10th Battalion Rifle Brigade Italy 1943-44

Discussion in 'Italy' started by 10Battalion, Mar 5, 2014.

  1. Dickie

    Dickie Member

    Vitellino, That is absolutely superb thank you - we are going to book our holiday in a cottage above Lake Trasimeno next Aug (vaccine willing) and will follow the route of the battalion and hopefully visit where he fell and say a prayer. Reading the war diary I need to find out which Company he was in to really understand the battle. I served for 30 years myself in the British Infantry and went to the Remembrance Service here on the 11th - your information and support made the day even more poignant thank you. Dickie
     
  2. vitellino

    vitellino Senior Member

    I used to live near the lake. If you need any more info. please ask.
     
  3. Craig day

    Craig day Member

    Hi Dickie
    My father was in B company, 10th Rifle Brigade through out the war. Since he passed away 10 years ago I have
    been researching his war years on and off. I went to Kew and copied the war diaries and read pretty much everything I can
    find on the 6th Armoured Division. I looked in my records and I think your uncle was in A Company. I went to Perugia 2 years ago for a couple of reasons, the first was Dad said the action around Perugia was the worst he experienced during the war (Including Tunisia and being wounded in the winter of 1944 whilst on the gothic Line). Secondly, after he passed away I went through all of his papers and I found a list that he had hand written which contained the names and service numbers of members of 10 RB along with a slide of a grave of a rifleman buried at CWGC Assisi (My parents went there in the 1950's). the listed pricked my curiosity and after some research I found that everyone on the list had been killed and was buried in CWG cemetery. (he would never have access to a computer let alone know how to operate one so I have now idea when or how he compiled the list.) your uncle was one of the names on the list!
    Regards
    Craig
     
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  4. Craig day

    Craig day Member

    Hi Dickie
    Further to my earlier post and i did some digging. attached are the pages from the battalion war diary for 23rd to 26th June 1944.
    Having re-read your post my Dad was also a wireless OP with 6 Platoon B Coy,
    Craig 23rd.jpg 24th-26th.jpg
     
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  5. Craig day

    Craig day Member

    Also Found this
     

    Attached Files:

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  6. Dickie

    Dickie Member

    Craig, All, What a great forum this is - thank you. Craig and I are talking separately but I was telling him my Mum (90) isn't coping too well under the Covid restrictions and I think she thinks Bert was B Coy but I am not going to push it. I think you are right it does seem he was A Coy - I will report back. When I went to the CWG in Assisi last year I went out of my way to find the groundsman - absolutely fantastic pair who clearly love their job - i will find my photos and post in due course.
     
  7. Dickie

    Dickie Member

    Happy New Year to everyone and again a huge thank you, over the Christmas period I actually had some time to re-read all your advice, notes, maps, etc and went through everything with my son and youngest daughter who were amazed at the accuracy of the records and genuinely excited about tracing the battalion's movements during Jun 44. My next aim is to go to Kew (vaccine willing) and find the Part 2 order (or equivalent) showing when Bert joined the Bn (he was only 19 when he died so I suspect he either joined them in North Africa or shortly after their arrival in Italy and then perhaps a road trip ending in Assisi. Thanks again all and stay safe.
     
  8. the_shadock

    the_shadock Member

    look at this... just acquired this today :D
     

    Attached Files:

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  9. Craig day

    Craig day Member

    Wow!
    how did you come by that if I may ask?
     
  10. the_shadock

    the_shadock Member

    Well it was for sale and I've been lucky. Any info on this officer, please?
     
