Story Time: The Invasion of Sicily and Italy, 1943 (1)

Operation HUSKY: "This Was to be Our Worst Invasion Yet"

"Utter Death and Carnage," on the Beaches of Sicily

Happier times, as five members of RCNVR and Combined Operations

prepare to board a train for the West Coast of Canada, December 1943

Introduction:

After the invasion of North Africa, Operation TORCH (beginning November 8, 1942), Canadian sailors in Combined Operations who were involved - delivering troops and all materials of war to shore - returned to the United Kingdom, likely for a well-deserved leave before returning to various Royal Navy and/or Combined Operations training centres. Moves to this camp or that camp were so numerous many sailors could not keep track of all the locations they visited. New Landing crafts were being developed and the growing number of recruits needed to keep up-to-date.

In the spring of 1943, the next Allied operation - during which many Canadians in Combined Ops spent three months in the Mediterranean - was on the horizon.

My father writes: 

Back to England I went for more training in May, 1943 with barges aboard the S.S. Silver Walnut, a real dud. We formed up and headed to sea again, this time from Liverpool. We didn’t know but Sicily was next. ("Dad, Well Done" page 27)

I get the impression from his memoirs that he spent time at HMS Weymouth (near Southend-on-Sea, east of London on the River Thames) after Operation TORCH, but there are a few stories about being in Scotland as well. When he arrived in Liverpool with landing craft aboard the Walnut he likely thought "more training lies ahead. What camp will we visit next?" 

How about Sicily? And on such a troubled ship it will take 5 - 6 weeks to get there. As usual, the sailors were not likely told their destination until they arrived in Alexandria, after a worrisome, at times downright dangerous, trip around Africa.

Story Time, The Invasion of Sicily, Part 1, follows:

YouTube - https://youtu.be/GUe9A3zH1sI

S.S. Silver Walnut.  Photo from the collection of Doug Harrison

Doug Harrison (right) with Jim Malone, Canadians in Combined Ops

As found in The Norwich Gazette, early 1990s

While travelling on the Silver Walnut around Africa, my father enjoyed a few rare adventures (and misadventures) with 'a Scottish engine room engineer named Hastings.' One story about the lengthy trip and his eventual arrival in Alexandria aboard Silver Walnut can be found here.

The Scottish engineer is hidden by a headdress? Mr. Harrison smiles a bit.

The Navy cap worn by my father can be seen behind me in the videos

Photo as found in The Norwich Gazette, early 1990s

A Navy hammock, originally belonging to Bill Katanna, who

worked aboard the same landing craft as my father in Sicily.

It can now be found at the Navy Museum in Esquimalt, BC

More to follow from my father's three months in the Mediterranean, July - early October, 1943.

Please click here to for Story Time: "Stealing Chickens" by G. Douglas Harrison

Unattributed Photos GH