Show Notes
In this episode we hear from a reinforcement joining the fight, and we follow the New Zealand infantry as they move northwards up through Italy towards the important city of Florence. They encounter the formidable Paula Line, a series of defences around Florence that included the stronghold villages of San Michele and La Romola.
Featuring in order of their first appearance in this episode:
Norm Harris (24 Battalion)
Brynn Hughes (22 Battalion)
Clem Hollies (21 Battalion)
Colin Murray (24 Battalion)
Alan Ambury (24 Battalion)
Harry Hopping (24 Battalion)
Pat Green (24 Battalion)
Jack Cummins (22 Battalion)
Ted “Bluey” Homewood (21 Battalion)
More from Courage And Valour
In this Courage And Valour “Extra” episode Dave Homewood has a brief chat with artist Kay de Latour, who is the daughter of Italian Campaign veteran Eric de Latour. She lives very near to Cassino in Italy where her father fought, and she’s very involved with keeping the memory of the war veterans there alive through her art, her Legato exhibitions, her tour guiding around the battle sites, and as Chairman of the Monte Cassino Foundation. Click the player below to listen to the interview, or feel free to hit the download button to keep a copy.
In this episode of Courage And Valour, the veterans of the New Zealand Infantry Battalions talk frankly about the life of an infantry soldier in the front lines, and behind the lines, in WWII, both in Egypt and in Italy. This is a collection of memories, reminiscences and anecdotes from those men who were there at the sharp end. The detailed accounts after all these years are astounding, and the openness about life back then very refreshing.
This episode covers the New Zealand Infantrymen of the 2nd NZ Division who had been sitting for months at the Senio River. We follow their story as they break out north in the spring offensive, rolling north up through the top of Italy all the way to Trieste, where the war ended. But the kiwis found themselves facing another very potential enemy in that city, the Communist forces of Yugoslavia.
Following the victory in taking the vital city of Florence from the Germans, the New Zealand Division rested and re-equipped at Impoli for a short period. They also took on reinforcements here. Then when ready again for action the Div moved back east across the Appenines to rejoin the fight. Now they were formed into the Canadian Corps, with their first task being to support the Allied moves to take Rimini.