San Oreste.
The 1st of June was a memorable day as the whole Division came into reserve. The weather was lovely, the climate pleasant and we were in a good part of the country. Frosinone had just been captured. Frosinone had always been looked upon as one of the big land marks to be reached. It was good news. The brigade was well placed in villages and farms and we all made ourselves most comfortable. Parties were held by all and sundry. The ‘Long Toms’ had long since left. The war was moving swiftly on towards Rome.
Smudger Maxwell left during this interval and the Skins were now commanded by John Kerr. It was not a bad record from Company Sergeant Major to Commanding Officer in about eighteen months, and well justified the selection proved to be.
Murphy Palmer arrived about this time from England and went as Second-in-Command to the Irish Rifles.
We lay in uninterrupted peace until the evening of the 4th when we were warned to send a battalion to the 9th Armoured Brigade on a special job, towards Tivoli, a town some twelve months east of Rome. The Faughs were nominated and James Dunnill went next morning to see what the form was. The battalion moved to a concentration area west of Frosinone. In the meanwhile, the French had captured Tivoli and so this party died a natural death. Rome fell. The Germans were going north at full speed.
It was not until the 7th that we got another order to move, this time we were to concentrate to the north of Rome the next morning. I never had been greatly impressed by the joys of driving in convoy and this seemed a great opportunity to rush off and spend a night in Rome.
Having seen the Faughs and the Tac Brigade HQ get under way at Frosinone at 8pm, I leapt into my Humber with John McClinton and set out for the Eternal City. It proved to be a mighty long way, much further than I thought. By our speedy departure, we were able to forestall getting caught in the hideous traffic jams that were a feature of that road in the next few days. Even so, it was about 11pm before we reached there. Already, every hotel seemed to be reserved for Americans. However, John McClinton went into one of those and shot a line about a one star General, which opened the doors to us. He got rather good at this technique as time went on. After a noisy night, I found it quite impossible to get any breakfast, so we set off to find Tac Brigade, to the north of the city and got there at about half past nine.
This was the end of a phase – we had passed through Rome. A new Italy, quite different to the south, was opening up before us. Rome, like Tunis, had been our objective for so long that its capture was a great milestone in the war. Moreover, it was a very fine city. I had seen few better. A very fine city left comfortably behind you to go back to when an opportunity presents itself is a good thing to have. We had come a long way, we had fought some bloody battles, we had lost some very good chaps, but the battalions had added laurels to their records. The next phase was about to start.
We thought we were going to concentrate about six miles beyond Rome, but we had underestimated the speed of advance. We finally concentrated the Brigade Group in the neighbourhood of Monte Oreste, where Field Marshal Von Kesselring had had his HQ. That evening, we sent a platoon of Faughs about six miles further on to guard about five hundred and sixty wounded German prisoners, who were found in the hospital at Civita Castelana.
Next day, the 9th June, a platoon of the Irish Rifles took over the guard of Kesselring’s old HQ. When I was commanding the Irish Rifles in Tunis, I had found guards such as this a profitable concern and I was expecting at least a reasonable discount for having given them the job.
It was a most astonishing place, this German HQ. It was in a series of tunnels burrowed out of the hillside. There must have been a mile of them. The sort of tunnels you could drive a car along. The Germans had set fire to as much as possible before leaving and the atmosphere of smoke in most of the tunnels was pretty suffocating. This did not prevent Dave Aitkenhead and his rascals, to whom Murphy Palmer had now been added, from investigating the possibilities with the headlights of a jeep. Wines, liqueurs and tableware were all of the highest order.
The South Africans had captured this place the day before and they were now leading the chase on our left towards Viterbo. The 6th Armoured Division were on our right rear operating on the other side of the Tiber. Viterbo was a place, which seemed to hold a hideous attraction for all sorts of people. The South Africans and ourselves were coming at it from the south east, the French from the south west and nothing daunted, an American Task Force swooped into it across our front from the west. This sort of thing had happened before. One never knew who was going for one’s objective in addition to one’s self. Sometimes, it would only be different brigades or divisions converging on one area at the same time. In this case, it was two armies. This sort of thing used to hold matters up rather. The untangling of this inter army nonsense was apt to take them. Traffic jams were difficult enough to avoid without that going on.
One gratifying sight on all the main roads going north from Rome was mile after mile of burnt out German vehicles, varying from Tigers and seventy ton Ferninands down to Volkswagons. One seldom went more than a quarter of a mile without seeing one of these edifying spectacles. Some of it had been caused by the advancing armies, but most of it had been done by the Air Force. It was a most impressive, visible tribute to their excellent work. The Bosche slit trenches, dug every four or five hundred yards along the road as funk holes from air strafing, were a tribute to the air activity that must have gone on for a longish period along these routes to Rome.
With the Faughs.
On the 10th June, we started a period of sending detachments here and there.
The South Africans were doing the brunt of the work to our front, while we had to clear up their right rear. Our right flank was very much in the air as 6th Armoured Division was a long way behind. The Faughs were put under command of 9th Armoured Brigade for a final guard role towards Orte.
The Faughs had some amusing incidents and here is their account:
“Detachments were now the fashion. D Company under the command of Captain R Titterton went off and captured Gallese with the help of some tanks, and Neville Chance took C Company off to Orte. The remainder of the battalion moved off on 10th June to Civita Castellana area, where B Company already had a platoon guarding about 600 German wounded in a hospital there (Sgt Lyth had been heard to refuse quite substantial offers for his Zeiss 3.5”).
We were slightly shelled entering our area but not enough to deter us from our purpose, ie to make ourselves comfortable as quickly as possible. Bttn HQ took over a Fascist HQ in a very comfortable country house and A Company took over a castle affair which was supposed to have belonged to one of Mussolini’s paramours; the boudoir looked a bit full with Jack Phelan, Pat Howard and Bob Hogan in it. Fusilier Teahan, himself, in a mosquito net and raided the local beehives and produced some delightful honey. His invention, however, was not bee proof and one got inside causing much grief to Teahan and much amusement to the remainder of the company. On one occasion at least, half a dozen of A Company were dressed in nets and the Adjutant, visiting, had visions of mass arrests having to be made on account of A Company finding a large vino store, or something similar. Such, fortunately, was not the case.”
The usual civilian scare about large numbers of Huns on our flank started up while we were here. To counter this, a couple of companies of the Irish Rifles moved into the all dominating village of San Oreste though goodness knows why the Bosche had not tried to hold these features. San Oreste gave one of the finest views of the country that I ever saw. From it, we could see the 6th Armoured’s battle miles away to the south east on the other side of the Tiber. Whatever Germans had been in our neighbourhood had undoubtedly gone.
While this lull had been on, I had gone back to Rome with Dan Kelleher to see how the Pope would react to a formal visit from the Irish Brigade. The advance was going so quickly that it seemed a question of now or never. Everyone in the brigade of all denominations seemed to think that it would be a good thing to do. The Pope thought it would be a good idea too. The only trouble was that, being on the fringe of the battle as we were, it was impossible to send more than a representative body. However, subject to battles, I arranged for a hundred and fifty odd to visit the Pope on the 12th of June. I was only sorry it wasn’t the 12th of July. The General agreed to this and said he would be prepared to do without me, the COs and the party I was taking out with me.
The band of the Irish Brigade plays in front of St Peter’s Church in the Vatican City, Rome, 12 June 1944.
On the evening of the 11th, we got orders for the brigade to move again and move quite a long way. We were scheduled to leave for Civitella early next morning. It was about 40 miles to the north. We would then be in the lead again. However, with the state of congestion on the roads being what it was, there was not much chance of being able to do much that day.
I handed over to John Horsfall and set off for the Vatican early on the 12th. A special audience had been arranged with the Pope and it was to have been at ten o’clock, but at the last minute the Papal authorities had changed it to nine. The only snag to this was that I was unable to get hold of the official photographers that I had laid on for the most interesting part of that memorable day.
At a quarter to nine, we ‘fell in’ in military array in the neutral territory of the Vatican City and marched behind the Pipes and Drums up the steps of the Vatican. We were led by gorgeously dressed officers through courtyards and ante chambers until we eventually arrived in the audience chamber. There had been great competition among the warriors to join the party. I had to lay down, therefore, that all the ORs going were to be Roman Catholic chosen on the basis of length of service in their battalion. It may seem strange that it was necessary to put in the religious clause but many influential members of Orange Lodges were trying to get a seat in the party by virtue of their high rank or long service. I gave a quota of six officers to each battalion. These could not entirely be filled on the religious score, so I made Irish nationality a requisite qualification. The ‘heretic’ element was almost entirely made up of out and out Orangemen. I would like to mention a few names, both of these officers, and of some of the other ranks, who afterwards visited His Holiness, but it might be unkind to put their names in print and have them read out in their local Orange Hall at home. There is, however, one exception to this to which I will refer later.
