8 Weatherbeaten

pp. 154-155 For San Savino, see WO 170/1477, 14th SF WD and Barclay, History of the Sherwood Foresters, pp. 125–127.

p. 156-57, Crews, in OAS, refers to Williamson as commander of D Company but the War Diary explicitly states Shaw, who was the Company 2iC, was in command. It seems that Williamson must have been LOB on the 13 September. The War Diary also refers to B Company as the initial assaulting company in one place, but this appears to be an error. The 16th DLI WD has some details of the action but misleadingly seems to report them under the 14 September. It gives DLI casualties as nine killed and twelve wounded.

p. 157 The Ackling story is from Seibert, in MSFM, p. 157, also IWM tape, #18485, Reel 9. Joseph Charles Ackling is buried in Gradara War Cemetery, but there is no record of him being married on his grave, or in marriage registers. Possibly the ring had been given him by his girlfriend rather than his wife.

p. 158 Casualty figures for the Leicesters operations are from WO 170/623 139 Bde WD and WO 170/1427 2/5th Leics WD, but sources vary. Schofield, ‘Report on Gothic Line', p. 37 says a hundred prisoners and a self-propelled gun; Peter Moore, No Need to Worry. Memoirs of an Army Conscript 1941 to 1946 (York, Wilton 65, 2000), p. 155 says two Panthers were captured; while WO 170/0459, the 46 Div. WD, gives only forty PWs.

pp. 158-60 The main source for the Taverna action is Crews, in OAS, p. 228–29, Nottinghamshire Archives DD/SF 3/5 ‘The Gothic Line’, and IWM tape #19987, Reel 21. Crews’ initiative at Taverna eventually earned him recognition not from the British Army but from the Americans, who played no part in the battle! He was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions, the citation quoting ‘his brilliant appreciation and rapid summation of a dangerous situation, and … his marked leadership and tactical ability’ (WO 373/148/451, not gazetted until 16 January 1948).

p. 160-62 For general observations on treatment of Italian civilians see Amedeo Montemaggi and Bill McAndrew, Linea Gotica/The Gothic Line (n.l.: Comune di Tavullia, 1997), pp 12–13, Amedeo Montemaggi, Gemmano: The Cassino of the Adriatic (n. l.; Comune Di Gemmano, 1998), pp. 57–79, Holland, Italy’s Sorrow pp. 166–68, 241–46 and 339–340. Personal accounts from Schofield ‘Recollections’, p. 105–7 and 116-18; Johnson, in OAS, p. 172. Crews, IWM tape #19987, Reel 22; Lord, IWM tape #19987Reel 7; Binch, in OAS, p. 82; McKay, OASpp. 103–04; Markham, IWM tape #13561, Reel 13; Hampton, IWM Tape #13260, Reel 7 and Gibson, in OAS p. 29–30. The story of the hunchback from Seibert, MSFM, pp. 149–50 and IWM tape, #18485, Reel 7.

p. 162 Crews states in IWM tape #19987, Reel 22, that the Foresters went round San Marino rather than passing through it. However, map references given for battalion locations from September 19–21 are within the Republic. WO 170/0459, 46 Div WD, ‘Div Intelligence Summary No. 37’ p. 4 dated 19 September 1944, reported that the Germans would not fight in San Marino but were passing through it in retreat, while ‘Div Intelligence Summary No. 40’, Appendix B, dated 23 September 1944, claimed a telephone intercept that indicated that the Germans would disregard San Marino neutrality if necessary. The latter post-dates the Foresters’ entry, the date of the reported conversation is not given.

p. 163 The San Marino residents were probably also unhappy at the large number of refugees in their territory. The 46th Division war diary states ‘Civilians a source of great nuisance at this period of op[eration]s, over 100,000 refugees being in S Marino from the surrounding districts: they crowd the r[oa]ds interrupting all traffic; as soon as the battle passes try to make their way to their own homes.’ Some of the refugees may have been Fascist sympathisers escaping the Allied advance, as the diary also states that ‘F[ield] S[ecurity] personnel are kept busy checking up for possible suspects’.

p. 163 Bennett, IWM tape, #13230, Reels5–6; Mellors, MSFM, p. 134 and also diary extracts in NCA, DD/SF 3/22. Private Bill Hough is buried in Gradara War Cemetary. Private Plumb and the three others who died that day are buried in Coriano Ridge Cemetery.

p. 165-66 Glover, OAS, pp. 215–220. This is a very abridged narrative of Glover’s version of events. .

p. 166 No reference is made to the location of A Company in the war diary until 25 September.

p. 166 According to Tulloch’s account in OAS, pp. 183–87, C Company was commanded by ‘the 139 Brigade Major, a regular officer who had asked to be allowed to command a company in battle, in order to qualify for command of a battalion’. However, the 139 Brigade Major, D.W.S. Price of the Hampshires, did not change during this period and was not killed. Pyper, who was not a pre-war regular but received an Emergency Commission in 1940, is listed as a Company 2iC in the battalion diary, and from the entries for 23 September appears to have led C Company that day.

pp. 166-69 Aside from Glover, Crews and Tulloch, the action at Poggio Berni is described byTulloch, OAS, p. 183–87; Plowright IWM tape, #15590, Reel 10; Reynolds IWM tape, #13563, Reel 4; Seibert, MSFM, p. 158–159 and IWM tape, #18485, Reel 8; Bennett, IWM tape,#13230, Reel 5, Beardsall, IWM Tape #13853 Reel 4. Official records are WO 170/1476, 5th SF WD; WO 373/10/77, MC Citation for Frank Griffiths; WO 373/10/245, MM Citation for John Henry Jones. See Moore, No Need to Worry, p. 156 for the Leicesters’ action.

p. 171 According to its war diary (WO 170/955) the 70th Field Regiment RA fired 765 rounds per gun between 24–27 September, more than at the Gothic Line or Gemmano. The Rubicone was the famous river of antiquity which Julius Caesar crossed to begin his march on Rome. However, the Rubicon was a much less formidable obstacle than the Marecchia, and Caesar probably crossed it near the coast.