Photographs: Invasion of Sicily. July 1943 (5 Parts).

Operation Husky - Canadian Forces Pull Their Weight

[Photo: Map of Sicily found in Combined Operations by C. Marks, London Ontario

Members of 80th & 81st Canadian Flotillas, manned Landing Crafts, Mechanized

(LCMs) in Operation Husky, near Avola (lower right of above map), July ‘43]

Introduction:

The Allies made gains in the Mediterranean Theatre during 1942 and 1943 with the invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch, November 1942) and invasions of Sicily and Italy (Operations Husky, then Baytown and Avalanche, July and September 1943 respectively).

Canadians in all parts of the armed forces took active part in these operations and are oft-mentioned in newspaper articles, remembered in memoirs and seen in many good-quality photographs (as displayed in five entries listed below).

The vast majority of the photographs are attributed to official Royal Navy photographers and found in extensive archives at the Imperial War Museum (IWM), United Kingdom.

Readers will find informative captions accompanying the photographs and details from veterans' memoirs that relate to the scenes revealed (75 years ago on this calendar year, 2018).

Please link to the following:

1. Operation HUSKY, Invasion of Sicily, July 1943.

2. Operation HUSKY, Invasion of Sicily, July 1943.

NA4186. Operation Husky: The Sicily Landings 9 - 10 July 1943: British

troops manhandle vehicles and equipment on the beaches as they are unloaded

from landing craft. Photo - Sergeant Frederick Wackett and IWM

Some of the Canadians in Combined Operations travelled to Sicily aboard SS Silver Walnut, and by journeying around Africa). Below are members of RCNVR (and Combined Operations) who were part of the 80th Flotilla of Canadian Landing Crafts:

Photo as found in St. Nazaire to Singapore.

3. Operation HUSKY, Invasion of Sicily, July 1943.

4. Operation HUSKY, Invasion of Sicily, July 1943.

5. Operation HUSKY, Invasion of Sicily, July 1943.

Photograph NA4072. Men of 2nd Seaforth Highlanders embarking

onto landing craft at Sousse en route for Sicily, 5 July 1943. 

Photo Credit - Sgt. Stubbs, No. 2 Army Film and Photographic

Unit and Imperial War Museum (IWM).

Please link to Photographs: Imperial War Museum - N. Africa, 1942 (5)

Unattributed Photos GH