7th Oxs & Bucks Monte Camino November 1943

ondie -
The beautiful rebuilt Monastery was opened in 1964 by Pope Paul V1 - the main funds for this came from the Italian people and a big bronze Statue of the dying St.Benedict supported by some of his monks stands in the main courtyard and was funded by the German people under Chancellor Conrad Adenauar.

The site was cleared of rubble by hand by the monks after the Abbot refused the help of Lt Col Maurice Menage CRE.MBE and another American Engineer sent by Gen Alexander to assist in any way.

They found an unexploded British shell at the foot of the statue of St Benedict and it was cleaned up and presented to Pope Pius X11 afterwards -

The main German General in charge of the resistence at Cassino was Fridolin von Senger und Etterlin who was a member of the St Bendict's order and was thus charged with the defence of all things Benedictine - he did his job very well by holding up two armies for six months !

One word over the entrance is " PAX " which means peace ! There is a boy's boarding school there and the Library holds more than 40,000 works by the ancient philosophers - Ovid - Cicero - Horace and all the others

Cheers

 

Tom/Condie,

Guys, thanks for clearing up the cloth confusion, i've been taking your advice and have read "Cassino" The Hollow Victory by John Ellis. What a fight that was !, you get the feeling a lot of lives were wasted on that objective. The bombardment was quite some event, my late father was near Avellino (about 20 miles away east). It seemed a impenetrable fortress, one soldier describes it as "the abbey was always watching you" looking down at you constantly wherever you were, like eyes and such a massive presence.

cheers

Derrick

 

Hi Condie & TC

Just read the whole thread and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cheers - Robert

 

Hi Condie & TC

Just read the whole thread and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cheers - Robert

Robert,

I have to agree with you.

The thread is excellent reading.

Regards
Tom

 

Robert & TCS -
Glad you had some enjoyment from the thread as it ranged over quite an area also a few subjects from our luxury cruise to Algiers -the leisurely ten mile walk to Cap Matifou in 90 degree heat - the scenary of Algeria - the Salerno Mutiny - from Bougie - Bone - Constandine -Tripoli all the way to Montecassino.

Where I had much of my knowledge of the Abbey at Cassino was from a neighbour when I lived in Highcliffe a small village near Bournemouth - this was the man who was also involved in the wadi crossing in Tunisia near Medjez el Bab which was nick-named " St.Peter's Crossing" where he was in command of the Engineers building the Bailey Bridge - and his sappers were falling like snowflakes - as IF you were to cross there that day - you were sure to meet St.Peter !

His name was Lt.Col. Maurice Menage M.B.E. - RIP !

you might also be interested in this link to the Abbey...

BBC - WW2 People's War - The Abbey at Montecassino

Cheers

 

Hi Guys,
Glad you enjoyed this. Thanks to TOM (Canning) who is such a resource, it amazes me.
For me it is an eye opening journey which does not follow a straight line. Each little side road that you meet along the way has its own intriguing story to draw you in with. My dossier has grown along with my knowledge thanks to those who were there and have that all important first hand knowledge. I hope that when I write this up and pass it on to my family and others, that I can do all of those involved, justice and give them some of the recognition that they deserve.

For those of The 7th Ox & Bucks that lie in Cassino War Cemetary or are at least remebered there. R.I.P
001
ALLCOCK
HW
14546904
7TH BN
12/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
002
ALLEN
SJ
5379224
7TH BN
12/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
003
BAILEY
RB
124857
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
004
BAILEY
A
5387814
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
005
BAMPTON
AJ
5383535
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
006
BATT
WJ
5389851
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
007
BLATCHER
RS
5383954
7TH BN
12/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
008
BOLTON
JH
4983465
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
009
BOYCE
TH
5387931
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
010
BROOKS
AT
5390105
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
011
BROWN
E
5383451
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
012
CONDIE
GDM
14363599
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
013
COOPER
AE
14543879
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
014
DEAN
RC
5386852
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
015
DUDMAN
PJ
176274
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY

016
FOX
G
5675301
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
017
HAAG
E
5381100
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
018
HADDEN
AE
5378899
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
019
HALL
EG
3449476
7TH BN
12/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
020
HARDING
E
6143092
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY

021
HATTON
G
5389723
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
022
HOWKINS
RJ
14317958
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
023
KIBBLE
JA
203089
ATTD 5TH
13/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
024
MCCUDDEN
J
5382176
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
025
MILLARD
GT
5387451
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
026
MITCHELL
F
14380348
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
027
MORGAN
TL
14543270
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
028
PERKS
HJ
5387841
7TH BN
12/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
029
REESON
GW
5682244
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
030
ROSE
JG
6153251
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
031
SIMMS
J
6143558
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
032
SMITH
HT
5675937
7TH BN
10/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
033
SMITH
HWG
5389311
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
034
SYDDALL
J
5441062
7TH BN
14/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
035
TODD
RW
4469937
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
036
TURVEY
WA
5387488
4TH BN
14/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
037
WILKINS
CF
5386983
7TH BN
11/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY
038
WRIGHT
JRB
130353
7TH BN
13/11/1943
OXFORD AND BUCKS LIGHT INFANTRY

 

Hi Condie
Here are some photos of 7th ox/bucks taken in Egypt i think
i dont have any names for them but i have some of 2/6 queens aswell if you want them, I know they were at Camino







Phill

 

Thanks Phil,
I would be interested in seeing those 2/6 queens phots if you dont mind
regards
Gordon

 

There sure is a lot to confuse. Condie's last posting thumbnail shows the same date of embarkation as my father 53 PTW then transferred to Beds & Herts LI.
He claims they spent some time out in the Atlantic but eventually arrived and disembarked Phillipville 30/7/1943 by which time they were permanently attached to 6th Battn Northants Regiment.
I guess that they were all shuttled around as reserves as Dad ended up in 2 RSF for the Italy campaign.

 

Condie
My father was in the 7th OBLI until a few days after the first camino action when he was transfer to 5th Bn Essex.I am researching my fathers progress through the war and have found an excellent source of information at www.lightbobs.com. There is a section covering Oct - Dec 43 starting with the Volturno crossing and adetailed account of the camino battle.

 

I guess that men from almost any unit in Italy in that area might have been involved on Mount Camio.
My Father was part of a 40 strong party from 5 RHA sent to mount Camio to porter water food and ammunition up the mountain from where the mules left off.
This was towards the end of the battle but they still came under machine gun fire from across the valley.he described some very harrowing scenes on the slopes and summit.

 

This from my fathers Journal serving with G Battery 5 RHA

MOUNT CAMINO
Our objective was reached and we returned south to a place called Piano and was there for a few days and told our Infantry had taken Mount Camino but were out of water and supplies.”40 volunteers wanted, you, you, you and you”
That meant me.
To take up the required things we were (40 of us) in two Lorries driven all the way back across the Volturno up to the base of Mount Camino.
The mules had brought the supplies so far and our job was to carry a two gallon can of water and a box of rations all with our full kit and rifle. We were warned off about bobby traps and after a very hard effort we approached the top. One chap was wounded in the leg by a trip wire in the ground.
A cloud drifted by and as it cleared heavy machine gun fire from over the other side of the ravine made us duck quick and wait for another cloud to cover us. We got to the top with a view above the clouds.
On the top were German dead and some of our wounded, It had been a terrific battle there and the mountain had changed hands twice.
A lot of our dead still lay on the side of the mountain and the Germans had poisoned the spring alongside.
I think the chaps were the 49th Division and the Irish Guards. Due to the exposed position we could only help out where we could and more organised help was needed by those still on a stretcher. We returned minus one man to Piano and a week later they told us we were going home after two years.