  11. Craig day

    Craig day Member

    Hi
    not much I'm afraid, he is not on the Monthly Return of Officers dated 20th May 1944 when 10th Rifle Brigade were part of 26th Armoured Brigade, 6th Armoured Division. At the end of May 44 10th Rifle Brigade became part of the the newly formed 61st Infantry Brigade along with 2 & 7 Rifle Brigades along with some reorganisation so he might have come onto strength around that time.(10RB lost a couple of officers whilst fighting in the Liri Valley in May 44). He was captured on 22 June 1944 whilst serving with D Company in the action around Monte Rentella. In the end of June 1944 Officers Return he is listed as missing as well as June's casualty return.
    I always presumed he was a "new boy" but the medal bar on the battledress shows that he had been awarded the Africa Star, so he had served with someone else before joining 10RB. I was wondering how that tunic had survived, I guess it wasn't the one he was wearing when captured and I cant believe his other kit would have survived after his capture. It also has the medal bar attached which I am also guessing would not have been worn whilst in action and most of those medals wouldn't have been awarded until after the date of capture anyway. (I have a photo of my Dad whilst in Tunisia, around the end of 1943 in which he has the Africa Star ribbon on his Tunic.). It would be interesting know about his internment an subsequent release and maybe that tunic is from around that time?
    Regards
    Craig
     
  12. the_shadock

    the_shadock Member

    hello Craig,
    researches done by the previous owner revealed that this officer, named "Lt. Edward Salvatore Borrelli 15 May 1924- Apr 1996, was part of The Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade. He served at the tail end of the Africa campaign and into Italy. In 1944 he was captured around July 3rd 1944 and was sent to a POW camp in Mossburg, Bavaria. He was a Captain in 1946.". That is nearly all I have about him.
    It is believed that this battledress, manufactured in 1943, was the one used for parades or ceremonies in 1943-44, that he didn't wear at the time of his capture, or maybe one he has got in 1945, after his release from the POW camp?

    Pierre-Olivier
     
  13. Craig day

    Craig day Member

    Hi,
    looks like I gave you a bit more info than you knew previously, at the time of his capture he was a lieutenant and you state that in 1946 he was a Captain, so it would look like that he stayed on after his release and I would guess the battledress dates from that time.
    Nice find though, its amazing these things are still about!
    Regards
    Craig
     
  14. the_shadock

    the_shadock Member

    Well, I can also tell you that the battledress was found along with the pants in Chicago area (former owner kept the pants). No idea how it ended up there !
    Thanks fot all the info!

    P-O
     
  15. the_shadock

    the_shadock Member

    By the way, what kind of hat did the 10th battalion wear, please?
     
  16. Craig day

    Craig day Member

    Hi, in most of the pictures of my father he is wearing a beret
     
  17. the_shadock

    the_shadock Member

    hello again, I have received the Battle Dress from Lt Borrelli today, and here is some more info on this officer :
    he seems to have joined the Rifle Brigade on 6 March, 1943. That would correspond with the "tail end of the Africa campaign". The BD is dated 1943. There is a record about him being a POW, dated 22/06/1945, so best guess is that he was liberated in May or June of that year.

    thanks for all your help so far.
     
  18. GANDALF

    GANDALF Member

    Sorry for my delay but due to my job I was far from ww2 talks for longtime.
    I live in Corciano and severals years ago I had the chance to talk to the platoon leader of your uncle.
    Your uncle died during a german counterattack against S.Agostino Church (just south of the village) conducted by the 15th panzergrenadier division.
    If you will come here please contact me and I will try to meet you for a "battle tour" in Corciano
     
  19. Dickie

    Dickie Member

    Gandalf, That is fantastic thank you so much, in theory we are trying to come to Italy in mid August. We have a villa booked south of Follonica - very sadly our villa above your beautiful lake Trasimeno had to have some building work). To be honest I am not sure whether we are coming at the moment because of the covid quarantine rules on return as we have family wedding in early Sept. I will contact you if we are coming and if we do we will drive over and meet you at a date convenient to you. Thanks again this is really kind of you
     
  20. GANDALF

    GANDALF Member

    please, let me know when you come in Italy because I work in Grosseto so will be easy for me to meet you.
    I will send you a message with my phone number
     

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