It then rested and refitted after its long period on front-line duty. camps to house about four thousand of this tragic army, who were fleeing We would go right through the menu, including wines with each course, followed by brandy and cigars. The division was involved in the battle for the Gothic Line between 25 August and 22 September 1944. rest were Serbians, Bulgarians, Romanians and Serbians from Romania who had October 1945: On board a mine-sweeper in Trieste Harbour, From the Regimental Diary for 1 October 1945: 'Major JJ OBrien left to go on a course in UK, also 14 days leave. Apparently the MPs would watch out for British troops making a deal in a side alley, then pounce, confiscate all the cigarettes and any money being offered and let the offenders go on a promise not to offend again. I was a child then and became very sick in TBC. Take this particular story and the references to my dear old friend Eddy Patman. From July the New Zealanders joined the British 8th Army's march east and north towards the Italian plain. The sights in Trieste include Miramare, a romantic castle built in the 19th century for Austrian Archduke Maximilian and his wife. the closed doors in my life. To the right of Fifth Army on Eighth Army's left wing, XIII Corps crossed the Po at Ficarolo on April 22, while V Corps were crossing the Po by April 25, heading towards the Venetian Line, a defensive line built behind the line of the river Adige. In 1953 Britain and the United States stated their intention to leave Zone A and hand its administration over to Italy. It moved onto into Austria on the 12 May. They ranged from a baby, weeks old, to a 90-year-old former Serbian TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. The bodies are those of Italians and Yugoslavs who opposed the Yugoslav Communist takeover of the city in May 1945, along with scores of captured Germans. about a few refugees in "San Sabba," "Opicina," and "Gesuiti" who were continually If this site was helpful to you, please consider making family lived at San Sabba Annex in Trieste, Italy between 1950-1952. It returned to Italy on 11 April 1945. One such possible event occurred because of my position as Tech Corporal in charge of Squadron Technical Stores. The division remained on active service in the Middle East until returning to the United Kingdom in 1955. On New Year's Eve we were still at Monfalcone and a photo in the album shows seven of the lads, including myself, at the local fairground. As a matter of interest, the US 5th Army landed on the 9 th September 1943 against heavy German resistance at Salerno in operation "Avalanche". On one occasion the navy decided it would be a good idea if they were to send some of the matelots stationed in Trieste to our barracks for a day's leave. The division fought in the battle to secure the bridgehead, sustaining heavy casualties. commerce and culture, and lost influenc--however lately Audrey Lewis. I could either go on a skiing holiday at Cortina, or take a course as a technical storeman. It was involved in the battles to recapture Naples in September 1943, the Volturno Crossing in October 1943, and Monte Camino in November and December 1943. Ron, at the rate of 800 a day. The service was about halfway through when there was a clamour at one of the doors. We arrived at San My responsibilities were twofold. Upon our arrival, "San Sabba" was Trieste's City Hall, in the Piazza Unita d'Italia But I don't remember losing any sleep over the matter! Answers must be in-depth and comprehensive, or they will be removed. [5][4], As of 9 April, the Axis in Italy had 21 much weaker German divisions and four Italian National Republican Army (ENR) divisions, with about 349,000 German and 45,000 Italian troops. On re-checking my personal diaries I now find that after joining the 4th QOH I never went back to Rome, although I clearly visited there twice whilst in the 49th LAA (once on the 21st of June and again on the 10th of July). http://www.retecivica.trieste.it/new/default.asp?tabella_padre=sx&id_sx=28&ids=8&pagina=-&tipo=monoblocchi, http://www.archives.gov/research/holocaust/finding-aid/military/rg-331-2.html, http://www.windcloak.it/cultura/risiera/monu.htm, http://www.beyondthebluehorizon.com/triestephotogallery/. Dear Ron Goldstein, Fortunately for good sense he was soon told in no uncertain terms that all those present would refuse to eat if the newcomers were not allowed in, and the evening proceeded without any further problems. Alternatively, search The National Archives library catalogue to see what is available to consult at Kew. While I was fighting in Italy, somebody who shall be nameless had apparently