Posts Tagged ‘Maletto’
Maletto memorial for the men who died in the Irish Brigade’s final Sicily battle
A memorial to men of the Irish Brigade who lost their lives in and around Maletto in north-east Sicily in August 1943 in the brigade’s final battle on the island was formally unveiled on 18 September 2022. Those listed on the memorial are 18 members of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers (Faughs)…
Read MoreNew memorials unveiled in Sicily
A pilgrimage organised by the London Irish Rifles returned from Sicily at the end of September after visiting locations where 38 (Irish) Brigade and 168 (London) Brigade fought during July and August 1943. At that time, the Irish Brigade comprised the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (The Faughs); the 6th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (The…
Read MoreEyewitness recalls Maletto battle
Vincenzo Gangi, who celebrates his 90th birthday in October, told the Irish Brigade website how he saw machine gunners positioned on a rooftop in his home town of Maletto shoot down an allied plane during the build-up to the Irish Brigade assault on the town in the early hours of 12th August 1943. Then a…
Read MoreCommemorations in Maletto
The Irish Brigade website were most honoured to be invited to attend a Service of Remembrance and Conference in Maletto, on the north western slopes of Mount Etna, that covered events in the town during the Sicily campaign of July and August 1943. After being attendant at a service at the town’s War Memorial, the…
Read MoreFusilier Edward Graham – From County Durham to Maletto in Sicily.
We are absolutely honoured to confirm that a re-dedication ceremony for Fusilier Edward Graham will take place at Catania CWGC cemetery on Wednesday 4th October 2017. After years of exhaustive research undertaken by Fusilier Graham’s twin sons, Edward and Sydney, they recently learnt that the CWGC and the MoD have confirmed that the “Known Unto…
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 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 MoreIrish Brigade advance to Randazzo in August 1943
From the 6 – 11 August, the Irish Brigade were able to take a much needed rest after advancing 25 miles and fighting three battles over the preceding five days. Other units of the 78th Division now took up the advance through the towns of Aderno and Bronte. On the afternoon of 11th August, the…
Read MoreRemembering Rifleman James Murtagh MM
Catania CWGC Cemetery In July/August 1943, two battalions of the London Irish Rifles were in action in Sicily, their 1st Battalion (1 LIR) with the 50th (Northumbria) Division fighting along the east coast of the island and the 2nd Battalion (2 LIR) with the Irish Brigade on the west side of Mount Etna. During the…
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