By this time the day had developed into its usual perfect aspect. The sea, very smooth, was a deep blue. The sun, from a cloudless blue sky, shone on the beautiful north-eastern shore of Sicily. We had embarked just north ofTaormina and were to land north ofReggio di Calabria. The Sicilian coast from Taormina up to Messina is extremely picturesque with the hills falling steeply from Mt.Etna into the sea, houses and villages nestling in little nooks, and the whole covered with the deep green of thickly planted orange and lemon groves. The whole scene was very lovely, with the mountains of Calabria rising in a purple mass against the morning sun. We could see houses and the town ofReggio, and it all looked calm and peaceful. However, we did not know.

Throughout that trip there was not the least sign of any hostile aircraft. We saw one plane only - a Spitfire patrol circling low over the sea. Then we approached the Italian shore, and there were numbers of other landing craft discharging their cargoes on the beaches. The scene was one of considerable activity with the unloading of countless men, stores and vehicles of all types. Of signs of enemy activity from the land, sea or air there were none.

At the moment that the shingle beach was touched, the great mouth of the landing craft opened and immediately a stream of vehicles issued forth from the ramp on to the beach and quickly disappeared up a track which led from it. In a matter of 20 minutes the complete load of something like a hundred vehicles had been discharged.

On reaching the road at the top of the track from the beach, we were uncertain whether to turn right or left, so we enquired of an M.P. on duty there. Incredible as it may seem in view of the fact that about 50 of our vehicles with their signs to identify the unit had, a few minutes before, passed that point, this man did not know which way they had gone, but thought they had turned south. We therefore followed his directions, but turned round after some time having found no trace of the unit, and eventually found them some distance north.

The roads were absolutely packed with masses of vehicles of all sizes and descriptions, including many large amphibious DUKW's - movement was at a walking pace. At about midday we left the main road and proceeded up a lane for about a mile before dispersing and parking in the area of a river bed.

This river bed was the same as many others we were to see all over Italy. They vary from a hundred yards to a mile across. They are flat and mainly covered with shingle with 'islands' of tufty grass and bamboo canes here and there. Except after heavy rain, or more especially after a thaw of snow, the river itself is often dry, or in some cases, a stream of water a few yards wide somewhere in the centre of the bed.

It was not until late in the afternoon that orders to move were received. Shortly
afterwards the regiment continued northwards up the coastal road opposite Messina. After two or three miles we turned inland again, this time up a minor road which was to take us right on to the top of the Aspromonte Plateau. This must remain amongst the most difficult drives of the whole campaign. By this time night had fallen, and the road was as bad as one could imagine. It was narrow, steep, twisting all the way with immense hair-pin bends, rough surfaced, sometimes deeply rutted as well. For many stretches up this road, one side was the edge of a sheer precipice. It will remain a mystery how the whole regiment climbed that road without the loss of a single vehicle. Special praise is due to the drivers of the AEC gun tractors who successfully coped with their 12 tons of gun and tractor in such difficult circumstances.

RHQ here was situated in a railwayman's house beside a level crossing, and two incidents that night are worthy of mention. While toying with the railway telephone, which we presumed to be out of action, we were most surprised when an Italian voice answered. Unfortunately, in spite of our efforts to speak Italian, he shut up again. The speaker may well have been in enemy-held territory further up the line. Then, in a cupboard in that house, we came across a white flag. It appeared that the previous occupier had been folly prepared to hand over to us without any unnecessary bloodshed.

The next day, 8th September 1943 was notable for the great news of the Italian Armistice, causing considerable merriment and speculation as to the future course of the war in Italy. That aight, however, the Germans reminded us of their continued existence by heavy shelling of our regimental area near Rosagno, which had been the scene of hard fighting. During that night a single gun of 'D' Tp went out to harass the enemy. German counter battery work was good for, having fired off 30 rounds, the detachment was subjected to heavy shelling in reply. The AEC gun tractor was riddled with shrapnel, but the detachment suffered no casualties.

The next day we moved on again, harbouring for the night, and on again the following
day in support of Marine Commandos of 231 Independent Bde which had landed at Pizzo and met stiff opposition. We arrived at Pizzo a day later. It was a pretty little visage nestling between the sea and steep mountain slopes. Our stay there was sufficiently long to enable us to have a most enjoyable bathe. In this town we "found" a German HQ truck, and from this the "Lowland Gazette" acquired its own typewriter, much to the relief of 228 Bty Office.

Then we went on, with two intervening positions in one day to a position about ten miles south of Nicastro. Here, on the Piano di Forche we spent several days. The guns were at action stations although we did no firing. The enemy were soon out of range, and the opportunity was taken for two days rest and maintenance. When we did leave there it was for a very long and tiring jump. We moved in one day well over 100 miles from Nicastro up the coastal road through Paola to a place about ten miles north of Belvedere. The day was hot and the road exceedingly dusty, and before long everything and everybody was covered with a thick coating of chalky white dust. At the end of the trip RHQ was established in a most palatial railway station. The station master was still there and he showed us some interesting and very modern electrical signalling and control apparatus. Our advance had been so rapid that the mains electricity was stffl connectedl It was here that our rear party, left behind in Sicily, finally caught up with us.

We moved on, again rapidly, through Trecchina, Lagonegro and Casalbuono, and the guns finally came into position at Polla, where we were to remain for some days. Throughout these early days on the Italian mainland, the regiment was supporting 5 Div. We were now to support the 1st Canadian Division moving up the centre had captured Potenza. Our move from Polla to Join our Dominion colleagues was first to a concentration area east ofPoIIa. It was of no particular note, except for the fact that we had our own 'private' drive, being two or three miles up a narrow track leading nowhere but up a hillside.

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