been a naughty boy back in England and had been sentenced to a term in Lincoln jail. ), with hundreds of other refugees who came streaming With some of my friends, I also discovered the joys of gracious living. We spent all day digging trains out of snowdrifts and as virtually everyone in the camp was on the point of being de-mobbed, rank meant nothing at all. The website has a lot of material from all of these camps. It remained in Austria on occupation duties until it was disbanded in August 1946. approximately one flamethrower vehicle every 70yd (64m) along an 5.0mi (8km)-long front, 5th (Huntingdonshire) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, National Liberation Committee for Northern Italy, Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II, https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/politics/royal-artillery.php, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/italian-campaign, https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/canada-Italy-1943-to-1945, United States Army Center of Military History, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spring_1945_offensive_in_Italy&oldid=1152528016, This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 19:51. Opicina The Chinese are said to have a curse that goes ' You should be born in interesting times '.I think I can safely own to an extensive wartime experience! In the summer months hey used to hold opera performances there, in the open, and I was lucky enough to see a performance of Carmen with an orchestra and cast of several hundred. Ron, Hi Ron. Within a short time I was put in complete charge of all the technical stores in the squadron. And Italy - which only became a . In May 1945, Tito's Communist Partisans in Yugoslavia, after a bitter guerrilla war against the German and Croatian fascists, pursued the retreating forces toward Italy. [20], Progress against a determined German defense was slow, but ultimately the superior Allied firepower and lack of German reserves allowed the Allies to break through the mountain defenses and reach the plains of the Po valley. On June 12, 1945, the Yugoslav forces were driven out by the British Army; American and British took over the administration of the Territory, creating the Allied Military Government [1] on the western part of the Julian March or Venezia-Giulia. We were at a rifle range that took your photograph if you hit the target and, much to our surprise, it actually worked! Indeed, US troops barely got ashore at Salerno in September . It landed in Sicily on 26 July 1943, moving to Italy on 22 September 1943. ''It is impossible to consider exhuming the bodies,'' said a University of Trieste historian, Gianpaolo Valdevit. Lazy blighter that I am, in most cases I just 'lifted' the stories from my computer onto this site without checking for any obvious chronological errors. already crowded with almost 2,400 people of many nationalities, most of whom informations about permission to go to Sweden. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Italy will become the third nation to begin flying the fifth-generation aircraft from an aircraft carrier. ''The killings were, unlike Bosnia today, politically motivated,'' said Mr. Valdevit. Most of the content on this site is created by our users, who are members of the to the city too. from that early impromptu tent camp, near the Yugoslav public. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please click here. San Sabba Trieste was a very interesting place to be at this time and it was not unknown for a lot of black marketing to be going on between the troops and the civilians. The Partisan army seized the Istrian Peninsula, in the southern Adriatic, and raced on toward Trieste. This reduced the Eighth Army, now commanded by Lieutenant-General Richard McCreery, to seven divisions. Devon EX31 2PJ believe our eyes to find that these refugees were now packed like sardines It was handed back to Italy in 1954. From what I remember we were placed in the annex, where we lived for 4 years. Hi Ron. They had reached the Santerno, 5.6km (3.5mi) beyond, by dawn on April 11. everything in Serbia to enjoy the freedom of the West. