During our stay in Cassino,
we visited the battlefields of the Hitler Line and the Melfa
River, made all the more meaningful by the unique opportunity to
meet with local historians and villagers. We were fascinated as
we toured through old German defensive positions and points of
Allied advance.
On the morning of May 25th, on the 62nd anniversary
of the Melfa River crossing, the town of Roccasecca hosted a
lovely ceremony to honour the veterans and unveil a plaque to
commemorate the battle. We listened intently to the impassioned
stories of some of the veterans as they spoke of the historical
events. Major Jack Mahoney, Commanding Officer of A Company,
Royal Westminster Regiment, had been awarded the Victoria Cross
for his heroic leadership during this action. Despite being
under heavy shell-fire for five hours and using weapons that
could only be packed across the river on their backs, the
Westminsters, with the help of the Lord Strathconas' Horse
reconnaissance force, held the bridgehead. Lieutenant-Colonel
P.A. Griffin, Commanding Officer, Lord Strathcona Horse, and
Lieutenant Edward Perkins, Commanding Officer of the
reconnaissance platoon, which crossed the Melfa River in advance
of the Westminsters, were awarded the Distinguished Service
Order. Private Culling of the Westminsters was awarded the
Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for taking out a German Mark
IV tank and killing its crew while Trooper Jacob Funk of the
Strathconas was awarded the Military Medal for taking out a
menacing German self-propelled gun with a PIAT gun. This action
effectively cut Highway 6 to Rome and was the last major battle
before the Allies entered Rome on June 4, 1944.
This ceremony was
particularly meaningful for our group, as most of the veterans
on the tour were from the Royal Westminster and Lord
Strathcona’s Horse regiments and many had been directly involved
in the battles at the Melfa. Some were returning to Italy for
the first time. When the tributes and speeches had come to an
end, the youngest Italian schoolchild and the oldest Canadian
veteran were positioned side by side. Together they pulled the
cord and the plaque was unveiled.
Following a reading of
poems by local school children, the guests were led to an old
farmhouse near the banks of the river. The owner greeted the
guests and reunited with several of the veterans who had been
directly involved in the action at the farm. He remembered well
the Canadians that had gathered there when he was a boy during
the attack at the Melfa.
Later, we were led down to
the banks of the river underneath the new highway where the
residents of Roccasecca had prepared a beautiful feast. As we
watched my son and my traveling companions’ son playing in the
river, we reflected on the innocence of youth, at liberty to
splash in the river due to the great sacrifice of the men who
had fought here 62 years ago. As a poignant finale to the
mornings’ events, our two boys were given the honour of tossing
rose petals into the river as a tribute to the fallen.
After the ceremony in
Roccasecca we had an opportunity to tour through the impressive
Cassino War Memorial Museum, established in large part through
the dedication and knowledge of Roberto Molle and Alessandro
Campagna.
Our last stop of the day
was at the Commonwealth War Cemetery where the veterans formed
up and marched to the cenotaph. Pristine and peaceful, each
cemetery in Italy has its own beautiful atmosphere. One who has
not been there cannot understand the visual power when standing
amid the graves. We had a wide variety of people on our tour
coming to Italy for touching personal reasons and it was in the
cemeteries that most of these feelings emerged.
We visited eight different
war cemeteries in Italy, each an essential stop on our tour as
we continued on to the areas of Ortona and Rimini, tracing the
footsteps of the Canadian Army through the Italian Campaign.
Each time, as the buses pulled up, the people streamed out with
a determination to find those to whom they had come to say
goodbye.
For myself, each time I
tour the battlefields of the Italian Campaign I find the
experience incredibly compelling. I breathe in the air, look up
at the mountains, out across the fields and the countryside. I
see the old through the new and am filled with awe and wonder.
Not so long ago this land and its people were virtually
shattered by war. There is no evidence of destruction now, 62
years later. The towns and cities, completely restored, are
surrounded by lush farmland. The vibrant soul of the people has
emerged intact. I look forward to my next opportunity to be
moved by the power of the region’s history once more.
The Melfa
River
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