Posts Tagged ‘Centuripe’
Conference hears Irish Brigade Italy campaign stories
Enniskillen Castle Stories of members of the Irish Brigade in the Italian campaign were told at the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (The Skins) in the Italian campaign conference in Enniskillen on Saturday 11 November. The event was opened by Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Mark Scott chairman of the Inniskillings Museum which hosted the conference. His father Robert…
Read MoreSicily pilgrimage for Irish Brigade website
On the 71st anniversary of their father’s journey through Sicily, the Irish Brigade web site co founders, Edmund and Richard O’Sullivan recent visited the island to trace his war time route from Cassibile to Patti. They were absolutely delighted to have been joined on their trip by Duncan McNally and David Hamilton, whose own fathers, Major…
Read MoreSicilian campaign overview
Brigadier Nelson Russell provided a succinct overview account of the Sicilian Campaign and how the Irish Brigade affected its outcome: “The British 8th Army was to land on the beaches on the east coast of the island, south of Syracuse, capture Syracuse, and so have a port; then drive the enemy from the Catania Plain,…
Read MoreThe Irish Brigade’s epic attack at Centuripe
The attacks by 78th Division on Centuripe were initially thwarted but the Divisional Commander, General Evelegh, now called the Irish Brigade forward to continue the assault. While 2 LIR laid on a preliminary attack on three flanking hills to the west of Centuripe, the Faughs attacked towards the cemetery and 6 Innisks’ took the direct route…
Read MorePiedimonte Etneo
One of the highlights of the Irish Brigade web site co founders, Richard and Edmund O’Sullivan recent visit to Sicily, was their attendance at a commemorative ceremony and conference in Piedimonte Etneo on the north eastern slopes of Mount Etna. For 33 days, from 8th September to 11th October 1943, the people of Piedimonte Etneo…
Read MoreCenturipe 1943 – an eyewitness account
The celebrated attacks by 78th Infantry Division, which included the Irish Brigade, on the Sicilian mountain top town of Centuripe on 2nd August 1943, were recently remembered by Salvatore Biondi, an eight year old at the time and who had a clear view of what happened that day. “My family was sheltering in caves in…
Read MoreThe life and legacy of Major John E McNally MC
Duncan McNally has kindly sent us further details about his father, Major JE McNally MC. We would like to thank Duncan, his mother Elisabeth, and his two sisters for their kind permission to add this story to the Irish Brigade website. “Like many in the Irish Brigade, Dad was not born an Irishman, and was…
Read MoreCaptain William Hanna hero of Centuripe
We have been recently contacted by Michael Thompson, the great nephew of Captain William Hanna who served with the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (1 RIrF) in North Africa and Sicily. Captain Hanna was killed at Centuripe on 2nd August 1943 when leading ‘D’ Company during the Irish Brigade’s epic assault on the hill-top town, which was…
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