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not Brief history of Trieste From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. the Annex but a lot about the Riseria San Sabba. The audience numbered 12,000 and the performance went on till the early hours of the morning. Sabba Annex DP Camp, Trieste. It sustained heavy casualties during the battle for Anzio. Strictly speaking, of course, the authorities would not have approved of our using army issue cigarettes for this purpose, but the result was that after our evening out we used to glow all the way back to camp. And so I come to the end of this unlikely saga. Today Im 63 years old and trying to open 2/1/06 Hi Olga: British Army, XIII Corps (13th Corps) & British Element Trieste Force (BETFOR) Associated events Relief of Tobruk, Alamein, Husky, Catania, Po Valley, occupation forces. On April 28, Vietinghoff sent emissaries to the Allied Army headquarters. We can either copy our records onto paper or deliver them to you digitally, Visit us in Kew to see original documents or view online records for free, Consider paying for Regards Frank. The museum located in the village is aiming to become a reference point in Italy for the history of a foreign contingent, namely what we know as the British Campaign in Italy 1917-1918. The stores themselves were in the barracks but immediately outside the store I kept various large items that were too big to be kept indoors. The barracks we moved into had formerly belonged to an Italian army unit and were quite spacious. The battle concluded on 21 September and the division returned to V Corps on 1 October 1944. The view from the peak was terrific. '', See the article in its original context from. The Trieste Synagogue was built between 1908 and 1912, designed by architect Ruggero Berlam in collaboration with his son Arduino. Click on the following series references to search for records within each respective series using keywords and dates. of time, Trieste was seen as being peripheral to the centers of Italian British Indian Army and Britain's Allies. eric721. In the fight there were two Victoria Crosses won by the 8th Indian Infantry Division. Three months after I was demobbed I received a payment from the War Office of six shillings and four pence. There were a lot like him.''. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Online resource covering 1930- 1950 British Army, In 1947 Trieste became an independent state as the Free Territory of Trieste. The German Army surrendered to New Zealand army on May 2. International pressure made the Yugoslavs leave the city on June 12. It took part in the final offensive with the crossing of the River Senio and then the forcing of the Argenta Gap. Subordinate units came from . San Sabba Annex, Records of the Allied Military Government, British-United States Zone Free Territory of Trieste. Operation Roast was an assault by 2nd Commando Brigade and tanks to capture the seaward isthmus of land bordering Lake Comacchio and seize Port Garibaldi on the lake's north side. moved to another camp, some seven kilometers away called "Opicina," high up on a high overlooking Trieste. This page is not available in other languages. Clark succeeded Alexander as commander of the Allied forces in Italy (renamed 15th Army Group), but without promotion. The cavernous pits and gorges scattered throughout the hills above this port city hold dark secrets from the twilight days of World War II, secrets that still disturb Italy and its Balkan neighbors. The Race for Trieste, [8] was a battle during the Second World War that took place during early May 1945. I heard he ended up in the Basovizza foibe. Sabba (my grandmother, mother, sister and myself) from Banatsko Novo Selo in 1950. Needless to say, once the guilty parties had fled the evidence was kept by the MPs for later sale to their own pet buyers. The division fought in the battles for the capture of Naples, the Volturno Crossing and the capture of Monte Camino, all under command of X Corps. In the early afternoon of April 9, 825 heavy bombers dropped fragmentation bombs on the support zone behind the Senio followed by medium and fighter bombers. On 30 September 1975 the 151st Infantry Regiment "Sassari" was disbanded and its II and III battalion put into reserve status, while the I Battalion was renamed as 1st Motorized Infantry Battalion "San Giusto". November 27, 2019. ''There were some 800 Italian Fascists listed as war criminals by the Allies, but none were ever brought to trial,'' said Ivan Fumic, head of the Partisan veterans' organization in Croatia. Associated places Western Desert, Libya, Tunisia, Sicily, Catania, Italy, Austria. ''These persons were questioned and tried in the presence of all the populace, who accused them,'' the priest said in the report. The final offensive in Italy commenced on 13 April 1945, with the division involved in forcing the Argenta Gap. The Allied forward formations spent the rest of the winter of 1944 in inhospitable conditions while preparations were being made for a spring offensive in 1945. I found this Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. and the