The 78th Infantry Division arrived in Sicily after the main landings. They apparently landed in the north-east of the island. Can anyone tell me where that was please?
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The 78th Infantry Division arrived in Sicily after the main landings. They apparently landed in the north-east of the island. Can anyone tell me where that was please?
I'm no military expert, but key to answering a question is - what is the source of your information?
The answer may lie in the Division's War Diaries which I would expect to be held at The National Archives. However, if your source is the War Diaries then I would say you have very little chance of finding out. You'd probably be reliant on an old soldier's memoirs.
Pam
The source is from a letter home to his mum from my uncle ... the same John Edward Storr you helped with earlier. The information on 78th available online doesn't say.
Paul
In that case the answer probably is the War Diaries, which might be at The National Archives, but I will leave someone a lit more knowledgeable than me to confirm. :smile5: I'm presuming that 'the information online' is not the War Diaries.
Pam
That's right Pam. It's not the War Diary. I've requested his military records as you suggested, but at a guess they'll just say something like 26July 1943 to Sicily. I'm asking on the forum in case anybody may already know. I don't relish the idea of a 200 miles round trip to Kew on the off chance.
Regards,
Paul.
I think it's more likely that the 78th landed in the south-east of Sicily, as that is where the main force landed earlier in July.
If you search 'Invasion of Sicily maps', you'll have plenty to choose from! Many of them depict the main landings of both the US and British but not the 78th.
However, there is at least one map
https://www.canadian
soldiers.com/history/battlehonours/italiancampaign/landinginsicily.htm
which indicates that the 78th landed on 25th July south of Syracuse, somewhere between Ognina and Plemmirio.
Peter
Thank you very much Peter, that's a great help.
Paul