Video: At Imperial War Museum (IWM) - Sicily, 1943 (1).

Operation HUSKY, The Sicily Landings and More, July 1943

Photo: A17955. Landing craft (a Landing Craft Mechanised or LCM - a Mark 3)

going ashore in the early morning during the start of the invasion of Sicily. 

Photo Credit - Lt. H.A. Mason, RN Photographer and IWM

Introduction:

A deep collection of WW2 newsreels can be found on many sites. A number of them can inform viewers of the role played by Canadians in Combined Operations during WW2, as they manned landing crafts and transported troops and materials of war to beaches in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and France.

One can link to several producers of newsreels by visiting the following: The Newsroom Blog.

One can also view (and purchase if desired) excellent short films and still photographs at the Imperial War Museum, U.K., by visiting the following link: Search Our Collections

Below are links to five newsreels related to Operation HUSKY found in the extensive Imperial War Museum (IWM) archives. Explanatory notes from IWM are included:

1. Troops of the 17th Infantry Brigade landing on Sicily.

Link - IWM Film Collection

Notes - Troops leaving the parent ship. View of Sicily in the distance and the approaching shore. Various landing craft going ashore at George Beach. Troops disembarking from the landing craft.

2. The Black Watch landing for the invasion of Sicily.

Link - IWM Film Collection

Notes - The 1st Battalion, Black Watch on a landing craft prior to landing on a beach in Sicily. Dawn landing on the beach*. Stores and troops being unloaded. Troops and equipment coming ashore. The captured radio station near Pachino. Streets being cleared and prisoners being rounded up in Pachino. 

*Editor - early morning, therefore film is dark, but good views are provided of LCI(L)s and rope assist.

3. Troops of the 51st Highland Division landing for the invasion of Sicily.

Link - IWM Film Collection

Notes - Troops disembarking and wading through rough sea to reach land*. Several shots of the beach, crowded with troops and supplies. Troops wading ashore. Tanks and carriers coming ashore. Troops moving up to forward positions. Tanks and carriers moving up to forward positions. Troops moving up. Supplies being unloaded from landing craft by men waist deep in water.

*Editor - very good quality at full screen but no audio is provided.

4. Men of the 51st Division landing in Sicily for the invasion.

Link - IWM Film Collection

Notes - Men of the 51st Division landing in Sicily for the invasion. Panning shot from LCI with the island of Malta in the background to the rest of the convoy of LCIs proceeding to Italy, carrying troops of the 152nd Brigade, 5th Seaforth Highlanders. Panning shot from the wash of the LCI to the rest of the convoy in the rear. Panning shot from troops on board ready to disembark to the rest of the ships coming on shore. Royal Engineers with mine detectors on the gangway ready to disembark. Panning shot from LCIs to troops wading to the shore. Troops wading ashore from their ship. Sergeant French filming, i.e., Sgt. Henry French, Production Individual.

5. The 17th Infantry Brigade after landing on Sicily.

Link - IWM Film Collection

Notes - Troops unloading stores and vehicles onto George Beach. Landing craft and men are directed by a man with a loudspeaker. A beach signal office. Troops making a road for vehicles to move up the beach. War Office Film Unit, R.H. Morris.

Please link to Video: British Pathe Newsreels - Sicily, 1943.

Unattributed Photos GH.