fourth is Trieste at night. A TB epidemic had broken out at about that time, and representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) came to monitor the situation, and report on its containment. Coat of Arms of the Trieste Troops Command, Last edited on 22 December 2022, at 10:58, 1975 the Italian army undertook a major reform, 1st Motorized Infantry Battalion "San Giusto", "82 Reggimento Fanteria "Torino" - La Storia", "151 Reggimento Fanteria "Sassari" - La Storia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trieste_Troops_Command&oldid=1128868079, I Field Artillery Group, in Trieste, with, This page was last edited on 22 December 2022, at 10:58. across the borders from Yugoslavia in 1950. Do you know if the Annex was a separate area It might occur to some folk that the addendum above is un-necessary but it must be a sign of my years that I have felt it was proper to put the record right. were White Russians who had fled to Serbia after the 1917 Revolution. We showed them around, let them drive our tanks etc, and in short they had a good day's fun. We left Monfalcone on the Wednesday, got into London on Friday evening and turned up at the dinner on Saturday. On Friday evenings my friends and I would come into town and make straight for the YMCA. family's experience as refugees of the early Cold War period, if you're interested. A Capital of Science. V Corps was ordered to make an attack on the salient formed by the river into the Allied line at Cotignola. Many old Partisans find it hard to condemn the killings. Heinrich von Vietinghoff returned from the Baltic to take over from Kesselring and Traugott Herr, the experienced commander of the LXXVI Panzer Corps, took over the 10th Army. On April 29, they signed an instrument of surrender at the Royal Palace of Caserta stating that hostilities would formally end on May 2. ''There was a terrible Italian black-shirt commander -- his name was Volpe -- in Istria during the war who killed scores of people,'' said Ettore Poropat, a former Partisan who was in Trieste during the occupation and now lives in Zagreb. To find records revealing the decision making behind British Army operations, government policy on a specific conflict and all kinds of other high level thinking around the operations, conflicts and wars involving the British Army, search within Cabinet (CAB) and Ministry of Defence (DEFE) departments. Although they managed to breach the formidable Gothic Line defenses, the Allies failed to break into the Po Valley before the winter weather made further attempts impossible. [17][18] The 8th Indian Infantry Division, 2nd New Zealand Division, and 3rd Carpathian Division (on the Polish Corps front at Route 9) attacked at dusk. Rail travel ground to a halt. Among these items were two huge Staghound Armoured Car tyres. It took part in the battle for the River Sangro between 19 November and 3 December 1943. Italy 1943 - 1945: British Infantry Divisions Six British infantry divisions fought at varying stages of the Italian campaign. When Tito broke with the Soviet Union in 1948 the Western allies, no longer wishing to antagonize Belgrade, did not press the Yugoslavs about the killings. I have been looking for infomation or They then destroy another 6 tanks from a British counterattack. Bear in mind that a search in our catalogue will also search for records in other archives around the country keep your eye on the Held by field to establish whether the records are here or elsewhere. Gesuiti For the service records of individuals from this period go to Veterans UK, a branch of the Ministry of Defence. GIs (TRUST) took me along with two of my friends to their mess hall to feed The territory was split into the Yugoslav-administered Zone B in the South and the British-American-administered Zone A in the north, which included the city of Trieste. Here are two photos that have been identified as the Opicina DP camp. The division took part in the invasion of Sicily, crossing into Italy in 3 September 1943. It transferred to X Corps in July 1943, and landed with the corps at Salerno in Italy on 9 September 1943. The most widely travelled formation of the British Army in the Second World War, the 5 Infantry Division had previously served in the United Kingdom, France and Belgium, India and Iraq, with elements having also taken part in 1940 campaign in Norway and the invasion of Madagascar. Its objective was "to destroy the maximum number of enemy forces south of the Po, force crossings of the Po and capture Verona". We settled down at Villa Opicina and Eddy Patman took over the job of running the canteen. The There were no harsher Thanks very much and best