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For we Italians, Sicily is synonymous with vacations as theisland is one of the favorite summer resorts in theMediterranean. That’s because of its uncontaminated beaches,breathtaking landscapes, unique archaeological sites, beautifulBaroque towns and monuments and last but not least for itsexquisite gastronomy.

70th Anniversaryof the Allied Landing in Sicily

By Filippo Spadi, #24493and Corso P. Boccia

Scarperia, Florence, Italy

The Castelluccio of Gela on the topof the small hill. Our vehicles roll

on down the road fromCastelluccio after holding a short

ceremony. The MVs in thesehistoric places beckon

to past times (A).

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A GelaB LicataC Ponte DirilloD Marina Di RagusaE Case CamemiF RagusaG FrancofonteH Catania

Map showing the key locations visited during the Task Force Husky event.The bracketed letters e.g. (A) in the article refer to the map locations.

For history buffs, however, Sicily is also where the Alliedarmies began their long and bloody trek to liberateEurope. The British, from their initial alliance with theUS, had always advocated the roundabout way toGermany via Southern Europe. In late 1942, with strongBritish persuasion that strategy was accepted by theAmericans, as the buildup for the projected Europeaninvasion was going much slower than expected and theSoviets were insisting on a ‘second front’ to distract Axisresources from the Eastern Front.On the night of 09 July 1943 the largest amphibious

assault of WWII, code-named ‘Husky,’ landed on thesouthern and eastern coasts of Sicily where the Britishand Americans established their beachheads.In the US zone the troops of the Provisional Corps –

soon to become the 7th US Army – under the commandof General George S. Patton, disembarked between Gela(A) and Scoglitti. Their mission was to cover the left

flank of the 8th British Army commanded by GeneralBernard Law Montgomery, which landed betweenPachino and Syracuse.Very few people today know that the number of

troops composing the Sicilian operation was the largest ofWWII amphibious operations, never again equaled in theETO or the Pacific theatre. Overall, the Allied forcesdeployed in Sicily amounted to 478,000 men, 14,000vehicles, 600 tanks, and 1,000 artillery pieces. Axis forcescomprised about 260,000 men, 260 tanks, and aproportional number of artillery pieces. The airbornephase of the invasion, with the drop of the 82nd USAirborne Division, as well as smaller British parachuteunits, was also the first test of a mass combat jump by theAllies. It involved the use of about 400 transport aircraftand 144 gliders. Another first of the Sicilian invasion wasthe use of DUKWs, which received their extremelysuccessful baptism under fire.

The AmericanLanding Zone

TheBritishLandingZone

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Its attractiveness notwithstanding, Sicily is located far fromItaly’s traditional areas of military vehicle collecting, which islargely located in the central and northern regions. And, whilecollectors may easily get to the island by air, transportingvehicles there is much more complicated and expensive,especially when heavy vehicles are considered. For thesereasons nobody before had attempted to bring a significantnumber of heavy vehicles and reenactors to the historicalplaces of the Sicily beachheads. The occasion for doing thatpresented itself on 10 July 2013 – the 70th anniversary of thebeginning of the Sicilian campaign. We had received aproposal by several local governmental authorities and privatesponsors who had been impressed by accounts of our Columnof Liberation 2013 in Verona (see Army Motors #145).In less than two months, our project – named Task Force

Husky – passed from a few pencil notes on a piece of paper tothe real thing. Adding to the fast pace of events was the fact

The official Task Force Husky poster.

Top. Some of the vehiclesparked in Villa Peretti, ourHQ in Gela (A). All ourMVs arrived from CataniaHarbor (H), Sicily alongwith some of our trailers.We chose a significantrepresentation of WWIIvehicles but no tanks onthis long trip

Villa Peretti HQ in Gela.The Polizia Stradale, afriendly and efficientpolice service escorted allconvoy movements. Theconvoy impressed thepolice who had neverseen anything like itbefore (A).

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The Convoy, onpromenadeFederico II diSvevia, approachesthe landing areawhere we met theUS Ambassadorand Italianauthority. Allvehicles wereescorted bypolicemen on foot(A).

Gibertini’s first DUKWjust after it landed onthe beach. Note theCoast Guard building inthe background with theauthorities on theterrace. The Carabinierialso escorted our MVson the beach (A).

The two DUKWs on the historical landing beach followed two half-tracks used to compact the soft sand (A).