We formed up in the audience chamber with the officers on the flanks, the Pipers in front and all the troops behind them. It was a fine room and well suited for the occasion. There was something very impressive about the Vatican. Such wealth of history lies behind it. The Swiss Guards, the Noble Guard, the highly placed Primates, all in medieval garments, added to the atmosphere. I took up position in front of the gathering with Hugh Montgomery of Five Mile Town, who was secretary to the British Minister, and who had helped to arrange the audience. At nine o’clock, the Pope entered, surrounded by his Noble Guard and gave an excellent address in English in the following terms.
“Dearly Beloved Sons, We bid you welcome. You belong to the nation which has ever belonged to God’s church since St Patrick.
We are well aware of the good which the Irish have done in spreading the faith from the shores of their green isle into the United States of America, Australia, South Africa and many other nations.
We greet you and bless you with all our Heart’s affection, and your dear ones at home. God be with you always. We bless also all the religious objects you have with you.”
After his short address, he gave the Papal Blessing.
I presented His Holiness with a scroll in memory of our unique visit, which he was very pleased to accept. I asked him if he would like to hear the Pipers. He said he would and they duly struck up, of all inappropriate tunes ‘The Wearing of the Green’. Everyone seemed to enjoy the Pipes. After this, all the officers and men present were presented to the Pope and he spoke to many of them personally. He had told one of his Cardinals that he was very much looking forward to this visit of the Irishmen and judging by his manner, it certainly seemed to be true. After the presentations were over, another tune on the Pipes was suggested and nothing daunted, they started up on another rebel tune, this time ‘The Minstrel Boy’. However, it is a fine old air, which the Pope thoroughly enjoyed. It was then time for him to depart.
We had been with him for about half an hour. He said goodbye and I called for three cheers followed by a ‘Faugh a Ballagh’ one. With a smile and a wave of the hand, he left the room and the appalling yells and shrieks produced by the Faugh a Ballagh cheer. Dan Kelleher, who had played a leading part in all the proceedings so far, I think hopes to be made a Cardinal out of it, had laid on a special mass in St Peter’s. We marched round St Peter’s Square a couple of times led by the Pipes and Drums and into the cathedral where we all attended the mass.
After this, the Pipes and Drums beat Retreat on the steps of St Peter’s. This was a great success especially among the innumerable Irish priests, who always frequent Rome. They went mad with excitement, shouting for their favourite tunes. I had to lay on one or two of these to keep them quiet. Of them all, I think ‘The Boys of Wexford’ was the most popular. They were great chaps, these Irish priests. Many of them had done splendid work looking after our prisoners of war and doing many an act of gallantry and kindness on their behalf. One day, I hope, the full story of the good they did will be published.
It is matter of great concern to all of us from who come from Ireland that when the war is over, it will only be remembered against her that Eire was neutral. What we hope is that all the magnificent deeds wrought by the sons of Eire in this war, against the barbarians of Germany and her Allies, may be remembered to her credit. It is sometimes overlooked that the services of every Irishman from any part of Ireland are given of their own free will for the good of the cause, be they fighting men or those priests, who helped the English prisoners in Rome.
I had lunch with the Eire Minister to the Vatican that day. Dr Kiernan and his family proved to be the most delightful friends, who many of us got to know well afterwards. They were deeply interested in the doings of the Irish Brigade and the Minister felt that in wishing us well he was representing the feelings of both his government and country. They drank the health of the Irish Brigade in champagne.
The Irish Rifles’ advance.
At four o’clock we had to start back for the wars and fetched up late that evening to find the Irish Rifles at it. They had already waded into battle and seized Civitella by 330pm. They got into the village without opposition other than shelling, to find the Bosche in strength just outside on several dominating ridges. Their objective for the next day was Pianicciale. They spent the night on the build up for the next day’s battle and in patrolling. Bill Gentle, with a patrol from F Company, had a severe clash.
