Alanbrooke and Salerno

Discussion in 'Italy' started by Tom OBrien, May 15, 2021.

  1. Tom OBrien

    Tom OBrien Senior Member

    In David Fraser's biography of Field Marshal Alanbrooke he writes [p.337 of paperback edition] that:

    "The Allies made good their landings at Salerno in mid-September. Brooke suffered the usual anxieties of a distant spectator. In retrospect he believed that the landings so far north had been too great a gamble, in view of the relative anticipated rates of build-up of forces in and against the beachhead, although he supported the gamble at the time. On 18th September, however, he wrote: ‘The Salerno landing now seems safe.’ Brooke’s caution – ‘I still do not think that we were right in taking such risks at that juncture of the campaign’ – was typical."

    The quote 'The Salerno landing now seems safe' is in the diaries edited by Danchev and Todman, but I can't find the other quote [in bold] in there and Fraser doesn't give a source for it. Does anyone have any ideas? A letter?

    Regards

    Tom
     
    Mark Surridge and Chris C like this.

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