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this would be the first event organized by the newly bornmilitary vehicles club HMV Italia, an MVPA affiliate(www.hmvitalia.it). We picked about thirty selectedHMVs as the core of the event. This included twoDUKWs, one M8 Greyhound, three 2-1/2 ton trucks,one WC54 ambulance, as well as its more rareWC64KD offspring, one Canadian F60 Ford truck, one1-1/2 ton Chevy, one Canadian C8A Radio van, andtwo half-tracks. The list went on to include several otherWC51, WC52, WC53 Carryall, WC56 Command car,MBs and GPWs, WLA and BSA motorcycles, etc.The vehicles, transported by seven semi trailers, were

loaded on a cargo ferry in Ravenna and sailed to Catania(H) under constant surveillance. On 09 July 2013 theloaded transporters were moved from Catania to Gela(A), while vehicle owners and other participants, totalingabout 70 people, flew from several Italian airports to ourcommon destination in Sicily. The rendezvous point wasthe Villa Peretti Hotel in Gela, a comfortable lodgingthat afforded secure parking with ample space for all ourvehicles.We spent 09 July inspecting our vehicles, carefully

checking and preparing them for the parade on thefollowing day by adding military equipment and detailsetc. At dinner, hosted by the Gela sailing club, we hadthe opportunity to socialize and network, which is afundamental part of our successful events.July 10. 2013 was a hot, sunny Sicilian day that

marked the 70th anniversary of the landings. On thatdate, seventy years before the little town of Gela (A)awoke to naval gunfire when US troops from the 1stInfantry Division (Big Red One) and the US Rangerbattalions, with other attached units, landed close by.During the night, the 82nd Airborne Divisionparatroopers were dropped along the whole southerncoast of Sicily – their mission to seal off the beachhead

from the Italian and German units grouped in theinterior of the island.Gela (A) was also the official site where the

celebrations of this historic date would take placein the presence of the US Ambassador to Italy,David Thorne, as well as the president of theregional government in Sicily, Rosario Crocetta, anative and former mayor of Gela. During theofficial gathering in Palazzo Mallìa, our HMVItalia club president, Senio Moscadelli, had thehonor of presenting Mr. Thorne with a plaque.The US Ambassador appreciated our president’sshort speech about the reasons for our attendance,of honoring the men and women who fought forour freedom, and noting how that historical datein 1943 on the beaches of Sicily marked thebeginning of a new, fruitful relationship between areborn Italy and the USA.Once the formal celebrations were over the first

parade of our column took place along the seasideavenues in Gela. It was impossible not to noticethe imposing number of special ops lawenforcement units, who were there in case the fewusual protesters, who often rally against theconstruction of the MUOS communication systemat the nearby US Base in Sigonella, choose tobecome belligerent towards the US and Italianauthorities. However, nothing happened and ourpart of the show went on as projected with a longparade on the Lungo Mare Federico II di Svevia.Then we reached the place where our twoDUKWs, escorted by the half-tracks, entered thesandy beach in front of downtown Gela andbecame seaborne in the Sicilian waters much to thethrill of the on looking crowd who cheered.

Campanini’s second DUKW waiting for permission to safely leave the sea. The DUKWs landed where US trooplanded 70th years before. The soft sand did not create problems during the maneuvers (A).

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Ivano Genovesi,Simone Guidorziand NicolaNicotera placed awreath in memoryof the fallen Italiansoldiers atCastelluccio ofGela, the ItalianInfantry LivornoDivision HQ. Notethe landingbeaches in thebackground (A).

The Ford M8 Greyhound,M2A1 half-track and GMCDUKW enter in Licata asthousands of citizenswelcomed us (B).

Carroli, Maschieni andSimonelli’s 2-1/2 onGMC parked in Licata infront of the town hallwere we received a verywarm welcome (B).

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After this perfect beginning we went to the VillaPeretti hotel for lunch. Our program for the rest of theday brought us to Castelluccio di Gela, an imposingmedieval castle built in 1143. It is perched on top of acliff overlooking the Gela plain, which during WWIIwas the HQ for the Italian Livorno Division whoseInfantry units were annihilated by the US Navy gunfireduring their stubborn and heroic counterattacks againstthe beachhead. We laid a wreath in honor of the fallen, avery moving ceremony for all. Then, we proceed toLicata (B), where the left flank of the US forces, with the3rd Infantry Division, landed in 1943. Our HMVscontinued on without trouble along the scenic routetowards Licata. The beautiful Sicilian landscape, bathedin the hot sun of the Mediterranean summer, is abreathtaking view. However, the round domes of severalpillboxes still dotting the area stand as a constantremainder of the bloody sacrifice of youth.We reached Licata (B) in the

late afternoon with the USvehicles leading our column sincewe were in the American landingzone. Even after our successfulmorning in Gela (A) we weretaken by surprise with theincredible welcoming we receivedby the citizens of Licata. Theycrowded every street by the

Simonelli and Maschieni’sGMC 2-1/2 ton and Nelli’sDodge WC53 Carryall werephotographed during theevening in Licata (B)before leaving for Gela.

