Prior to Algiers 'Operation Torch'he was, in mid 1942, intended for the aborted 'Operation Rutter' assault on emingly he was elsewhere when the ill-fated assault took place in August. The other happening he sometimes mentioned was being in Taranto harbour when two troop ships collided bows on if I n were thrown into the sea and lost, one of the troopships was the Aoranji, the other MAY have been the Orantes or Aorantes. I know he was on the Rock at some point.have no idea when or for how long.
That said he never said much at all as stated previously.which helps little, can't ask him now, been gone 23 years. In answer to your question, I am not aware of anything happening to him in the way of wounds etc. Message 8 - D-Day Dodgers Posted on: 17 February 2004 by Chappie Sounds like your father missed all the fun at the Gothic line then, if he left after Cassino - was he wounded at Cassino or what for him " to be lifted to Belgium" most blighty wounds were too severe for further service !I was due for Blighty after the Gothic Line but they threw me off at Catania where they patched me up again and so I then joined the 16/5th Lancers in Austria ! We met up again at Vienna when we put on a Miltary Tattoo in June '46. the 78th along with 6th Armed Div and 46th Inf Div went on to Austria where 78th took over the Vienna and north sector wheras we / or rather me joined 6th Armd div in Central Austria and 46 Div.looked after the southern sector. We often had the pleasure of having them alongside when we i.e the Brit 21st Tank Brigade were supporting the 1st Canadina Inf Div in Italy until the left for Belgium in January '45. The 78th (battleaxe) Division was probably the best Infantry division in both the 1st Army in Algiers/ Tunisia and also in the 8th in Italy. Message 6 - D-Day Dodgers Posted on: 16 February 2004 by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper
© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. We are the D-Day Dodgers, way out in Italy. We were told to carry on a few more years, We hear the boys in France are going home on leave,Īfter six months service, such a shame they're not relieved. We drove a bus from Rimini, right through the Gothic Line, On our way to Florence, we had a lovely time, We didn't really fight there, we went there for the ride, The Moro and Ortona were taken in our stride, Jerry brought his bands out to cheer us on our way, We fought into Agira, a holiday with pay, We are the D-Day Dodgers, in sunny Italy. The only way to deal with this slur was to laugh, and so a song was composed to the tune of 'Lili Marlene', the haunting song by Marlene Dietrich. Since 1941, they'd had quite enough D-Day to last a lifetime during the North African and Italian campaigns: El Alamein, Tripoli, Mareth, Tunis, Sicily, Calabria, Algiers, Salerno, Anzio, and then the slog through the mountains of Italy. The fact is that the 8th Army were more than displeased to be called 'D-Day Dodgers', and with good reason. He replied that if he were her husband, he would drink it.
She was the one who once famously chided Winston Churchill for being drunk - to which he countered that she was ugly, and at least he would be sober in the morning! During another encounter with the Prime Minister she said that if he were her husband, she would give him poison. But then, she was known to say many things she must have regretted. It is generally believed that it was Lady Astor MP who first called the men of the 8th Army who were fighting in the Italian Campaign 'D-Day Dodgers'.