23/02/2022
Have a couple of places available on this tour. Starts in Cassino. Will book accomodation but you pay on the ground
Small group 7 max. Flying to Naples from Luton 0610hrs 16 May 2022. Return to Luton 2130hrs 20 May 2022. Pick me up on Messenger if interested and we can discuss.
Monte Cassino 16 – 20 May 2022
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four assaults by the Allies against the Winter Line in Italy held by Axis forces during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The intention was a breakthrough to Rome.
At the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans holding the Rapido-Gari, Liri and Garigliano valleys and some of the surrounding peaks and ridges. Together, these features formed the Gustav Line. Monte Cassino, a historic hilltop abbey founded in AD 529 by Benedict of Nursia dominated the nearby town of Cassino and the entrances to the Liri and Rapido valleys. There were in total four main battles during the campaign to break the German Winterline which hinged on Cassino
Abbey from the slopes of Monte Cairo
Abbey from Point 593 - Polish War Memorial
Commemorates the sacrifice of those soldiers of the Polish 2nd Corps who died during the Cassino Campaign. Pouintb58-93 was fought on and over many times by US and British soldiers until finally captured by the Poles in May 1944
The French Burial Ground - Venafro
The French Expeditionary Corps fought under General Juin. Made up mainly of French North African Troops they fought against the German 5th Mountain Division, commanded by General Julius Ringel gaining positions on the slopes of their key objective, Monte Cifalco. Forward units of the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division had also by-passed Monte Cifalco to capture Monte Belvedere and Colle Abate. General Juin was convinced that Cassino could be bypassed and the German defences unhinged by this northerly route but his request for reserves to maintain the momentum of his advance was refused The two Moroccan-French divisions sustained 2,500 casualties in their struggles around Colle Belvedere.
The Village of Terrille from the foot of Monte Cairo and in the distance Monte Belvedere fought over by the French Corps and the German 5th Mountain Division. The high point is 892m (2800ft)
Winterline Museum Venafro 2018. Put together by the Town Mayor (front row kneeling left). All the items in the Museum been collected by him since he started walking the hills of theWinterline in 1994.
Ruins of San Pietro Infine 2018
The Battle of San Pietro Infine (commonly referred to as the "Battle of San Pietro") was a major engagement from 8–17 December 1943, in the Italian Campaign of World War II involving Allied forces attacking from the south against heavily fortified positions of the German "Winter Line" in and around the town of San Pietro Infine just south of Monte Cassino about halfway between Naples and Rome.
The eventual Allied victory in the battle was crucial in the ultimate drive to the north to liberate Rome. The battle is also remembered as the first in which the troops of the Royal Italian Army fought as co-belligerents of the Allies following the armistice with Italy. The original town of San Pietro Infine was destroyed in the battle
Gari River at San Angelo in Theodice
The Battle of Rapido River was fought from 20 to 22 January 1944 during one of the Allies' many attempts to breach the Winter Line in the Italian Campaign during World War II. Despite its name, the battle occurred on the Gari River.
Lieutenant General Mark Clark, commanding general of the United States Fifth Army, in an attempt to break through the German defences of the Winter Line (also known as the Gustav Line), tried to cross the Gari River, south of Monte Cassino, with two regiments (the 141st and 143rd Infantry) of the U.S. 36th Infantry Division, commanded by Major General Fred Walker. After crossing the river in boats, the Americans were cut off from reinforcements and support and subjected to heavy fire and counterattacks The Americans suffered very high losses, and after two days of fighting the survivors retreated across the river.
The Polish war cemetery at Monte Cassino holds the graves of 1,072 Poles who died storming the bombed-out Benedictine abbey atop the mountain in May 1944, during the Battle of Monte Cassino. The cemetery is maintained by the Council for the Protection of Memorial Sites of Struggle and Martyrdom.
The cemetery also holds the grave of General Władysław Anders, who had commanded the Polish forces that captured Monte Cassino. Anders died in London in 1970 and his ashes were interred in the cemetery.
The cemetery itself can be clearly viewed from the Abbey, which lies just a few hundred meters away.
The cemetery is the closest of all allied cemeteries, symbolizing the importance of the Polish fighters during the battle. It was the Poles that are credited with liberating the abbey from Axis forces. As such their war dead were honoured with being buried in such proximity to the structure for which they died liberating.
On the morning of 18 May 1944, Polish forces finally entered the ruins of the abbey and hoisted the Polish flag.
