Although Sicily was invaded on 10th July 1943, the Battalion did not sail until later. The last few weeks in Tunisia were spent in reorganising, refitting and hard training for our next venture. Our final fortnight was spent in the base area of Hammamet. We found it extremely hot and dusty and a bit trying under canvas with only the scanty shade of olive trees to protect us from the scorching sun. But there were compensations: the sea half a mile away if one didn’t mind being stung by ill-tempered jelly fish; and delicious fish of all varieties.
A lot of hard work was put in, preparing for Sicily, and many were the problems and head scratchings demanding solutions which faced those in authority. In the main, they were concerned with transport and the G 1098 stores. The number of vehicles allowed had been drastically reduced but the stores had not, and our difficulty was the well-known one of trying to put two items where only one would go.
At last, the great day arrived and we embarked in the harbour. For most of us, it was our first experience with landing craft and the way in which all our vehicles were stowed away on an LST, in the pace of an hour was impressive. The men were mostly embarked in the smaller LCIs. That night, a heavy sea got up and from midnight onwards and all the next day, we tossed and rolled over the waves.
Few of those in the smaller ships survived the passage unscathed by mal de mer so that the landing beach near Syracuse in the early morning sun on 28th July was a welcome sight. Disembarkation went on all day without event, troops being marched up to the Brigade assembly area as they came off the ships. Next followed a drive of some five miles to the Brigade concentration area at Albospino.
By 3am on 29th July, most of the Battalion and 80% of its vehicles had arrived. The drive up was interesting, if difficult; the roads were rough and climbed up and down over very mountainous country. The scenery of most of Sicily is certainly lovely and the acres of fruit trees and vines very attractive to our eyes. Most of the towns appear to be sited on the summit of quite high mountains, like fortresses. Very little was seen of battle scars and it was quite evident that the south-eastern part of the country had been gained with very little serious fighting. This was a great relief to many of us, for a more easily defensible country would be hard to imagine.
The military situation had stabilised by the time we arrived. Strong resistance by veteran Boche troops had slowed our advance and the British general line ran roughly due west from a point just south of Catania. To the west, however, the US 7th Army and the Canadians were still careering forward and clearing up the remaining Italian formations.
Reconnaissance started straight away and the next few days were spent by most of the Officers sweating up Mount Judicia nearby, for a distant hazy view of Centuripe, the scene of our first action, below which our troops had been brought to a standstill. Meanwhile, our remaining transport continued to arrive and the Battalion got ready for the fray.
Two further short moves were made and eventually, on 1st August, the Irish Brigade moved into Catenanuova, which had just been taken by Canadians and the bridgehead there was enlarged by another Brigade. A brief paragraph dismisses this phase but it must not be allowed to pass without a tribute to the MT. All moves had to be carried out at night; what tracks existed were of the “bulldozed” variety; there were always a double stream of traffic and many were the spills and heart-breaking hours spent on recovery of vehicles.
Yet, in spite of all difficulties, the Battalion never lacked its supplies and equipment and when night fell on 1st August, we lay in our assembly area for an attack on Centuripe next day, equipped and ready to the last round.