Chapter 12
Across the Straits of Messine

With all of Sicily in Allied hands we now started preparing for the invasion of Italy. This meant more water proofing of the carriers and more amphibious training. This time there would be no element of surprise, Jerry would know we were coming. From our positions on Sicily we could look across the straits of Messine and see Italy our next objective.

The assault across the Strait of Messine began on September 3, 1943. We landed in the second wave at a place called Reggio Calabria after a 5 hour Navy bombardment from the battle ships followed by a huge air attack by the RAF and USAF.

Once again we waited nervously in the belly of the LCT listening to the bombardment going on outside. When the LCT beached the ramp came down and for the second time in only a few months I was taking part in the invasion that would change history. This landing was a picnic compared to Operation Husky. There was hardly any shelling since the Germans had withdrawn to establish their line of defense across the narrow, mountainous central part of the peninsula. Our objective after landing on the beach was to advance to a farm house 20 miles inland. The journey to the objective was halted every now and then while we moped up small pockets of Jerry rear guards but there was not much fighting.

We arrived at the farm house that evening. I was told by my sergeant to go and wake up the owner of the house and to be careful as they could be Fascists and have weapons. I knocked on the door and it was opened by a middle aged Italian farmer. Before I could explain in my pigeon Italian who we were and what we were doing here he shouted "Hey buddy" in a very American accent and embraced me. It turned out that he had lived in Chicago for 10 years before the war. He hated Mussolini and had been waiting for the allies to arrive here since the landing that morning.

For the next 8 days the Italian farmer from Chicago fed and watered us in grand style. Most nights a few of us would be invited to the house to share a meal with his large family. We camped next to our carriers in his Almond orchard. He had 3 daughters that would do all the washing and laundry for the platoon. At the end of the 8 days the farmer was very upset when we told him we had to move on and he threw a big party for us. More of his family turned up that night for the party bringing food and wine for us. This was the first time I tasted Asti which is a sweet sparkling Italian wine. There was bread, cheese and meats I'd never tasted before and for the main meal they killed and roasted a goat. The party went on till late that night.

The next morning we pulled out of the opposition and a fond farewell to the farmer and his family. We now started the long hard slog up the boot of Italy with mud, shelling, rain and death following us all the way.