Here follows the Irish Rifles’ account of the 13th June:
“At dawn, H Company began the attack on Agliano supported by very heavy concentrations from our 3 inch mortars, Shillelagh’ 4.2s, Anti Tank Platoon, all our Vickers’ guns. Mike Everleigh’s Besas and 75s, the 105s of the RHA, one regiment of Mediums and last but not least the 17th Field. Everything that could harbour Bosche was shot to pieces. Those that survived, fled. G Company then attacked La Terre through H Company with similar support. After G Company’s attack, the Bosche was seen withdrawing all over the place and provided many very fine targets.
In all, between thirty and forty were killed and large numbers of casualties were soon evacuated with German SBs going about with Red Crosses. About twenty prisoners were taken over two days. One AFV was destroyed – claimed by the Anti Tank Platoon. Also, a large number of the team who opposed us on retreating to Castiglione were put in the bag by our armour already there. Our own casualties were five wounded. This was a very comfortable battle for Bttn HQ, which was in the Bishop’s Palace at Civitella, which had a bird’s eye view of the whole battlefield.”
The Irish Rifles has such a good job of their morning’s work that in the early afternoon, I was able to order the Skins and a squadron of the 3rd Hussars to come up on their right flank and consolidate about Castiglione before dark. Some of 56 Recce Regiment and some tanks got into it first and the Skins were able to then move in without opposition. The brigade, consisting of John McClinton and myself, was established there about the same time. The remainder of Brigade HQ came up during the night.
During this day, I got the Faughs back under control. They were not sorry to collect themselves together from their various detachments.
That evening, I ordered the Skins to take up the chase again towards Tordimonte, leaving Castiglione at 0530hrs next day. The Irish Rifles were to collect themselves and follow the Skins passing through Castliglione at 0700 hrs. Tanks were to lead the party on this day. The Skins’ got on well and soon after eleven o’clock, I met John Kerr and ordered them to cross the River Paglia and from a bridgehead on the other side, while the Irish Rifles were to come up behind them to Tordimonte, the Faughs coming up in the rear of them. By three o’clock in the afternoon, the Skins had formed a strong bridgehead.
By two o’clock, it was obvious that the enemy was on the move and on the move pretty quickly. We would have to get a move on to catch them up. The General, therefore, ordered me extend the bridgehead. We extended it in no ordinary manner. The Irish Rifles were to occupy the hills commanding Route 71, two or three miles north of Orvieto and about four miles beyond the Skins.
At this time, the Irish Rifles’ HQ was in Tordimonte Castle, a very fine place indeed. They had had a hard two days of it and had been on the move since before daybreak. Previously, I had given them a more limited objective to the left of the Skins and when I arrived there, I was just in time to administer their departure.
Their original objective would have allowed them to retain this fine castle for their Battalion HQ and when I altered their orders to this much more ambitious move they were convinced that the only reason for it was that I had taken a fancy to the castle myself. I certainly had. I had cast an eye over it earlier that day before the Irish Rifles got there. However, nothing daunted, the Irish Rifles set off.
Here is their account of the day’s activity.
“The battle was resumed the next day, the 14th, and we were on the move by 5am and, at 10am, were established in a Duke’s Castle at Tordimonte, which the Germans shelled persistently causing several casualties. It had a very fine cellar, which later was to provide wine for the entire battalion. Needless to say, Brigade HQ already had covetous eyes on it so we didn’t stay there long. The stage was then set for the battle of Morrano – a ridge ten miles ahead, which was a dignified start for the operation and the show started at 2pm.
S Company, complete with Desmond Fay’s platoon of E Company, led the ball and by 430pm had the six pounders, Vickers and 3 inch mortars in action with the tanks on Morrano Ridge. Paul also busied himself strafing the roads and transport with considerable effect. There was a considerable amount of AP fire, but it gradually subsided as we built up fire supremacy. Shillelagh and his 4.2s were also very soon in action, so soon in fact and so close that they drove us out of our command post – not content with this, they completed the job by setting it on fire. By 6pm, the battalion was in position having marched twenty one miles that day with all its weapons and ammunition. Patrolling was active during the night and over the whole period, sixteen paratroopers and others were collected and about fifteen killed. Mike Everleigh and his tanks also did very good work in this show, having already fought one battle alongside the Skins earlier in the day and then came along to join us.
Paul Lunn Rockliffe immediately rejoined us at Civitella having emerged from hospital in record time and hitch hiked back.
The hitherto ‘Silent Service’ – the Anti Tank Platoon incidentally fired over a thousand rounds these few days. It was said that RSM Girvin had an apoplexy when the ammunition return reached him.”
