Sommocolonia Italy/8th Indian Div/Gurkhas

Discussion in 'British Indian Army' started by Kieron Hill, Jul 8, 2010.

  1. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Hi Guys was not sure where to post this, I was contacted
    by a gentleman at the MOD in Whitehall asking for assistance
    in some research, I have posted a copy of the letter below.
    So if anyone has details of regiment/units in this area I would
    be really greatful for the information.

    Cheers
    Kieron

    Hello

    I hope you don’t mind me contacting you. My e-mail is not about the website. I have a question related to the British Eighth Army. I work for the Min istry of Defence and I have received a letter from the son of an American World War 2 soldier who was with a unit defending the village of Sommocolonia in Italy . He escaped with a few others and hid for two weeks when the Germans took the village. He was eventually rescued by a British Unit. The son wants confirmation of which unit it was. He says it was a unit a British Gurkhas and also says that the British Eighth Army’s 8th Indian Division was there at the time so it may have been them. I have forwarded his letter to the Gurkha museum who can research this but wondered if there was someone involved with the British Eighth Army that I could copy his letter to who could also help.

    Thanks in advance for any help you can give.



    Ministry of Defence

    Whitehall
     
  2. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    Only Gurkha unit in 8th Indian Division in Italy was 1st/5th Royal Gurkha Rifles.
     
  3. martin14

    martin14 Senior Member

    I know wiki isnt the best source.. but;

    8 Gorkha Rifles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


    8th Rifles



    The Regiment's battalions also saw active overseas actions in Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Tobruk, El Alamein and Burma during World War II where the Regiment earned its fourth VC and twenty-two battle honours. Lachhiman Gurung was awarded the VC during the Burmese Campaign. In January 1943 the 2nd Battalion was attached to the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade which had just returned from the Western Desert after having been almost destroyd at the Battle of Gazala [9] At the end of the month the brigade was renamed as the 43rd Indian Infantry Brigade (Lorried). The brigade and its Gurkha battalions were sent to Italy in mid 1944 as an Independent brigade.[9]
    The Regiment's World War II Battle Honours include:

    • Iraq 1941, North Africa 1940–43, Gothic Line, Coriano, Sant' Angelo, Gaiana Crossing, Point 551, Italy 1942–44; Tamu Road, Bishenpur, Kanglato-ngbi, Mandalay, Myinmu Bridgehead, Singhu, Shan-datgyi, Sittang, Imphal, Burma 1942–45.[7]

    and


    (Redirected from 43rd Indian Infantry Brigade)


    The 43rd Independent Gurkha Infantry Brigade or 43rd Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in 1943, by the renaming of the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade and instead of Indian cavalry regiment consisted of regular Gurkha infantry battalions. It was sent to join the 4th Indian Infantry Division, 8th Indian Infantry Division and the 10th Indian Infantry Division fighting in the Italian Campaign.[1]



    hope thats a start to the search.


    But, you think the MOD guys would have a complete history of who was where and when. ;)
     
  4. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    Kieron, you didn't provide any date so I assume that here we talking about Christmas Day attack. That battle is mentioned here and there you can find that 8th Indian Division was really there. But no confirmation of Gurkhas involved in this battle. In "The Tiger Triumphs - The Story of Three Great Divisions in Italy" there is mention of the battle in the Serchio Valley but according to that book only 19th and 21st Brigade took parts in the battle while 17th Brigade "had missed the fun" (1/5 Royal Gurkha Rifles was part of this brigade). If the guy who wrote the letter is sure that Gurkhas saved his father than that only could be unit I already mentioned.

    Of course everything this only stays if we really talking about Christmas Day attack.
     
  5. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Cheers guys muchly appreciated if gives me something
    to go on
     
  6. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    If map in "The Tiger Triumphs" is correct (I don't doubt that it is) than 43rd Lorried Brigade never fought in that part of Italy just like any other Indian Division except 8th Indian Division. So my suggestion is to start research with 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles.
     
