Wounded, Monte Cassino

Discussion in 'Italy' started by anthony P, Mar 16, 2016.

  1. anthony P

    anthony P Member

    Good Evening to one and all.

    New to the forum.

    I have been a member for 6 months, and have been reading the many and varied Post's.

    It soon became obvious that I needed to apply for my late Father's Service Record's, these I now have.

    Therefore I feel that I can begin to ask the knowledgeable member's for any information concerning my Father.

    Private Kenneth Plimbley, 14201523, 2nd Battalion "Queen's Own" Cameron Highlander's, wounded (shrapnel) 31st March 1944, Monte Casino, Casualty List No 1408.

    I am looking for any information on the Casualty Clearing Station number, the Hospital in Naples he would have been
    admitted to, and more importantly the Hospital Ship he returned home on. He left Naples 8th April 1944, and arrived back in the U.K. 16th April.

    I have a postcard sent to his Mother (my Grandmother) informing her he was in Nottingham General Hospital, dated
    18th April 1944. On returning to duty, August 1944, he was posted to Belgium as a Prisoner of War Guard, until
    January 1946.

    Many Thanks in anticipation.

    Regards.

    Tony.
     
  2. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hi from Sue's excellent site; it seems you have a choice of three -
    http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/112.html
     
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  3. anthony P

    anthony P Member

    Hi dbf

    Thanks very much for the information, and for introducing me to " Sue's excellent site", most informative.

    Thanks again.

    Regards.

    Tony.
     
  4. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    dbf likes this.
  5. anthony P

    anthony P Member

    Good morning TD.

    Many thanks for the information.

    Looks like a real possibility, the dates fit with my father's Service Records.
    Thanks also for the google link, nice to know about the ship he may have been brought home on.

    Much appreciated

    Regards

    Tony.
     
  6. anthony P

    anthony P Member

    Hi TD.

    You were spot on with the Atlantis.

    Followed the google link you posted, and up to now three other wounded Servicemen who returned to Avonmouth, 16th April 1944 were transferred by train to Nottingham General Hospital, as was my Father.

    Many thanks for replying so quickly, and thanks for share your Knowledge and information.

    Regards.

    Tony.
     
  7. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Tony.

    Your father was wounded whilst the battalion was deployed in the line holding Snakeshead Ridge. They held the position for a month between the end of the Second Battle and the end of the Third Battle. Whilst they did not attack Point 593 during the Third Battle because that battle was focused on attacking through the town and up the side of the front of Monastery Hill, they were continually shelled by the Germans and some American artillery that clipped the edge of the Ridge.

    I have stood on Snakeshead Ridge many, many times and I cease to be amazed what men like your father endured in the snow, sleet and endless rain.

    Regards

    Frank
     
  8. anthony P

    anthony P Member

    Hi Frank.

    The information that my Father was wounded at "Snakeshead Ridge" is quite amazing. He not one for talking about the war, only to say that the destruction of the Monastery was appalling, and there was no need for the terrible loss of life trying to take it. He always believed that they could have gone around it.

    Thank you very much for your response, a clear picture is now emerging.

    Regards

    Tony
     
  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Have you got copies of the battalion's war diary ?
    Couple of chaps on here can help you with that.
    What date did you Dad join the battalion?

    There's a thread on the Bn you may find of interest.

    http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/53389-captain-ian-jack-2-camerons/

    PS there's a few pages in the 4th Indian Divisional history regarding the medical arrangements & evacuation of the wounded.
     
  10. anthony P

    anthony P Member

    Hi Owen

    My Dad joined up 13th Feb 1942, age 19 years.
    Posted I.T.C. Chichester.
    Posted 1st Battalion Liverpool Scottish, Glasgow, 26th June 1942.
    Posted 2nd Battalion Cameron Highlanders, Lerwick, 20th December 1942.
    Embarked overseas 13th December 1943.

    I understand that the 2nd Battalion Cameron's had to be reformed due to being wiped out in North Africa, hence almost 12 months training on Lerwick.

    All information from Dad Service Record's.

    Regards

    Tony.
     
  11. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Tony just nit picking here but CASINO is a gambling hall whereas CASSINO is the place where four battles were fought in Dec '43 - May '44

    Cheers
     
    Owen likes this.
  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    as mentioned last night, here's the pages from Fourth Indian Division by Lt Col GR Stevens OBE regarding the division's medical services at Cassino
     

    Attached Files:

  13. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Has anyone got the Bn war diary ?
    Reading Cochrane's Charlie Company & the Fourth Indian Division history I'm under the impression they were relieved on 25th March .
    Therefore they'd have been out of the line in the 31st.
    Can anyone clear this up ?
     
