Thursday, May 4, 2023

Photographs: Invasion of Sicily, July 1943 (1)

Operation Husky, From the Imperial War Museum Vault

News Articles are Plentiful, Photographs Even More So

Allied troops land in several areas in south eastern Sicily.
Map found in Combined Operations by C. Marks

Some troops and Navy members were in pretty hot action

According to Ross Munro, some had an easy landing!

Introduction:

Not only will readers find more entries re news clippings from The Montreal Gazette on this site (please check recent months in the Blog Archive in right hand margin; entries are entitled Research: Three Months in the Mediterranean, 1943)  but many excellent photographs will be shared as well. A link to the last set of photographs re the armada of ships involved in the invasion of Sicily is provided at the bottom of this entry.

With each photo shared below, including one video, a link will be provided to the Imperial War Museum (IWM) for more information, e.g., re the photographer's other photos during the war.

Any questions or comments re the photographs can be addressed to gordh7700@gmail.com

Photos re Sicily Invasion

1. Heading - SICILY: ALLIED TROOPSHIPS ANCHOR CLOSE INSHORE. 10 AND 12 JULY 1943, OFF SICILY, ON BOARD HMS NUBIAN.

[For more information re e.g., 'SICILY: ALLIED TROOPSHIPS ANCHOR CLOSE INSHORE', visit the Imperial War Museum Collections and enter part or all of the heading that comes with each photo.]

Liners right inshore, 4 miles south of Syracuse unloading troops and 
landing craft. Photo - Roper, F G (Lt)  © IWM A 18090 

The following map reveals more about "liners right inshore... south of Syracuse (Sicily) and related to the "unloading (of) troops" with the employment of "landing craft." Though it reads "MOST SECRET" I am sharing it anyway:


It reveals the depth of the water offshore the eastern coast of Sicily. It reveals the location of Red, Amber and Green beaches or landing zones for the 81st Flotilla of Canadian Landing Crafts at HOW Sector. (Please note the capital 'H' above the underlined words, Red, Amber and Green). It reveal many ships in station, e.g., the U.S. Liberty ships Big Foot Wallace and Mayo Brothers at positions C2 and B3, respectively. Several other Liberty ships and U.S. LSTs (Landing Ships, Tanks) are also listed. 

GEORGE Sector is the outlined bay, top right, home to three landing zones (also Red, Amber and Green) at which the 80th Flotilla of Canadian Landing Crafts (incl. my father Doug Harrison) worked for approx. 30 days, beginning July 10, 1943. I will visit the area this coming summer.

And now back to the photographs from the Imperial War Museum:

2. Heading - GOC 50TH DIVISION ADDRESSING TROOPS; CONVOY APPROACHES SICILY; LANDING OF THE INVASION FORCE IN SICILY

Full video re invasion of Sicily is 2min:47sec. in length and can be
found at The 50th Division landing in Sicily. © IWM AYY 502/7/1 
By Baker, Robert Sidney at War Office Film Unit (Production co.)

3. Heading - GREAT ALLIED INVASION FORCE NEARS SICILY. JULY 1943, ON BOARD THE TROOPSHIP WINCHESTER CASTLE, EN ROUTE TO SICILY.

Part of the huge invasion fleet on the way to Sicily. © IWM A 17976 
Photo - Royal Navy official photographer, Priest, L C (Lt)

4. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

The Drive for Messina. American troops pass a wrecked Italian tank at their
first objective, the coastal town of Gela. In the foreground are the residents
of the town, July 1943. Photo by US official photographer © IWM NY 3094

5. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

The Drive for Messina. Italian gunboat GENIERE lies on its side in Palermo Harbor
after being hit by a bomb, 23-26 July 1943. The Americans entered Palermo on 22 July,
cutting off 50,000 Italian troops in the west of the island. But the mobile Axis forces,
including most of the Germans, escaped to the north-east corner of the island. 

6. Heading - THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR: OPERATION HUSKY, SICILY, JULY 1943

Glimpse of the invasion coast as an armoured vehicle was being towed ashore from
landing craft during the landings in Sicily at dawn of the opening day of the invasion.

7. Heading - THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR: OPERATION HUSKY, SICILY, JULY 1943

Prisoners of war marching along the beach to awaiting ships, watched by Naval
Commandos, one of whom is armed with a Tommy gun at dawn of the opening day
of the invasion of Sicily. A landing craft infantry (large) (LCI (L) 124) and two
landing craft tanks LCT 382. Photo by Parnall, C H (Lt) Royal Navy official
photographer © IWM A 17913 

8. Heading - THE CAMPAIGN IN SICILY 1943: OPERATION HUSKY

Operation Husky: The Sicily Landings 9 - 10 July 1943: Italian prisoners, captured
while manning coastal machine gun posts, board a Royal Navy landing craft before
being transported to North Africa. Photo by Wackett, Frederick (Sergeant) No. 2 Army

9. Heading - THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR: OPERATION HUSKY, SICILY, JULY 1943

Just after dawn men of the Highland Division are up to their waists in water
unloading stores from landing craft tanks*. Meanwhile beach roads are being
prepared for heavy and light traffic during dawn of the opening day of the
© IWM A 17917 *landing craft tanks, aka LCTs

10. Heading - THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR: OPERATION HUSKY, SICILY, JULY 1943

A loaded landing craft tank (LCT 412) taking Royal Air Force personnel
to the Sicilian shores near Pachino during the invasion of the island.

11. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

The Operation Husky, 9 July–17 August 1943. Troops of the 44th Royal Tank
Regiment having a laugh at a duck, possibly their regimental mascot, which
perched on one of their trucks passing through Acireale, 10 August 1943.

12. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

A German Panzer III Ausf M (turret number 533) moves along a dusty road
in Sicily, August 1943. German official photographer © IWM MH 6341 

13. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

A Martin Baltimore of the Tactical Bomber Force of the North West African
Air Forces, flying over its target by a road in Sicily, while bombing retreating
German forces heading for Messina, August 1943. Royal Air Force official
photographer © IWM C 3772 

14. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

The Operation Husky, 9 July–17 August 1943. A group of Italian POWs and their
regimental mascot dog awaiting on the beach for evacuation from the island by a
landing craft, 21 July 1943. Note British troops and their Universal Carrier in the
background. Photo by Dawson (Sergeant) (Photographer) No. 2 Army Film and

15. Heading - THE ALLIED INVASION OF SICILY, JULY-AUGUST 1943

A British soldier reads up on Sicily, the target for the next Allied invasion,

16. Heading - ALLIED TRANSPORT PASSING NORTH THROUGH SICILY

Transport travelling through Linguaglossa, Sicily, on its way Northward. 
© IWM NA 5970 

More photographs related to the invasion of Sicily to follow.

Please visit the following entry related to the world's largest armada in military history as it approaches Sicily - Photographs: Armada to Sicily, July 1943 (3)

Unattributed Photos GH
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