Monte Camino

Discussion in 'Italy' started by Paul Reed, Mar 4, 2008.

  1. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    On our Italy trip this year we are aiming to visit this battlefield. I have just been reading about the action here in November 1943 - it looks as if it was fought over even more impossible terrain than Cassino.

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    Caption: Monte Camino November - December 1943: View of Monte Camino during the early stages of the first assault by the British 10th Corps.

    Anyone got any good photos, sources etc?

    Anyone been up there?
     
  2. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    This looks like the mule track used to get up and down to the positions on the feature.

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    Caption: Monte Camino November - December 1943: Stretcher bearers work under fire and in heavy rain to bring casualties down the side of Monte Camino.

    The approx GE location of this is: 41°21'28.02"N 13°56'56.54"E
     
  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Paul.
    I have this from The Grenadier Guards 1939-1945.
    The short version not the multi-volume set.
    The photo of strecther bearers is captioned on my copy as "Monte Camino, Evacuating casualties of the 6th Battalion."
    Sorry photos are blurred, I'll redo them some other time.
    It's not from the original book but a photo-copied one in a file I did back in 1986 after being lent it by Mr Calvert.
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  4. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Interesting - wonder if the monument is still there?
     
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  6. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Just found these photos of the battlefield:

    MONTE CAMINO
     
  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  8. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Nice one, Owen!
     
  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Not quite an exact then & now but I was on the right track, give or take a few hundred yards.

    Monte Camino November - December 1943: Stretcher bearers work under fire and in heavy rain to bring casualties down the side of Monte Camino.

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  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD


    I'm currently kicking myself as I forgot that D.A.S. Adair , 6GG , was killed on Camino and is buried in Cassino War Cemetery.
    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    Son of Maj-Gen Adair, GOC, Guards Armoured Division.


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    Here is a view of Monte Camino overlooking the hamlet of Mieli, where we found the scorpion, the mule track leads up from there too.

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    If I remember correctly, the Scots Guards went up from Mieli to aid 6 GG.
    The Grenadiers history also mentions Mieli.
    Four hundred and eighty three Grenadiers had gone up to Camino, and only two hundred and sixty three returned.
    Of the survivors, some could scarcely move from frost-bite, and others arrived back in Mieli in a state of such exhaustion that even the prospect of rum , blankets and a hot meal after all those days of cold and rain and near starvation could not rouse them to stir another yard.
    They slept in the caves and shells of houses, indifferent to the heavy gunfire around them.




    Here is another wartime photo of Camino.
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  11. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Found some more maps of Camino in the 201st (Guards) Bde HQ War Diary.

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    Another:

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    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 26, 2020
  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    From "The Story Of 46 Division 1939-1945" , facing page 56 labelled
    'Mieli with Camino behind.'

    The muletrack stands out well.

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    Paul Reed likes this.
  13. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Nicely found matey - from someone who had the book before we went! doh!
     
  14. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    some photographs, not sure if they are all Cassino, but they are Italy

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    Paul Reed likes this.
  15. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Good stuff, Philip. What's the source of these? An arty history from your collection?
     
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  16. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Yep 17 Field Regt RCA
     
  17. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Paul/Owen -
    friend of mine in the RAMC called Camino - "Bare Arsed Ridge" - I think he was right -
    he said that the worst sight was to look at a line up of dead guardsmen with brasses still sparkling and boots all polished........they took an awful beating up there...as they did everywhere in Italy.
    Cheers
     
  18. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Hi Tom - there was an actual position there called that. Myself and Owen reckon we found where it was back in May. An incredible place just to climb, let along fight over!
     
  19. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Nice find; amazing what is in some of this RA histories.
     
  20. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Indeed, well check the others again to see if they have any more
     

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