Filippo Spadi (R) and MaurizioBeretta in front of the Ponte Dirillomonument dedicated to 82ndAirborne Division. The Convoystopped here for a ceremony andplaced a wreath in memory of thefallen American soldiers (C).

thousands, cheering andapplauding each vehicle asit passed on the way to theCity Hall. Our columnparked along a downtownavenue, overflowing the

little town. We participated in the publicceremonies, including the laying of wreaths andflags rising, all in honor of all the nations whosesoldiers fought and died in Sicily. We departed Licata at 2130 on the long way

back to Gela escorted by a couple of police patrolcars. It was uneventful, apart from a stop causedby seized brakes on a DUKW – sand had enteredthe wheel drums from its morning performance onthe beach. We reach the Villa Peretti sometimeafter 2300 exhausted but enthusiastic about ourfirst day in Sicily.Our program for July 11th saw us leave Gela

for Marina di Ragusa (D). We traveled eastwardalong the southern coast, over some of the routestaken in 1943 by the armies, passing throughPonte Dirillo (C) and the Biazza ridge. There the82nd Airborne and 45th Infantry troops stopped

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The Convoy parked on the road at the Ponte Dirillomonument. The thirty MVs, including the heavyvehicles, were easy to handle on the better thanaverage wide Sicilian roads (C).

Corso Paolo Boccia kitted-out in an 82nd Airborneuniform honoring those American soldiers KIA atPonte Dirillo (C).

the tanks and infantry counterattacks by the GermanHerman Goering Division. We stopped at Ponte Dirillowhere a few members of the local Lamba Doria historicalheritage association joined us in laying a wreath for the82nd Airborne Division at their monument. Then wemoved onwards towards Marina di Ragusa (D) by wayof Scoglitti, where the 45th Infantry Division had itsbaptism of fire. At Marina we are welcomed by MayorFederico Piscitto and participated in a shortcommemoration before having lunch and – for thoseamong us who felt like it – taking a plunge in thebeautiful Mediterranean Sea at this famous resort. Beforewe left we were joined by a group of Canadians –participants in Operation Husky, a commemorativemarch organized by Stephen Gregory. He haschampioned the project of touring the very same routecovered by Canadian troops in Sicily during July andAugust 1943 from the beaches in the south to theCanadian military cemetery on the north of the Island,by stopping at every place where a Canadian soldier fell.On a less austere note, actor Clayton Norcross, who

is a family friend of some in our group, joined us. Hewas not there because of some PR man’s idea, butbecause he shares our same purposes of rememberingand honoring. We left Marina di Ragusa (D) after lunch heading

towards downtown Ragusa (F), stopping along the wayat the Case Cameni (E) strongpoint. There a recentlyinaugurated memorial honors Italian Lt. Giulio Sella,

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Our convoy parkedon Marina di Ragusapromenade. Thecrews were tiredfrom the previousday so a quiet lunchwas muchappreciated. The hottemperature of 34°C.(93°F.) was gettinghard to take evenfor our hardyItalians from themainland (D).

Federico Piscitto, Mayor of Ragusa, waspresented with a gift from HMV Italia PresidentSenio Moscadelli, by our Task Force Huskyoperation on the occasion of the 70thanniversary of the Allied landings (D).

Stephen Gregory (L) of Canadian Company,Luca Bambagiotti and Filippo Spadi (R) ofHMV Italia exchanged gifts in front of aCanadian F60 Ford (D).

Two Canadian Company youths whoattended the ‘Memory March’ on theCanadian soldiers road, werephotographed in front of Campanini’sChevrolet C8A radio truck (D).

A Canadian Company from Montreal, Quebec,and their president Stephen Gregory, met theconvoy with pipes and drums in Marina diRagusa (D).

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who was posthumously awarded the Gold Medalfor Valor – the Italian equivalent to the Medal ofHonor – for his last stand in defense of the placeagainst the advancing US troops. Anotherceremony took place there in the presence ofItalian authorities and then we again headedtowards Ragusa (F). Under the hot afternoon sun

Italian authoritiesphotographed infront of the Italianbunker in CaseCamemi during asmall ceremony (E).

we suffered the first seriousmechanical problem when theFord M8 armored car startedboiling over due to a water

pump leak. It becomes necessary for our friend LuigiPauletto to ride on top of the rear deck and continuouslyadd water to the radiator in order to avoid serious enginedamage. We parked in Ragusa in the square built by theFascist regime in 1936 in celebration of the then newlywon Empire in Abyssinia and proceed to dinner at theBest Western Hotel before turning in for the night.

Michele Vernieri (L) andLuca Bambagiotti showthe HMV Italia banner inPiazza Libertà in Ragusa.In the background isAndreis’s SAS jeep (F).

Some of our MVs parkedin Piazza Libertà in Ragusa.Note Campanini’s ‘RoverJoe Jeep,’ the WC54Ambulance and theWC64KD Ambulance (F).

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The following morning we departed for Ragusa (F)and the last destination of our journey, the city ofCatania (H). We left the coastal area and took asecondary route to the interior of the island. Thelandscape was beautiful, as everywhere in Sicily, and thesun got hotter and hotter while we climbed through thehills separating Ragusa (F) from the Catania plain. Thetwo GMC DUKWs developed mechanical problems,including a flat tire and a flat spare too! The Ford M8armored car’s owner was unable to fix the water pumpand it finally had to be loaded on our recovery truck.Notwithstanding these problems we reached the smalltown of Francofonte (G), near Lentini, where westopped for lunch and a welcome respite from the hotsun. It allowed for the repair of the two DUKWs and acheck on all the other vehicles. All seemed well until theF60 Ford truck took the stubborn attitude of a mule anddecided not to start. With no lack of qualified mechanicsamong our lot they perform a ‘field expedient’ check and

identified an electrical problem, which was solvedby improvising a bridging connection. It soundseasy enough but it was actually an impressiveprofessional feat, which we looked at with sincereadmiration.At mid afternoon we reach the Primosole

Bridge where the British Red Berets and theGerman Fallshirmjaegers, together with the ItalianArditi (commando units), fought fiercely seventyyears before. In the presence of a representative ofthe mayor of Catania we laid a wreath at themonument commemorating the soldiers who diedthere. The last leg of our long journey took us toCatania (H), reached in the late afternoon, andparked our vehicles at the local Historical Museumof the Sicily Landing.On Saturday July 13th we again assembled at

the museum for a guided tour of its exhibits andcollections. We were impressed by the professionalway this was set up with the use of moderntechnology to capture the attention and interestof its visitors. It included sounds and lighteffects, mechanized displays etc. while at thesame time keeping a scholarly level of descriptivecommentary.

Norcross Clayton, an American actor(runaway hit soap opera ‘The Boldand the Beautiful’) and Task ForceHusky Testimonial, greets all thecrews (H).

Catania Battle of Sicily Museum houses the SicilyCampaign model exhibition and photographs (H).Catania Battle of Sicily Museum. This diorama, with an

Italian bunker and machine gun, has great sound anddynamic effects (H).

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After the museum tour our column commenced its last paradetowards the Piazza Università in the historic center of Catania (H).We parked our vehicles for most of the day among a veritablecrowd of visitors and tourists who filled the area. Our group tookthe opportunity to patronize several local establishment offeringexquisite Sicilian food while at the same time acting as guides toour ‘open air museum,’ by answering questions and distributingexplanatory leaflets, etc. Marking the end of our event we werejoined in the square by Dr. Angela Mazzola of the CataniaMunicipal Government and exchanged plaques in a smallcelebration of our joint effort. The time to leave soon came as ourcolumn proceeds to the port where our vehicles were loaded ontransports for mainland Italy.Our adventure in Sicily had come to the end. We were proud

and honored to have organized this event in commemoration ofthe 70th anniversary of the Sicily landings, which marked thebeginning of the liberation of Europe from Fascism and Nazism.We were doubly happy, as while enjoying our hobby and theopportunity of touring beautiful Sicily with our military vehicles,we were also able to contribute to remembering those who werekilled for our freedom while respecting the sacrifice of all who diedin the service of their respective countries. We will not forget ourweek in Sicily and the personal emotions we felt during this event– it meant more than just an enjoyable trip in our HMV’s.

The convoy parked in the square at Università in Catania (H) marking the end of the Task Force Husky tour.

Light vehicles parked in Piazza Università in Catania (H).

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Luca Bambagiotti and Filippo Spadi exchanges gifts with Avv. Angela Rosaria Mazzola, Catania Alderman (H).

Piazza Università in Catania