of luck. [23] To the south of Milan, at Collecchio-Fornovo, the Brazilian Division bottled up the remaining effectives of two German divisions along with the last units of the National Republican Army, taking 13,500 prisoners on April 28. Michael's email to you said it all. in what was then Zone A of the Free Territory of Trieste, held by Allied A treaty signed between Italy and Yugoslavia more than 20 years ago to settle territorial and property disputes was never fully carried out. The 46 Infantry Division was a second line Territorial Army formation, which was formed in 1939 as a duplicate of the 49 (West Riding) Infantry Division. I would be very gratefull if you have any info. Major General Terence S. Airey was the first Zone Commander and Military Governor, followed by Major General Sir T.J.W. Those of us that had one stripe were given three for when we stood up in the Quad to take the salute. Even the into this derelict burned-out rice mill that was a Nazi death camp five years In 1975 the Italian army undertook a major reform of its forces and structure: the regimental level was abolished and battalions came under direct command of newly created multi-arms brigades. Many of the records covered in this guide are not available to view online so to see them you will have to either visit usin Kew ororder copies. In fact, Trieste was one of the most important cities in the Austro-Hungarian kingdom, along with Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. Subsequent negotiations led to the signing of the London Memorandum on 5 October 1954 by the foreign ministers of the United States, United Kingdom, Italy and Yugoslavia. Below are just some of the wars and conflicts since 1945 that are covered in our records. Damage to other transport infrastructure forced Axis forces to use sea, canal, and river routes for supply. 46 Infantry Division (1943-45) 1946-1950. [13] Phase III involved the establishment of bridgeheads across the Po and exploitation north. "Opicina" soon It was so good to discover your web site on San Sabba. But Croatia and Slovenia have recently agreed to pay their share of Yugoslavia's restitution for lost Italian property. During this time, Axis shipping was being attacked in bombing raids such as Operation Bowler. or the same as the Riseria? We could hardly On March 23, Albert Kesselring was appointed Commander-in-Chief West, replacing General-Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt. To induce me to stay he offered, as a bribe if you like, very rapid promotion, mentioning that it was quite common for a Quartermaster Sergeant to be made up to an officer in a very short time. On May 1, 1945 the Yugoslav army entered Trieste (see Foibe) one day before before the New Zealand army, in a race to decide who would control the city. Jevtic went on to spend four years in Trieste before emigrating to Quebec (Canada) via France. Italian-speaking and Slovenian-speaking 5 Infantry Division (1943-45) Kind regards, Sat 31 Oct 2009 20.06 EDT A fateful blunder by British military intelligence allowed the Nazis to seize 50,000 Allied prisoners of war from the Italians during the Second World War and transport. This was a system whereby, if one had served three years and nine months abroad, you qualified for home posting. On our arrival back in camp we would find ourselves being armed and sent back to the town in convoy to control the riots that were taking place. Swedish Lutheran Church but newly retired. In civvy street he had been a film reviewer for the cinema trade magazine 'The Cinema'. Best wishes, Andronik Kedidjan niclas.kedidjan@telia.com. Army Air Corps' operations record books and war diaries, 1957-1969, are in WO 295. My origin a donation to keep it going. set up emergency internment general. Likewise, the 14th Field Artillery Regiment and the II Field Artillery Group were disbanded and the I Field Artillery Group renamed 14th Field Artillery Group "Murge". 68, Lower Cross Road Archived post. My second responsibility was to keep the squadron leader, Major 'Loopy' Kennard, completely informed at all times as to the state of readiness of all the vehicles under his command. The camps mum worked in Austria were Eisenerz, Kapfenburg, Reid Rehabilitation Centre, and the YMCA Simmer Camp program in Waiern and Ebanesse. United States National Archives (NARA) to hear the details of the history. Its particularly interesting to me today as it shows Busty, Loopy and Chesty Reed, the RSM. This story has been placed in the following categories. Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott, the commander of the U.S. VI Corps from the Battle of Anzio and the capture of Rome to Alsace, landed in the South of France during Operation Dragoon and returned to Italy to assume command of the Fifth Army. It bordered the new Italian Republic to the north, and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the south and to the east. The build-up to the main assault started on April 6 with heavy artillery bombardment of the Senio defenses. On the right of the river's salient was 8th Indian Infantry Division, reprising the role they played crossing the Rapido in the final Battle of Monte Cassino. The Fifth Army began its assault on April 14 after a bombardment by 2,000 heavy bombers and 2,000 guns along with attacks by IV Corps (1st Brazilian, 10th Mountain and 1st Armored Divisions) on the left. The Allied Military Government administered Zone A, which was divided into peacekeeping and law enforcement sectors protected by 5,000 American troops (Trieste United States Troops TRUST) and 5,000 British troops (British Element Trieste Force BETFOR). and when it was served, it was awful. Charlene Percival cvp@fidmail.com More photos on www.facebook.com/1953Italy. Lieutenant general Max-Josef Pemsel, Chief of General Staff of the Army Liguria, consisting of three German and three Italian divisions, followed Graziani's orders and declared in a broadcast message: "I confirm without reserve the words of my Commander, Marshal Graziani. On March 18, Clark set out his battle plan. In 1948-51, my mother worked in several camps in Austria and Trieste and brought with her to Australia photographs, monthly reports, refugee art and handcraft. The river was crossed the next day and they advanced north to Verona which they entered on April 26. The Italian Special Armored Brigade destroys 15 British tanks and pursues the British for an additional 20 kilometers before losing communication with the home base and turning back. 1 Infantry Division (1944-45) [1], On 15 September 1955 the Grouping "T" was reduced to 22nd Zonal Military Command and the 82nd Infantry Regiment "Torino" entered the Infantry Division "Folgore", which was given the task to defend the Yugoslav-Italian border between Gorizia and Trieste. In the meantime, the 24th Guards Brigade, part of the 56th (London) Infantry Division, had launched an amphibious flanking attack from the water to the right of the Argenta Gap. The 78th Infantry Division was also held up that same day on the Reno River at Bastia. 56 Infantry Division (1943-45) In the first week of April, diversionary attacks were launched on the extreme right and left of the Allied front to draw German reserves away from the main assaults. 'Loopy', or to give him his full title, Lieutenant Colonel Sir George Arnold Ford Kennard, 3rd Baronet, was quite a character then, and even now and his biography entitled simply 'Loopy' makes very good reading. Launched with high hopes of exploiting Italian surrender and jetting up the Italian peninsula, it soon bogged down. There were suspicions After the war I wrote to him and his delightful reply is at the back of my album. 1952 my mother and I was transported to Sweden. Browse or search the following specific series to get started: In the First and Second World Wars, unit records were generally in the form of war diaries but by 1950 unit diaries had been largely superseded by alternative forms of record keeping. moved by the A.M.G. Instead of paying cash for these blessings we would each sell a tin of 50 cigarettes to the waiter and the cash received was more than sufficient to pay for the whole evening's entertainment, including the earlier visit to the YM! The next day he saw a group of about 250 prisoners at the mouth of the Basovizza pit. Mindful of the fact that if I lost a prisoner it was a court martial offence I took no chances and we kept him on handcuffs all the way to his house and afterwards all the way back to barracks. The system for release from the army at that time was based on a combination of age and length of service. I had many friends as a girl in San Sabba, but lost touch with them. of Trieste is called Triestin in Italian and Triestino (pronounced take us to their mess hall but their food, a little better than what we were The only ref in my records for that time is going on home leave on May 21st. The spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the final Allied attack during the Italian Campaign in the final stages of the Second World War. [28], Secret surrender negotiations between representatives of the Germans and Western Allies had taken place in Switzerland (Operation Crossword) in March, but had resulted only in protests from the Soviets that the Western Allies were attempting to negotiate a separate peace.