just after midnight on 10th the HQ Troop disembarked and heard the survivors from
HMS Abdiel in the water. The ship had been loaded with troops and had struck a mine in the harbour, rescue of the survivors was in
progress but many lives were lost. Early in the morning the men began loading onto the available local transport that consisted of some
old 1916 Fiat vehicles. 2 Troop marched and took up a defensive position and prepared a road bridge ready for demolition should the Germans counter attack.
3 Troop moved off with 156th Battalion on a 20km march north to Massafra. Once there they joined up with other parachute units and began removing booby traps.
1 Troop were still in Bizerte awaiting transport and after a while they were eventually moved to a transit camp just outside the town.
In the port of Taranto the remaining part of the Squadron were tasked with clearing the docks of booby traps and this was completed by 1130hrs.
The diary for the day reflects the pleasure of the Commanding Officer that the unit were able to respond and be in action so rapidly,
it reads
"After this it is considered a Para RE unit can ready in less than twenty-four hours and can be prepared to fight an action of not more than three to four days without supplies"
On the 11th Brigade Headquarters were positioned at Massafra. 3 Troop were located at the village of Cas del Duca. The
Squadron OC was away on a recce of nearby bridges. 2 Troop were moved to Matera to take up defensive positions. L/Corporal Wilson and two
ORs were left behind at a crossroads to construct a road block for A Coy of
10th Battalion. 3 Troop were then tasked to begin lifting and making safe mines and explosives from the rail track in the area of Mottola where they then took up a platoon position.
Finally 1 Troop were embarked on the ship HMS Princess Josephine Charlotte at 2100hrs and they sailed at first light the next day.
On the 12th Squadron Headquarters moved to the same location as Brigade HQ near a small village called Palagiano, just east of Massafra. They were transported by tractors and trailers. The 2/IC of the
Squadron had obtained a bus from the RASC and loaded it with stores and some HQ personnel,
it was driven to 2 Troop at Matera.
2 Troop were busy building road blocks for A & D Coy of 10th Battalion while 3 Troop took up an overnight defensive position
in a nearby village.
On the 13th, while 10th and 156th Battalion were
attacking the strategically important town of Gioia del Colle, seven of Squadron
HQ Troop were moved up to Mottola along with three of the Officers. 1 Troop were disembarked from the ship at Taranto into Landing Craft and brought ashore at the docks at 2300hrs where they were to remain until morning. The
Squadron was still not complete as there were still some men, vehicles and equipment in North Africa.
A section of 2 Troop marched from Matera to the coastal town of Monopoli almost 60km away. There they set demolitions on a bridge for 2 Para RE. 3 Troop were constructing Anti-Aircraft gun positions and constructing water supplies.
The next day 1 Troop were brought forward from Taranto docks and were transported up to Mottola where they were issued with
48 hour rations. The remainder of 2 Troop were setting alarms and booby traps for A & D Coy of
10th Battalion before they too were moved to a position close to Mottola.
There was a close call when Sapper I.J Lewis accidentally shot himself through the thumb with his Sten gun. He had to be evacuated for treatment. Sapper Davies of 2 Troop was also evacuated when he became sick with Malaria.
Two men of 3 Troop were attached to a forward company of 156th Battalion and two Officers of the
Squadron went out with the infantry on patrols at 2100hrs.
By the 15th 2 Troop had completed the defensive positions they had been working on and more of the
Squadron arrived from North Africa, comprising Lieutenants Cormie and Miller, L/Sergeant McGowan and
sixteen ORs. Meanwhile the men were at last getting a taste of action when several groups of them were involved in patrols. Lieutenant
J.G Smith and seven men went out on a patrol with B Coy of 10th Battalion in the direction of
Gioia Noci. 3 Troop recce'd abandoned enemy fuel and ammunition dumps.
Captain Goff, Lieutenant Treacher and half of 2 Troop went on a night patrol on the orders of the
OC. They were to recce the landing ground near Gioia del Colle for mines and check
a bridge that was thought to be demolished. Owing to the lack of rubber soled boots they were unable to approach quietly so Lieutenant Treacher and two sections were left near the southwest corner of the landing ground. Captain Goff and the Recce Group
moved forward and saw that the bridge was completely demolished, but they were unable to get too close
when they were heavily engaged by enemy fire.