  14. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    2nd Lanc Fusiliers moved into the 'bowl' and relieved the Cameron's at 11 PM on 25th March. The Cameron's crossed the Rapido going East on the 26th March according to the regimental history.

    On the 29th March they were at Venafro-They stayed there until the 1st April. The battalion suffered 250 casualties inc 51 dead which in comparison to the two Rajputana Rifle battalions who suffered over 400 casualties in each battalion.
     
    Owen likes this.
  15. anthony P

    anthony P Member

    Good morning Owen.

    Thank you very much for the information.

    I am absolutely astounded reading about the bravery of the Medical Teams in such horrendous conditions. Many people, including myself, would not
    be here today without their undoubted courage.

    Talking to my Mother, 90 this year, she said Dad's only gripe was going up and down the steep narrow paths with mules carrying supplies to the front.
    Without information from people like yourself and other knowledgeable Members, the impact of the war on ordinary people would never have been realised.

    Again many thanks.

    Tom, please forgive my ignorance for spelling Cassino wrongly. No disrespect intended.

    Regards

    Tony
     
  16. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    The Monte Cassino Society has a recollection by an officer from your father's battalion describing some of their time at Cassino:

    http://www.montecassinosociety.org/index.php/monte-main/recollectionArticles/italy-and-greece/

    Login: guest
    Password: cassino

    This account also has the battalion crossing the Rapido to leave the area on March 26th. It also expressly mentions the nightly supplies coming up and along Dead Man's Gulch by mule teams.

    Their time around Point 593 sounds particularly unpleasant - an average of eight casualties (two fatal) each day.

    Edit: there's also a lot here on the battalion:
    http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/allied/battalion.php?pid=859

    As ships were mentioned:


     
  17. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    There's also a fairly well-known book by an officer in the battalion. You get accounts from both incarnations of the 2nd battalion because the author was wounded and sent home for treatment before his comrades were captured at Tobruk.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Cochrane_(soldier)
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Charlie-Company-Service-Highlanders-1940-1944/dp/1862273650/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458318054&sr=8-2&keywords=charlie+company+cochrane

    Best of all, you can hear the story directly from here in this (very) long interview:
    http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80019007
    (Reel 18+ if interested only in your father's time).

    Edit: Apologies - book mentioned by Owen already.
     
  18. anthony P

    anthony P Member

    Hi Charley

    Thank you very much for the information.

    I will spend time reading and digesting it.

    I have been amazed at the response from the forum members and their expert knowledge. For a layman like myself I was hoping for some clues
    to what my Dad went through, I can now appreciate why he was reluctant to speak about it.

    Thanks again

    Regards.

    Tony.
     
  19. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Tony

    you mentioned earlier that your Father felt there was no need for the battles around Cassino as they could have gone around it - this was exactly the problem…….in the first battle - late December -

    the three Afro- French divisions from the US 5th Army had indeed gone around the City and Monastery to the NE and were about to turn to the west to descend onto the Highway 6 - which would

    have cut off the supplies to the enemy - and opened up the whole area…….however - the US 34th Division had gone too close to the Monastery- and were clobbered…...

    The US General in charge of 5th Army - Mark Clark - acting unlike even a lance corporal of the British Army- brought the Afro-French divisions back to help out his US 34 Division - in other words

    he reinforced failure - not success…..thus opening the door to the other battles - by units of 8th Army- then had the gaul to disobey Alexanders Orders to halt the German retreating in May- again

    opening the door to the Gothic Line battles where 8th Army lost another 14.K KIA an 16K WIA -THEN - they made him Chief of the TWO Armies - we jut coulnd't believe it….

    cheers
     
  20. anthony P

    anthony P Member

    Hi Tom

    Many thanks.

    How good it is to have the valued, honest opinion of one who experienced it, who can give an true account of the atrocious events that took place.

    I have read that the D-Day landings was used to cover up the mistakes that were made at Monte Cassino.

    My Dad mentioned once that the U.S. Army were more of a threat than the Germans, I can now believe it.

    Once again thanks for you information.

    Best Regards

    Tony
     

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