Royal Canadian Legion

60th Anniversary of the Invasion of Sicily Ceremonies
A Tribute to the Soldiers of the First Canadian Division

1st Canadian Division
Major General GG Simonds

Divisional Troops

1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade
(redesignated 1st Armoured Brigade, 26.8.43)
Brigadier RW Wyman

The invasion of Sicily was to be carried out by the Seventh U.S. Army under Lieutenant General George S. Patton, and the British Eighth Army under General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery. The Canadians were to be part of the British Army. From the early planning stages difficulties arose in getting commanders to agree on a clear battle plan for the operation. The problems were best summed up by a couple of comments from Montgomery who said; " The Husky planning is a hopeless mess ... We are an amazing race, and it is quite wonderful how we ever win any wars" and " If we do Husky it must succeed ... I am fighting to get sanity into the planning. It is hard work; I am also fighting Germans - which is much easier".

Under the command of Major-General G.G. Simonds, the Canadian troops sailed from Great Britain in late June. En route, 58 Canadians were drowned when three ships of the assault convoy were sunk by enemy submarines. They also lost some 500 vehicles and a number of guns. Late on the night of 09 July, the Canadians joined the invasion armada of nearly 3,000 allied ships and landing craft. The Canadians formed the left flank of the British II Corps that was spread over 40 miles of shoreline on the southern tip of the island. The Americans meanwhile would establish three more beachheads over another 40 miles of coast west of the Canadians.

On Wednesday 09 July 2003 three members from Zone Europe departed by rail to attend the 60th Anniversary of the Sicily invasion. The Zone Commander through the Royal British Legion and the Canadian Embassy in Rome had arranged the trip and we were to meet for the ceremony at 1100 hours on 10 July at the British War Cemetery in Catania, Sicily.

The train trip was long to say the least and the seating arrangements have a lot to be desired as vacation time was upon us but when we came to Rome seats became available. At about 2330 hours we changed trains in Naples where we had a sleeper compartment for the remainder of the trip. The conductor of the train put us in a compartment, which we shared with some lady. I don't know how she felt about being invaded by us three guys but it was late and sleep was top priority. We awoke at dawn as the train was being shunted abroad the fairy that would take us across the Strait of Messina from mainland Italy to the Island of Sicily. We went up on deck to get some air during the crossing and when we returned our lady companion was long gone. Only in Italy they say!

We pulled into the station at Catania at about 0830 hours and took a taxi to the Hotel Gelso Bianco checked in and immediately grabbed another taxi to the airport where we rented a car and headed to the British War Cemetery for the ceremony. We actually arrived in plenty of time to view the cemetery, which is situated just south west of Catania. Looking north from the well kept cemetery's location on the coastal plain in the Contrada Bicocca district, the venerable volcano Mount Etna can be clearly viewed. Many of the war dead here lost their lives during the latter part of the eastern campaign in Sicily including the heavy fighting near Catania as well as the battle for the Simeto River bridgehead. The cemetery contains 2,142 graves, the majority of them British and 113 of them unknown. However, there are 12 Canadian graves, containing the remains of 22 airmen all members of the RCAF although most of them were attached to Royal Air Force squadrons. There is also one Polish grave.

Prior to the actual ceremony we had the opportunity to meet with the British contingent and our Colour Party formed up with the standard barriers of the Royal British Legion. On the arrival of the Canadians which included the Canadian Ambassador the Honourable Robert Ramsay Fowler and his wife, the Military Attaché Colonel Peter Hauenstein and members of his staff from Rome the ceremony got underway as the Colours led the procession to the Cross of Sacrifice. The ceremony was conducted under hot sunny skies as aircraft skimmed the cemetery on their approach to the nearby airport. On completion of the ceremony we met with Colonel Hauenstein who introduced us to the Ambassador and his wife. The Ambassador invited us to have lunch with them in Siracusa saying just follow us! They left under a police escort that took off at high speed and we never saw them again until the next day.

A page or two could be written about the driving conditions in Sicily. If we were not totally awake when we got in the taxi at the train station you soon became wide eyed as the taxi driver drove as though we were in a demolition derby as did everyone else. Simply no one will give a centimetre as they drive two and three abreast coming and going in all directions. The taxi driver Reberto who took us to the airport was very friendly and wanted to tell us all about the fair city, his family, kids, his upbringing, his parents which was nice but I personally would have preferred he paid a little more attention to the road. Gerry who drove our rented car first tried to drive normal but you might as well park the car because you would get nowhere. It wasn't long before Gerry became one of them and certainly deserves a medal as for the next four days he managed to keep us accident free as we put on many miles on the highways and byways of Sicily. We did nickname him Girardo by about the second day.

Having lost our escort we drove south along the coast to the sight of the Canadians landing point just west of Pachino. There is a monument near the entrance to what is today an American Military Communications Establishment. We laid a wreath at the monument surveyed the landing sight, visited Pachino and headed back to the hotel.

The next morning we left the hotel early but since our ceremony at the Canadian War Cemetery in Agira was not until 1630 hours we decided to drive the route taken by the Canadian Soldiers. From the Pachino beaches, where just after dawn on July 10, 1943 the assault (proceeded by airborne and glider landings) went in. Resistance from Italian coastal troops was light, the Canadians pushed forward through choking dust, over tortuous mine filled roads. At first all went well, but resistance stiffened as the Canadians were engaged increasingly by determined German troops who fought tough delaying actions from the vantage points of towering villages and almost impregnable hill positions. On 15 July just outside the village of Grammichele, Canadian troops came under fire from Germans of the Hermann Goering Division. The village was taken by the men and tanks of the 1st Infantry Brigade and Three Rivers Regiment.

Piazza Armerina and Valguarnera fell on successive days, after which the Canadians were directed against the hill towns of Leonforte and Assoro. Despite the defensive advantages which mountainous terrain gave to the Germans, after bitter fighting both places fell to the Canadian assault. Even stiffer fighting was required as the Germans made a determined stand on the route to Agira. Three successive attacks were beaten back before a fresh brigade, with overwhelming artillery and air support, succeeded in dislodging the enemy. On July 28, after five days of hard fighting at heavy cost, Agira was taken.

Meanwhile, the Americans were clearing the western part of the island and the British were pressing up the east coast toward Catania. These operations pushed the Germans into a small area around the base of Mount Etna where Catenanuova and Regalbuto were captured by the Canadians.

The final Canadian task was to break through the main enemy position and capture Adrano. Here, they continued to face not only enemy troops, but also the physical barriers of a rugged, almost trackless country. Mortars, guns, ammunition, and other supplies had to be transported by mule trains. Undaunted, the Canadians advanced steadily against the enemy positions, fighting literally from mountain rock to mountain rock.

With the approaches to Adrano cleared, the way was prepared for the closing of the Sicilian campaign. The Canadians did not take part in this final phase, however, as they were withdrawn into reserve on 07 August. Eleven days later, British and American troops entered Messina. Sicily had been conquered in 38 days.

On our way to Agria we stopped in the town of Caltagirone for a beer and met with some of the local people. The owner of the pub could speak English and it wasn't long before we found out that a few more of the patrons could speak German so we spent about an hour or so chatting with them. We had to move on to a designated place that we had arranged to meet with the Canadian Continent who were also doing a battle tour and head for the Canadian War Cemetery in Agria.

Under police escort we drove to the mountain top city of Agria where we had a warm welcome by the mayor and his delegates. The Mayor of Agria and Ambassador Fowler gave very touching speeches in Italian, which was translated into English. They both paid tribute and expressed their sincere gratitude of having present members of the Royal Canadian Legion, which they consider to be the prevalent organisation to represent the war dead and veterans of Canada. Gifts were exchanged and a buffet was served as we toured the beautiful town hall. Then it was on to the Canadian War Cemetery, which is located on a small hill in the Commune of Agira and the Province of Enna, in the heart of Sicily, approximately 70 kilometres from Catania. After the Sicilian campaign the decision was made to concentrate into one cemetery the graves of all Canadians who gave their lives in the island fighting, and in September of 1943 Canadian officers chose the site at Agria. It contains the graves of 490 Canadians (13 members of the RCAF and 477 of the army), six of whom are unidentified. It should be remembered, a number of war dead have graves which are unknown (including 58 Canadians who drowned when the convoys were attacked en route to Sicily). Their names are commemorated on the Cassino Memorial in mainland Italy. In all, it is estimated that 562 Canadians died as a result of this campaign.

For the ceremony the Legion Colours again led the procession to the Cross of Sacrifice. The Zone Commander conducted the ceremony where he got everyone involved the Ambassador and the Mayor gave the address the Military Attaché, Colonel Hauenstein read the scripture the Zone Commander recited the Act of Remembrance. Also present was a full band of young people who done a super job sounding the Last Post, Reveille and the National Anthems of Italy and Canada. The Ambassador was quite overwhelmed and as he said honoured when the Zone Commander requested him to lay the wreath on behalf of the Royal Canadian Legion. Following the ceremony it seemed that no one wanted to leave the cemetery as people gathered in small groups and wandered about the cemetery taking many photos and spent time just chatting it was all quite moving. Eventually the ambassador's staff reminded him that he had another engagement and that they were already late, he offered us to accompany him but it was late and we still had a long drive to get back to the hotel so we said our farewells and departed.

Having completed our goals in Sicily we basically had Saturday free so in the morning we did a visit to the city centre went to the famous outdoor market along with everyone else in Sicily and spent the afternoon in our hotel pool. Next morning it was off to the airport to turn in the car, a taxi took us to the train station on two wheels most of the time caught our train and headed home. The trip was no shorter on the way home and yes we got to share a compartment with a young Chinese girl who seemed to take it all in stride.

The remainder of the war dead as a result of the campaign are buried in the Syracuse War Cemetery which is located in the Contrada of Canalicchio in the Commune and Province of Syracuse. It lies 3 kilometres west of Syracuse. Turn left at the end of the Catania to Syracuse AutoRoute and the cemetery can be found approximately 5 kilometres along on the left hand side. The site of the cemetery was selected in 1943 at an early stage in the operations for the capture of Sicily. In this cemetery most of the graves are those of men who lost their lives in the landings in Sicily on 10 July 1943, and in the early stages of the campaign on the island. They include those of a considerable number who belonged to the Airborne and Glider Force that was landed immediately west of the town during the night 9th & 10th July. Graves were brought into Syracuse War Cemetery from as far north as Lentini. There are now a small number of 1914-18 and over 1,000, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 100 from the 1939-45 War are unidentified and a special memorial has been erected to one British soldier known to have been buried among them. In addition, three special memorials commemorate men known to have been originally buried in other cemeteries in the region, but whose graves could not be found on concentration. The grave from the 1914-18 War, was transferred here from Marsala British Cemetery.

The Sicilian campaign was a success. Although many enemy troops had managed to retreat across the strait into Italy, the operation had secured a necessary air base from which to support the liberation of mainland Italy. It also freed the Mediterranean Sea Lanes and contributed to the downfall of Mussolini, thus allowing a war wearied Italy to sue for peace.

The Canadians had acquitted themselves well in their first campaign. They had fought through 240 kilometres of mountainous country farther than any other formation in the Eighth British Army. During their final two weeks, they had borne a large share of the fighting on the allied front. Canadian casualties throughout the fighting totalled 562 killed, 664 wounded and 84 prisoners of war.

At the end of the Sicily campaign, Montgomery arrived one day where the whole Canadian brigade was formed up and waiting. He had the men break ranks and gather around his vehicle, gave the men permission to smoke and told them how much the Canadians had helped in the conquest of Sicily. He said; " I regard you know as one of the veteran divisions of my army, just as good as any if not better. I knew the Canadians on the Western Front in the last war and there were no better soldiers anywhere. I wonder what they would say to you now if they could speak to you? I think they would say something like this; "Well done. We have handed you the sword and you have wielded it well and truly".

Allied Casualties
(10 July - 17 August 1943)
United States Battle Losses


Seventh Army figures include USAAF Pilots and Crew losses since 14 May 1943 but does not include losses from the Airborne drop which were 28 killed, 41 wounded and 88 missing.

British Battle Losses

Figures include Canadian losses including those lost at sea on route from the UK.

The trip to Sicily was indeed an eye opener for me. I don't care how much you read about the campaign or how many films you see you can't possibly appreciate what these soldiers had to endure fighting in the dust and heat of a Sicilian summer and the impossible mountainous terrain over which they had to advance. It seems like you are forever going up a hill.

The invasion of the Italian mainland was to be next great operation for the D Day Dodgers. Personally I don't like to use sick phrases but someone of political importance once used this phrase to describe soldiers that fought in the Italian campaign and the world should continue to remind everyone of how ignorant and stupid that person really was.

From the left: Reg Bonnar, Col. Peter Hauenstein, Ambassador Robert Fowler & his wife, Thomas Andrews & Gerard Lemay

taken at the Canadian War Cemetery in Agria, Sicily on 11 July 2003