Towards Orvieto.
The situation on our flanks was, as usual, pretty obscure.
There was some doubt where the South Africans were on our left; some thought they were in Orvieto, among them two members of Brigade HQ – Jack White, an LO, and Sinnock, the No 2 Signal Officer. In some previous incarnation, they had heard of Orvieto wine, and quite rightly wanted to get us some.
As they were approaching the town, they were stopped by some of the Warwickshire Yeomanry, an armoured regiment operating with the Division, who told them that it was unsafe to go any further. So unsafe was it that they said they were unable to recover a White Scout Car, which was about half a mile behind them, and which the Bosche had captured from them the night before.
(NA 16233): Recce carriers of the 1st Cape Town Highlanders entering the gateway of Orvieto.
After having a look around, they came to the conclusion that there really wasn’t as much between them and their goal as the Yeomanry had led them to suppose, so they borrowed some Tommy Guns and went down in their jeep to investigate.
They found the White Scout Car, with a German sitting in it, apparently waiting to be captured. They bearded this prize and started back.
They had only got a little way when they spotted some Huns in a house. They then drove up to the house blazing away with their Tommy Guns to the admiration of the Germans in the back of the Scout Car. After some noise and shouting on all sides, six Bosche came out and gave themselves up. They, too, were put in the Scout Car and Jack White made for home as fast as the thing would go, pausing only to return the Tommy Guns to the amazed and disconnected Yeomanry.
An interesting episode concerning an officer of the 6th Inniskillings happened this time. I enclose their account:
“On 15 June 1944, one platoon of D Company was in a position one and a half miles forward of the company, on the banks of the River Paglia with the task of blocking the road; for it was known that many isolated parties of enemy were wandering about in the vicinity, some of them nearly a platoon in strength.
Early during the morning, the jeeps had been further west of the position, as far as Corbara, and reported the village clear. 2/Lieut Foster, who was commanding the platoon, decided that he would recce as far as the village itself. He used a motor cycle for this purpose. Whilst still travelling quite fast, and just as he was approaching the village, he ran into a platoon of Germans with their heavy weapons and baggage carts. The Bosche was startled by his appearance but soon realised that Foster was alone and prevented him from turning round.
The German platoon was commanded by a young officer, 19 years of age, who was very efficient and had complete control of his platoon.
He had been of the opinion that he was travelling towards the German FDLs but Foster’s appearance served to correct his direction, and after abandoning the heavy weapons and baggage and destroying the bicycle, they started out in a north-easterly direction, taking Foster with them. All roads were avoided.
The platoon had no rations with them and lived entirely on what could be found en route. The peasants for the most part were friendly and willingly gave food, water and any information that was required. The whole party continued in this manner until midnight, when the platoon commander decided to lie up in a deserted monastery. Here, Foster was put into a small room with no windows, and an alert guard outside the door. This care frustrated his hope of escaping during the night.
Foster’s capture was not known at Bttn HQ until midday of the day of his capture and two mobile forces on carriers were sent out immediately. 56 Recce, who were operating in this area, also gave assistance, but to no avail. It learnt later that the German platoon had crossed the road along which one of the search parties had gone only half an hour before their arrival.
Next morning at 0400rs, this German platoon, with Foster, set out again. Their morale was very high, most of them being youngsters around 18-20 years of age, with older and more experienced NCOs.
During the morning, Foster tried to escape, but was unsuccessful; the attempt only resulted in the guard being doubled. It was now eight instead of four.
In the afternoon, the party was fired on by Italian partisans from a house, and some of the Germans were killed. The German Platoon Commanders immediately ordered an attack, which was successful, and the entire household of this farm building were killed, including women and children. After this, hostages were made to march in front of the platoon.
Later in the day, the party approached a village, which the Italians had said was clear, and it was not until a corner was turned that a British sentry came into view. The Bosche beat a hasty retreat. In the confusion, Foster was able to stay behind until there was only one sentry with him. He then side stepped out of their view. The sentry hesitated and then went with him, deciding that he, too, would return to the British lines.
When the Germans had gone, Foster and the German sentry returned to the British sentry, who sent them back to HQ of 26 Armoured Brigade about 20 miles north of Todi. The total distance across country covered by Foster since his capture two days before was approximately 50 miles. He returned to the battalion on 17th June.”