Irish Brigade In Italy February 1944 to Jul 1945 By Brigadier TPD Scott
Over the following linked pages, the Irish Brigade website reproduces Pat Scott’s account of his time as Brigade Commander of 38 (Irish) Brigade from February 1944 when he took over command from Nelson Russell until July 1945 when the brigade were involved in ongoing security duties across southern Austria.
“I am taking up the Irish Brigade story from where Nelson Russell left off. I am only too conscious of the fact that it will be quite impossible for me to write this story in anything like Nelson’s brilliant style, which was guaranteed to bring laughter and tears to your eyes on almost any page of it which you read.
I had left the brigade, with rather mixed feelings, to command 12 Brigade on 7th July 1943, and so missed seeing the brigade perform in Sicily and the first part of the Italian campaign. In November, I was switched to the 128 (Hampshire) Brigade, who were operating on the River Garigliano on the west coast of Italy.
Soon after the crossing of the Garigliano in January, I broke my ankle and retired from active operations for what the doctors told me would be about three months. After about three weeks in hospital, I limped off to see the military secretary who lived around the corner, and told him that I was to go to a convalescent depot for about six weeks. I said that, if by any accident of war, the Irish Brigade became vacant, I would be available at once, but it would be at least two months before I would be available for any other brigade.
I had been at the convalescent depot for just twenty four hours when the military secretary rang me up to ask if I would be fit to go back to the Irish Brigade, as it was going vacant. Next day, I saw General Keightley, the Divisional Commander, an old friend of ours from 6 Armoured Division days, and told him that the one thing I really did want to do above all else was to return to the Irish Brigade, but that I would not be able to walk for about three weeks and goodness knows when I would be able to climb the Djebels again. This limitation did not seem to worry him and he promised that we would be the last brigade to do anything, and that if we could be kept out of the mountains we would be, if not I would have to be content to sit at the bottom and let a CO carry on…………….He kept his promise well.”
FEBRUARY to JUNE 1944.
Taking over from Nelson Russell.
Defensive positions near Cassino.
Cracking the Gustav Line.
Advance towards Ripi.
North of Rome.
Battles at Lake Trasimene.
JULY to SEPTEMBER 1944.
Resting in Rome and the move to Egypt.
Resting at Sidi Bishr.
OCTOBER 1944 to FEBRUARY 1945.
Back to Italy.
Joining the 5th Army north of Florence.
A plan to capture Imola.
Monte Spaduro battles.
The Rains come.
Patrolling and Artillery Duels.
New Positions near San Clemente.
With the Faughs on Monte Grande.
The Irish Brigade ready to move forward.
Clamping down for the Winter.
Raid on Casa Tamagnin.
Still in the Mountains.
Goodbye to the Mountains.
FEBRUARY 1945 – MARCH 1945.
Beginning of a New Phase.
Preparations start for the Final Battles.
The Senio Floodbanks.
London Irish raid on the Floodbank.
The Irish Brigade receive a number of visitors.
BRIGADE AWARDS AND HONOURS.
Awards since Cassino.
Mentions in Brigade Orders.
APRIL 1945.
St Patrick’s Day.
Readying for action.
The advance to the River Po.
The Po and the End of the War.
MAY 1945.
Northern Italy.
Into Austria – Settling Frontiers.
Balkan Troubles.
JULY 1945.
Postscript.
Awards from April to July 1945.
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