  7. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Sol -
    Good idea as the 43rd were an independent brigade as from way back in the desert - and appeared alongside the 10th Indian Div - with 46th Div on their right flank earlier at the end of October near Cesena - when the Cdn 1st Div were on the Savio River - don't know where they went after that though as I think the 4th Indian went over to Greece about then- 10th Indian seemed to disappear about then as well
    Cheers
     
  8. martin14

    martin14 Senior Member

    Only Gurkha unit in 8th Indian Division in Italy was 1st/5th Royal Gurkha Rifles.


    Since they were rescued 2 weeks after, would it have been possible

    for the 17th to be in the area then ?
     
  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I agree with sol, I been checking maps & text of that book & come to same conclusion.
     
  10. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    Since they were rescued 2 weeks after, would it have been possible

    for the 17th to be in the area then ?

    Well that is possible. "The Tiger Triumphs" doesn't provide more details about movements of 17th Indian Brigade at those time. But:

    Early in January a general relief began, and the Division dispersed at rest in the Pisa area.
    So without any date or more details I could only guess. There is a book about 8th Indian Division: "One More River: The Story of The Eighth Indian Division". Maybe there will be possible to find more details about this battle but this book is very rare. But again if writer of the letter is sure that Gurkhas saved his father than they were probably from 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles because no other Gurkha unit was in that area at that time.
     
  11. pjv1955

    pjv1955 Junior Member

    Hello everyone. I am reading this thread and glad to see this segment of the war has not been forgotten. I took an interest in this area of the war because my father in law lived in Treppignana on the east side of the Serchio River and across the valley from Sommacolonia during the war. He was nearly killed as a youngster several times from aerial bombings, surprise minefields and drunken soldiers who were shooting up the town one day. I am hoping readers can help me locate vintage 1944-45 photographs of BARGA, CASTELNUOVO DI GARFAGNANA, TREPPIGNANA, RIANA, and BAGNI DI LUCCA, SERCHIO RIVER. In return I will send you copies of vintage American patrol reports of that area that a now deseased soldier copied me on years ago. They make interesting reading. Thank you for reading this.
     
  12. Bonafede

    Bonafede Junior Member

    Dear Mr Hill
    I stumbled across your letter Whilst "googling" about Sommocolonia and I can unequivocally put the record straight.
    I was living in the village at the time of the battle. As a 13 year old boy I have vivid memories of the events during that period. The soldier mentioned was a wounded African American (Buffalo soldier).
    He was hidden from the German troops along with a wounded comrade in a stable by my mother and aunt.
    After the battle the village was re-taken by elements of the Eight Indian Infantry Division - Sikh troops commanded by British officers. There were never any Gurkha troops in that area.
    You can read my eye witness account of this event and other hair-raising details of the battle of Sommocolonia in my book "La Vacanza", available from Amazon.

    Yours sincerely,

    Bernard Moscardini
     
  13. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Bernards account rings more true than anything else so far on this thread as the Americans were not immune from the myths - every Tank a Tiger - every Bomber a Heinkel - every Indian a Gurkha - everyone in the Scots battalion a Jock .....

    Cheers
     
  14. Bonafede

    Bonafede Junior Member

    Dear Mr Hill
    I stumbled across your letter whilst "googling" about Sommocolonia and I can unequivocally put the record straight. I was living in the village at the time of the battle. As a 13 year old I have vivid memories of the events at that time. The soldier mentioned was a wounded African American (Buffalo soldier).
    He was hidden from the German troops along with a wounded comrade in a stable by my mother and aunt.
    After the battle the village was re-taken by elements of the Eighth Indian Infantry Division - Sikh troops commanded by British officers. There were never any Gurkha troops in that area.
    You can read my eye witness account of this event and other hair-raising details of the battle of Sommocolonia in my book " La Vacanza", available from Amazon.

    Yours sincerely,

    Bernard Moscardini
     

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