The Attack on Italy
Heroes Remember
The Attack on Italy
We started off at around midnight in the
Mediterranean and then we came in to
Messina and it was about five o'clock in the
morning when they lowered the door and
we were about in two feet of water.
We walked to the mainland without firing a shot.
We went up the mountain and
then we saw the position. It was all Italian
soldiers there, but not the Germans.
They all had white flag.
So I was asking myself, what the heck,
do they want to give up already?
They were bombarded all night by the,
it was a battleship bombarded them all night.
And I had a guy beside me, he had a Bren gun.
He wanted to fire at them. I said, “No, no,”
I said, “forget it, they want to give up, we'll get them.”
So I said, “Let's go, let's go and get them.”
We went six of us, we got a whole
Italian regiment prisoner that morning,
a whole Italian regiment.
And the colonel of that regiment, he had all
his soldiers put their arms in a pile, in a big pile.
And I asked him for his revolver,
he wouldn't give it to me.
“Well,” I said, “that's your right, but,”
I says, “you're going to empty it.”
He give me the bullets.
I didn't want to get shot by him.
So he gave me the bullets and
he kept his revolver.
And then the Italian in about three days
after I think they capitulated,
but then we had to face the German.
Related Videos
It Was Like Real War
Mr. Clavel discusses the intense manoeuvers at Aldershot, followed by his unit's move to southeastern England. He contends that the Germans could easily have launched a successful invasion in that area.
British Resolve
Mr. Clavel describes the areas of England where he experienced bombing and offers his admiration for the British who carried on despite being constantly under attack.
Hockey and Brighton's Economy
Mr. Clavel describes playing hockey in Brighton and how it was enjoyed by the locals. He describes returning to the local pub a few years later and hearing that the Canadians had been valued customers and were missed.
- Date modified: