This is the 80th anniversary of the allied landing on Sicilly during the Second World War. American and combined British and Canadian troops were involved from 9 July – 17 August 1943.
How deadly was the action? Agira Canadian War Cemetery contains 490 Commonwealth burials including 434 Canadians. Agira was taken by the 1st Canadian Division on 28 July 1943. An additional 35 Canadians who died during the period, but with no known grave, are among the over 3,100 Commonwealth servicemen commemorated at the Cassino Memorial.
The Canadian War Museum has a transcript of an interview with Robert Kingstone which includes a description of the chaos of the landing in Sicilly.
It was this day that my father (John C Whitwil Act Major) landed with his regiment the 5 CDN LT. A.A. REGT. RCA (See small book of poetry by Tom McMahon also of the 5th A.A. Regt.
As part of the commemoration of the events around Operation Husky, the D-Day Dodgers Foundation, in their “Volti di Agira (Faces of Agira)” project, has been gathering photographs of those buried in the Agira Canadian War Cemetery. On Saturday, July 29, 2023 they are planning on placing those photographs with the grave markers and also holding a candles cemetery at sunset (https://allevents.in/gravina%20di%20catania/faces-of-agira-and-candles-on-agira/200024375871239#). My grand uncle, Pvt. Ronald “Red” Warrener, is one of those being honoured at that cemetery.