It may have been this patrol that Jo Johanson recalls. "Captain
Goff had the day before given us some lessons in German and especially what to
say and do if challenged by a sentry, if challenged we must answer 'freund' or
friend and not 'freunt' which is foe . Anyway we set off on the patrol and
left the main body behind as we moved along a railway line. Suddenly a
German popped up and said 'Halt wer da' at which we were expecting the Captain to respond with 'freund' but instead he just dived straight into the
ditch! So the rest of us, Jimmy Milligan, Wally Martin, Jimmy Creighton, Paddy
Collier and myself followed him. The Germans opened up with everything they
had, there were bullets and grenades flying everywhere! I was lucky
because I had landed behind a step in the ditch and was able to work my way back
with the plan of firing off some shots or lobbing a grenade to take the
attention away from the others, but then I saw a German armoured car heading
towards me. The Germans bailed out of the machine-gun post and after
firing more shots left in the armoured car, luckily none of our lot were wounded
but it was all a close thing. After the Germans had left I shouted across
to the others who leapt out of the ditch and we all rushed off"
Jack Standen remembers another patrol, "It was a daylight patrol and
we were volunteered by Lieutenant Boag to go forward and deal with a German Tank
and infantry that had been reported in a valley below us. We weren't keen
on dealing with a Tank as we only had light weapons with us. We moved down the
hillside through an olive
grove with very little cover. Sergeant Ted Greenwood and I hid behind a tiny workman's
hut made of branches and twigs. There was barely room for the two us and
every time one of us moved the other would be pushed out into the open, we were
getting angry with each other every time one of us was pushed from our hiding
place. The barmy thing is the hut offered no real protection, if the
Germans had seen us and fired the shots would have gone right through the hut
and into us. We moved forward and as we approached the area where the
Germans had last been seen the Lieutenant ordered us to charge. We burst
into the open but thankfully the Germans had climbed into their transport and
moved on. It had in fact only been a lorry but we were still relieved at not
having to deal with the enemy under these circumstances"
The 16th saw more night patrol work. Lieutenant Keer and three men joined a platoon of
10th Battalion on a patrol to the area of Gioia del Colle which on
this day fell to the 10th and 156th Battalion. Another patrol went into the same area for an all night patrol. It was led by Lieutenant Juckers with Sergeant McGowan and two
ORs.
At 1200hrs the patrol that had been taken out by Lieutenant Smith returned but L/Corporal Whiteside was missing.
3 Troop who had been recceing discovered an abandoned enemy bomb dump and torpedo factory. 1 Troop were working on the water supply in the camp area.
The next day 1 Troop became involved in something more interesting when they were taken by motor transport with 156th Battalion to the area of
Gioia del Colle to check the roads for mines. They found and removed some Mk IV Teller mines but at a cost.
L/Corporal Jimmy Milligan from Glasgow and Sapper Joe Cook
from Lincolnshire, were
killed when they lifted a booby-trapped mine. Bill Grantham who was in the area recalls the
incident, he says
"Some men were becoming a little careless when lifting the mines and were not looking for booby traps, they had to be warned. Soon
after Jimmy and Joe were
killed" Bill was a friend of Jimmy Milligan and when
Bill returned to England he went to see
Jimmy's parents and tell them of the circumstances of his death. Joe Cook was just 21 years old and L/Corporal
Jimmy Milligan 23. No more booby-trapped mines found but when they were clearing enemy roadblocks they found three of them had been rigged with egg type grenades.
On the 18th L/Corporal Whiteside was still missing (he was later presumed killed
but there is no record with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission). Lieutenant Miller and L/Corporal Hopkins went out on a recce with B Coy of
10th Battalion, again to the Gioia
Del Colle area. A local bus was again used to ferry forward ammunition. It was noted that water was getting very short and was restricted
to drinking purposes only. 3 Troop went to Gioia del Colle and began clearing the airfield, they lifted
181 Teller mines while 1 Troop recce'd around the area for any useful RE stores.
2 Troop set off at 1730hrs to march to Taranto and seemingly a fast pace was set,
none of the men fell out of the march and later they slept beside the side of the road.
It about this time that a plan was hatched for a raiding party to be dropped
behind German lines to blow an important railway bridge. The operation was
cancelled forty-eight hours before it was to take place when Spitfire aircraft
managed to blow the bridge.
HQ Troop moved again on the 19th from Mottola to Casel del Duca. 1 Troop were resting in camp for the day. Captain Goff and the Recce Group made a detailed search of the workshops in
Gioia del Colle. 2 Troop made another two hour march into Taranto and 3 Troop certified the airfield at
Gioia clear of mines.
The 20th was a busy day for all the Troops. 1 Troop were repairing a blown bridge and also repairing a four seater car they had requisitioned. 2 Troop were picking up mines from the coast road west of Taranto and laying vehicle and booby traps towards the defensive positions of B Coy of
10th Battalion. 3 Troop were carrying out a recce of the roadblocks and searching for mines in the area south west of
Gioia del Colle.
The transport situation was eased when another two Sappers arrived from Tunisia with one of the
Squadron Jeeps and a trailer.
HQ Troop were on the move once again on the 21st when they moved from Casel del Duca to the
'Torpedo House', the Torpedo factory that had been discovered at Gioia del Colle. 1 Troop continued work on the bridge (One Officer and thirty-two
ORs) while 2 Troop continued with yesterday's tasks including the blowing of a bridge by Lieutenant Smith and seven men. 3 Troop continued with their recce of the roadblocks and moved onto the road between
Gioia del Colle and Bari.
The following day the port of Bari fell to the Allies and 1 Troop were moved
there to start work clearing fallen masonry and roadblocks. The journey to Bari was by tractor and trailer and the 30km trip took over six and half hours. When they arrived they used one hundred and fifty Italian soldiers to carry out the
work, one of the Troop was taken to hospital with an injury. 2 Troop were to be involved in a defensive
'scheme' but this was cancelled and instead they were tasked to remove explosive charges and booby traps from a bridge ready for a move. 3 Troop were again clearing roadblocks and filling in anti-tank obstacles on the
Gioia del Colle to Bari road.
Some of the Squadron were preparing for a move so they remained in camp mending their equipment and resting. 1 Troop returned to
Gioia del Colle this time in the relative comfort of Italian
trucks, another man was sent to hospital.
In the afternoon all the men in camp were allowed to go swimming and generally wash up. At 1800hrs 3 Troop returned to camp.
Things must have been slowing down for the Squadron as 1 Troop were also resting in camp mending and repairing their equipment on the
24th and at 1800 hrs they were permitted to leave camp and go to
Gioia del Colle. 2 Troop were almost ready for a move to Taranto while 3 Troop were attached to 1st Battalion the Border Regiment of Airlanding Brigade. On the
25th they moved with them north to a forward position about 20km beyond Bari at Canosa de Puglia.
HQ Troop managed to 'obtain' a vehicle when they took on charge a Fiat 3 ton lorry. This may have made up for the temporary loss of one of the
Squadron Jeeps when it seized its engine while being driven by Driver Lund.
1 Troop were transported back to the port of Bari to carry on removing road blocks where they once again had the help of Italian soldiers, though it was commented on that it was often quicker for the sappers to do the work themselves.
Lieutenants Cormie and J.G Smith were given the task of supervising the opening and closing of a swing bridge at Taranto for a fortnight! They were not pleased at being detailed this job and soon after the instruction was cancelled. 3 Troop moved off again with
1st Airlanding Brigade another 50km forward to the town of Cerignola south east of Foggia.
The 27th began with heavy rain that soaked the bedding and kit of 1 Troop and to avoid this re-occurring the OC began looking for some
better billets. Despite the soaking 1 Troop continued to work on the roadblocks for the day. All the rain though did not help the shortage of water as the well that was used was becoming low, so water was again restricted to drinking purposes only.
2 Troop began a march to Gioia del Colle at 0630hrs but this was cancelled later in the day.
The town of Foggia fell and 3 Troop were immediately moved there . Once there they
were busy constructing traffic diversion routes at a demolished bridge over the Cervaro
river.
Captain Finch had to go to the Medical Dressing Station on the 28th for treatment for Malaria. 1 Troop still at Bari, now moved into the comfort of a furnished villa. 2 Troop began a recce of all the bridges for 15km around Taranto while 3 Troop moved into Foggia and then began a search of the main airfield
(there were a complex of airfields in the area) for mines and booby traps. What they actually found and removed were six 250lb bombs!
As the month came to a close on the 29th, 1 Troop set about cleaning out and clearing up in their new billets at Bari and afterwards three of the Officers and
thirty of the men were given leave in the town. A section of 2 Troop marched to Taranto and boarded a train for
Gioia del Colle and then moved the 31km to Altamura while another section made a car park at Brigade Headquarters. 3 Troop moved north and made a recce for mines in the areas of Lucera and San
Severo. By the end of the month the satellite airfields
1, 3, 11 and 12 around Foggia were certified clear of mines and munitions.
90km further north a commando landing seized the town of Termoli and it was held by 78 Division against the German 16th Panzers' counter-attack.
The campaign now became a fight for the river lines and at the River Biferno opposition started to become serious. Field Marshall Montgomery became methodical in his approach to these obstacles.
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